Floating a Print

[cargoflipper]

Those look fantastic! What a great thread.

[stuckeyc]

I love this place. Thanks CHR1S. Quick question, I read somewhere online that you should only use rag mats as the backing for float mounts because the "color" on 100% archival matboard is not really acid free. Do you know if this is correct? I figure since you work in a museum that you probably have a pretty darn good handle on this. Thanks for the input

[CHR1S]

You are correct. We only use rag mats (which are archival/acid free) for all our backing (including when we float prints). In our museum we rarely use non-white mats at all. And on the rare occasion when we use a colored mat, it is solid rag all the way through so the colors are never that vibrant. The only mats I stock at the museum are Bright White and and a couple shades of Off White or Antique White. With works on paper we basically try to match the color of the mat with the color of the paper.

[CrustaR]

Cool info, thanks.

[Mention]

Thanks for the info Chris. Very helpful. Where did you pick up that self stirring mixer?

Also, what mat are you using for the backing with those Obey prints? I don't have those prints, are they printed on the typical obey cream paper?

[sixstringer]

When you do a pedestal float what's the best way to secure the mounted print&pedestal to the background? It would have to be perfectly aligned so the print floats straight in the frame so it seems like you have one shot to do it right.

[Mention]

When you do a pedestal float what's the best way to secure the mounted print&pedestal to the background? It would have to be perfectly aligned so the print floats straight in the frame so it seems like you have one shot to do it right.

I believe you follow the same procedures as here, but mount the mounted piece to a few pieces of foam core to create depth. You want the foam core to be smaller than the print so you can't see it from the sides. I believe you can tape the core together, and secure that to the mat once the mat is cut to size. If you center it on the mat once the mat is cut, it should be centered in the frame. I'm not a professional framer though so I could be way off.

[alison03]

This all is like a foreign language to me, but it has been immensely helpful. I've read through this thread maybe 4 or 5 times since it was posted and I seem to get a better grasp on the process each time.

I am wanting to get my Keyes Guardian and possibly a Banksy floated but because they mean a lot and are a tad pricey and because I don't already 'have' a framer that I know and trust, it makes me really nervous to hand it over and not know what they will do.

This might sound funny, but what are good key words to use and ask my framers about? I have read on this thread: 'wheat paste' (is that the technical name/process?), mulberry paper, reemay fabric, Japanese hinging paper (can you tell me the difference between each paper, or are some of them synonymous?), and rag mats (not archival mat board)...is that just for floating or should I ask for rag mats always?

I want to be able to politely make sure my framer knows/understands/would frame it this way so I have no worries about the prints.

[mazdog]

This all is like a foreign language to me, but it has been immensely helpful. I've read through this thread maybe 4 or 5 times since it was posted and I seem to get a better grasp on the process each time.

I am wanting to get my Keyes Guardian and possibly a Banksy floated but because they mean a lot and are a tad pricey and because I don't already 'have' a framer that I know and trust, it makes me really nervous to hand it over and not know what they will do.

This might sound funny, but what are good key words to use and ask my framers about? I have read on this thread: 'wheat paste' (is that the technical name/process?), mulberry paper, reemay fabric, Japanese hinging paper (can you tell me the difference between each paper, or are some of them synonymous?), and rag mats (not archival mat board)...is that just for floating or should I ask for rag mats always?

I want to be able to politely make sure my framer knows/understands/would frame it this way so I have no worries about the prints.

When dealing with a Keyes or Banksy, I would definitely be concerned about dropping them off with a random framer.
I would advise trying to find some local recommendations for a reputable framer in your area, maybe ask some of these new pro-framers if they know anyone in your area. Are framers listed on Yelp??

As for the terminology, I am far from an expert but I will try to help you out some....don't hold me to any of these definitions/explanations

-Wheat paste is just what is sounds like, a paste made from wheat starch. I would say any real framer should know the term, even if they use a different material/technique.
-Mulberry paper is a specific type of paper often used to make 'hinges', if I'm not mistaken the Mulberry paper used for hinging is generally of Japanese origin so it may also be considered Japanese hinging paper.
-Reemay paper....not to sure on this one, I know I've read about it being used as a blotter type material or an acid-free separator.
-Japanese Hinging Paper....several types of 'paper' fall into this category, mulberry seems to be one of the more commonly used (with wheat starch paste). Lineco also makes a pre-glued (may not be the best way to describe it) Japanese Paper hinging tape, cut to size, wet with water and apply.
-Rag mat is basically just a type of mat board. I think rag mat is considered the best type of mat board, acid and lingen free and fully archival. 'Rag Mat' might technically be a brand name for Crescent's brand of rag mat, but other companies make rag mat under different brand names (Alpharag, etc). If the mat is touching the print at all it should be a rag mat quality mat. If not in contact with the print, not as big a deal but personally I would still try to use a rag mat.

