mounting prints to display W/O frames

[Ishotharold]

I have 10 prints (5x7) that I want to mat/overmat but they are not being framed. What's the best way to get everything flat? Can I drymount the print to a piece of mount board and dry mount the overtmat to that? I think hinge tape is ment only for framing correct? Thanks for any help.

 

[photographs42]

Yes you can and I have, but there is no guarantee that they will stay flat and, of course, there is nothing to protect the print itself, so why would you want to?

Jerome

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Don't drymount the overmat to the print! You're creating a situation where should anything happen to the overmat (highly likely if you display them unframed!) the print that is now fused between the two mats is irretrievable.

 

[Ishotharold]

the prints and mats are to be assembeled in a book form of some sort as a gift for friends, they aren't exactly going to be gallery pieces but am defenitly open to any mounting suggestions that would provide more archival ability.

 

[Ole]

Hinge mount as normal, and put the lot in a cheap clip frame.

If they really like the print they can (and will) get a proper frame for it.

 

[ann]

or mount as usual, backboard, window, glass, all held together with swiss clips, very similar to ole's suggestion.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

If you want to present the set as a gift, then hinge-mount the prints and overmats as you normally would if you were framing. Then get a nice portfolio box (Century makes some nice ones that aren't terribly expensive. Light Impressions makes some that are a bit nicer and a lot more expensive), and put the matted prints in the portfolio box. If you wish to protect the prints once matted, either put interleaving tissue between the mats ( matted print | interleaving tissue | matted print etc), or get some of the Light Impressions crystal clear plastic bags. These will help keep your prints in mats flat, as they are tight enough that they will keep the overmat pressed firmly against the backing board.

 

[Ishotharold]

I think I'm not explaining what I want to do, I had thought about the box Idea but would like to have them hinged together in a fan fold so that they can be folded up into one stack and unfolded to sit on a desk or table top standing up... or perhaps just as pages in a book. Attached is a picture of two of the mats to give an idea (obviously the prints aren't centered because they aren't mounted to anything yet)

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

If that's what you're thinking, I'd go with lightweight mats (2ply front, 2ply back) so they fold up easier. You'll need to make bookbinder's type hinges between the mats so it will accordion fold. I suggest experimenting with some Manila paper for proof-of-concept. I've actually seen people do something like this before, and the biggest hassle in the construction is the planning and prototyping. It might be better to do this not as overmats at all, but just drymount with very careful positioning of your images and labels, and even more careful positioning of your hinging tape. If you can find a very long piece of manila paper that can be accordion-folded, you can use that instead of tape hinges, and it will look more elegant.

 

[Mark Fisher]

I'm a big believer in mounting for the appearance you want. Given what you are doing, you will want the overmatts stuck to the underlying matt. It sounds like anything else will compromise the look you are after. That said, you could corner mount the images and then dry mount the overmatt and the underlying matt together and capture the corner mounted image. That would keep the matt flat and the image fairly flat. This might be a reasonable compromise if you want to be able to remount the image at some point. Personally, I'd drymount the whole thing and reprint if something gets damaged.

 

[Ishotharold]

the manila paper sounds like an interesting Idea, I wonnder if seemless paper might do the trick? Perhaps sandwiched between an overmat and a back board for each frame?

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

The seamless will be not durable enough, and is most likely not acid free. It will tear too easily. Go to a GOOD art supply store, maybe somewhere near the Art Institute, and ask them about heavy craft papers.