Waviness on Framed Prints

[sidaldo]

The waviness is purely down to the change in temperatures. Paper is always expanding and contracting so it's pretty natural for the fibres to form a wave. Take them out of the frame and flatten them out for a while. They should go back to being normal.

PS: Framers fault for using any sort of tape, that will leave loss of paper at the back. Advise you to not remove the tape and let it be. Only should be handled by a professional conservation studio if need be.

[CHR1S]

Also depends on how much tape the framer used and how much room he left in the frame for the paper to move. If there is too much tape across the top of the print it's going to be more prone buckling and waves. If the frame was cut the exact size of the print then there is no room for the print/paper to move if/when the paper expands and contracts.

I would have mounted the print on museum board with a 1/8 inch margin all around. And hinged the print with just two tabs of mulberry paper and wheat paste, (one tab on the top left, one on the top right). Mulberry paper is much more pliable and forgiving than tape. Tape is rigid and won't flex the same way mulberry paper will.

And some paper is just more prone to buckle and wave regardless of how well it is mounted.

[peacedog]

The waviness is purely down to the change in temperatures. Paper is always expanding and contracting so it's pretty natural for the fibres to form a wave. Take them out of the frame and flatten them out for a while. They should go back to being normal.

This is incorrect. There are many reasons paper buckles, temperature changes being low on the list. Type and thickness of paper, type of ink, thickness of ink laid down, amount of unprinted surface vs. printed, and barometric shifts all play a far more important role. As well paper doesn't tend to just flatten out by letting them lie out, it needs to be pressed.

And:

Some paper is just more prone to buckle and wave regardless of how well it is mounted.

[dskdaniel]

The only print I have I've noticed this on (knock on wood) is Kosowski's Lolita. Boy was that a bummer to discover. I feel like on that one it's definitely a combo of the paper quality and ink weight.

[willg]

Doesn't look like any spacers were used as ceevee mention, which would lessen the waviness. The print resting directly on the glass is not ideal. I live in a humid area and had a cheap print framed in my son's room with no spacers. A few years later when I removed the print some parts of the paper had adhered to the glass and came off with it.

[fdi1001]

If you want the print to last, it should be against the glass since it will eventually become one with the glass. That is the purpose of the mat board or spacer.

In regards to the waves some of the stuff said so far is sort of correct. All paper based products, and in fact all wood is subject to waves and warping with temperature and humidity changes. The only way to truly stop a print from waving is the permanently mount it to the mounting board with something like dry mounting. However, if the mounting board is acidic, or becomes acidic it cant be replaced and it can hurt the print over time. This is more an issue when trying to preserve things for lifetimes. I have heard that most of Ansel Adams prints were drymounted.

So some waves are ok and natural, however, improper framing can make things worse. Yes paper will contact and expand with temperature changes and that is not the big problem. The problem is if you completely tape one or more edges of the paper down to a the mounting board so the paper is not free to move. The problem is that the paper and the mounting board will not expand and contract at the same rate. If the mounting board shinks faster than the paper the paper is forced to buckle. That is why the paper needs to be free to move. Proper archival mounting usually means just hinging perhaps two points at the top so the paper is mostly hanging inside in the frame and the only fixed point is the just a small line between the two hinges. Using a mat board that overlaps the image can help keep the edges of the paper down without restricting the paper from expanding and contracting under the mat. Photo corners, mounting stips, or mat cut outs are other ways to mount the image loosely without adhesive.

You can see an example of hinging here:
https://www.framedestination.com/pictur ... -mounting/

When you look for a framer, try to find on that is Certified by the http://www.ppfa.com/
It will not be a guarantee, but will indicate you are much more likely dealing with more of a professional.

[Luckyslev]

Thanks for the framing tips and explaintions! I was always concerned if the waviness was moisture seeping in or if it might be gravity and improper mounting techniques.

[hvbias]

I recently noticed this with waviness my diplomas. I got them framed at Michaels and it's been so long that I can't recall what options I went.