Hope that helps.....confused myself a couple times...

[Mention]

Alison-

Before you let your framer handle your artwork for the first time, sit down with them and let them know your concerns. Any framer worth a **** will take the time to explain their process, the different options, and answer any questions you may have. Ask them about their background, type of framing they usually do, etc... The best time to do this would be when they are not busy. If they can't take the time to explain all this to you, find someone else who will. They should answer all the questions you asked us.

You know more than your average person walking into a frame shop already, and asking those kinds of questions shows that you are serious about your art, and, in my experience, makes a big difference in the way you are treated.

[alison03]

This all is like a foreign language to me, but it has been immensely helpful. I've read through this thread maybe 4 or 5 times since it was posted and I seem to get a better grasp on the process each time.

I am wanting to get my Keyes Guardian and possibly a Banksy floated but because they mean a lot and are a tad pricey and because I don't already 'have' a framer that I know and trust, it makes me really nervous to hand it over and not know what they will do.

This might sound funny, but what are good key words to use and ask my framers about? I have read on this thread: 'wheat paste' (is that the technical name/process?), mulberry paper, reemay fabric, Japanese hinging paper (can you tell me the difference between each paper, or are some of them synonymous?), and rag mats (not archival mat board)...is that just for floating or should I ask for rag mats always?

I want to be able to politely make sure my framer knows/understands/would frame it this way so I have no worries about the prints.

When dealing with a Keyes or Banksy, I would definitely be concerned about dropping them off with a random framer.
I would advise trying to find some local recommendations for a reputable framer in your area, maybe ask some of these new pro-framers if they know anyone in your area. Are framers listed on Yelp??

As for the terminology, I am far from an expert but I will try to help you out some....don't hold me to any of these definitions/explanations

-Wheat paste is just what is sounds like, a paste made from wheat starch. I would say any real framer should know the term, even if they use a different material/technique.
-Mulberry paper is a specific type of paper often used to make 'hinges', if I'm not mistaken the Mulberry paper used for hinging is generally of Japanese origin so it may also be considered Japanese hinging paper.
-Reemay paper....not to sure on this one, I know I've read about it being used as a blotter type material or an acid-free separator.
-Japanese Hinging Paper....several types of 'paper' fall into this category, mulberry seems to be one of the more commonly used (with wheat starch paste). Lineco also makes a pre-glued (may not be the best way to describe it) Japanese Paper hinging tape, cut to size, wet with water and apply.
-Rag mat is basically just a type of mat board. I think rag mat is considered the best type of mat board, acid and lingen free and fully archival. 'Rag Mat' might technically be a brand name for Crescent's brand of rag mat, but other companies make rag mat under different brand names (Alpharag, etc). If the mat is touching the print at all it should be a rag mat quality mat. If not in contact with the print, not as big a deal but personally I would still try to use a rag mat.

Hope that helps.....confused myself a couple times...

That has definitely helped! Thank you for the clarifications!!! It's like I hear all these terms repeated throughout the framing section but it's like reading a line of spanish and vaguely understanding the subject but in reality, I actually have no idea what I'm talking about...just these foreign words coming out of my mouth when I try to repeat it.

And yeah, I read through the reviews on here (from the Seattle framers thread) and found a place highly recommended (also looked on Yelp and their website). We visited there over the weekend and it looked good, but the staff seemed like a bit of a mixed bag (one guy recently framed a Nola but another guy said he could drymount my Geddes to keep it flat). So I want to make extra sure I know what I am saying so there is no misunderstaning due to me using the wrong term or wording or something.

[phishstix101]

Great thread and thanks for the info!

[alison03]

Alison-

Before you let your framer handle your artwork for the first time, sit down with them and let them know your concerns. Any framer worth a **** will take the time to explain their process, the different options, and answer any questions you may have. Ask them about their background, type of framing they usually do, etc... The best time to do this would be when they are not busy. If they can't take the time to explain all this to you, find someone else who will. They should answer all the questions you asked us.

You know more than your average person walking into a frame shop already, and asking those kinds of questions shows that you are serious about your art, and, in my experience, makes a big difference in the way you are treated.

That is a stellar point. I plan on framing a lot of things both now and in the future and absolutely want to make sure it will be a good fit for both sides. Thanks for the advice, will absolutely go in and have a chat.

[CrustaR]

How would you float a print so that it actually has the float effect like where the artwork is raised up a bit?

[sixstringer]

How would you float a print so that it actually has the float effect like where the artwork is raised up a bit?

I'm doing one here coming up and I've never done it.

http://www.frametek.com/HTML/Articles/F ... nting.html