Mounting and framing works on paper

Question

​Hello dear people from MITRA.  I wanted to ask some questions about framing and mounting.. I don't know is this an issue in other countries and cities as well, but here in my country i have a serious problem with people who are framers, and with their method so to speak...  They use mostly masking tapes (or painters tape) i think this is how you call it, mostly yellowish tape that can be ripped with hand easily. They take the artwork on paper (watercolor, drawing etc.) and place it under  the passe- partout (mat). Then they use masking tape and put it on the 4 corners on the back of the artwork on paper so it will stick to the passe partout. Then they put glass on the front, and for the back they  use cardboard to press or hold the artwork and passepartout together . Close it, and that's it...  So, i have seen that the right way to frame works on paper is to take conservation (archival tape) to mount the artwork on archival museum board (which they have never heard of) and then to put together passepartout and museum board so that passepartout will just lay over the artwork, Then glass on front, and cardboard on the back and to close the frame... Since i cannot change their decades old way of framing i have found a store where i can at least buy the archival tapes.  They will use this tape on the back corners of the artworks to hold it to passepartout.  So can anyone please advise me which ones to buy for this?  (i will post links)  https://www.crescat.hr/prozirne-konzervatorske-trakice-za-uramljivanje/      (These ones are conservation tapes made of archival safe poliester which is put together with acid free paper with selfadhesive lining.  and these ones  https://www.crescat.hr/konzervatorski-uglovi/    are a conservation corners (or photocorners) . They are made of 100 % acid free, archival, safe  polypropylene . It contains longlasting acrylic adhesive , 100 % water based I think i would like to buy the archival tape (1st one) but if there is anyone who can check this and advise me on this, i would be more than grateful.  Also if anyone thinks there is another solution to this, please say so.  Thank you all very much! Kind regards Marko Karadjinovic

mkinsey · Answer

​The Library of Congress offers information about techniques and materials for matting and framing valuable paper objects: https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/mat.html This resource also includes links to downloadable publications with more specific instructions. Hope this helps!

Brian Baade · Answer

​Sorry for the delay Marko. I have sent your query to a couple of moderators.

Brian Baade · Answer

​There are so many mistakes, here, that one must concentrate on the most dangerous. Nothing should ever be secured to a window mat. The opening makes that piece of board extremely unstable and dangerous. The work must always be secured to a back mat that has been joined to the window with a water activated linen tape, along its longer dimension. No sticky tape should ever be used with anything of value, for physical and chemical reasons. Physically, the adhesive is unstable and will yield to gravity. Chemically, pressure sensitive adhesives will contain oily plasticizers, and tackifiers along with a host of other contaminating ingredients and simply putting the tape on the art will lead to instant contamination, while a multitude of problems will show up as the adhesive ages, oozes plasticizer, and oxidizes. Works can be safely housed in window mat/(mount) settings with folded paper edge support strips or if the entire front of the work must be exposed, with hinges. The simplest and safest hinges can be made from lignin free, unbuffered tissue, using an adhesive that is not biologically active, which has minimal penetrating potential, and can be reversed with humidification, when needed. This adhesive is Klucel G (hydroxy propyl cellulose, mixed with the most pure isopropyl alcohol available (majority alcohol, minority HPC powder, to create a gel, which can be easily spread thin, without additional solvent, to minimize solvent exposure and keep the adhesive from penetrating. The Klucel G powder and the alcohol can be combined in a zip locking bag and massaged together, to be left overnight to obtain a clear, smooth gel, no cooking needed and storage in a closed container will suffice, indefinitely at room temperature.  All the components mentioned, here, are inexpensive and easy to obtain, but it is critical that anyone hinging must practice extensively before putting a hinge on anything of value. Hugh Phibbs Preservation Specialist and former Preservation Coordinator at the National Gallery of Art.

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Mounting and framing works on paper