Let's Frame Something: Mounting, Glass Safety

If you've made it this far, I applaud you. I barely made it this far and I'M the one writing this overly-wordy, week-long tutorial. What can I say, I wanted to be thorough.

Here's a list of basic supplies you'll need:
acid-free tape (designed for custom framing)
mat board (cut to size)
backing board (cut to size)
glass or plexiglass (cut to size)
artwork to be framed

Today we're going to talk about how to attach your artwork to your backing board so it shows through the opening in your mat properly.

MOUNTING YOUR ARTWORK
There are several ways to mount your artwork, and the one you choose is determined by the value of your artwork.

Drymounting - Perfect for posters because it keeps them nice and flat by essentially gluing them to the foam core backing. A sheet of adhesive paper is placed between the poster and the foam core. Then the entire thing is placed in a drymount press that heats your little poster and foamcore sandwich until the glue fuses the two together. Not recommended for sentimental, valuable, or archival items because the mounting is permanent and the glue is acidic.

Hinging - Recommended for sentimental, valuable, or archival items, this process creates a "hinge" using special acid-free tape designed for custom framing. The tape is only applied to the top edge of the artwork, allowing it to hang free on the other three sides.

Photo Corners - These can be used in leu of hinging tape and will provide a safe environment for your photos as long as the corners are acid-free.

Hinging Technique
You never want to attach your artwork to it's mat with something like masking tape which is definitely NOT acid-free, especially if you've gone through the trouble of making everything else acid-free. Over time, the masking tape will dry out and flake off, leaving a nasty, discolored tape-shaped stain on your artwork beneath it. Boo!

You want to use special tape designed specifically for framing. I use conservation tape that is acid-free and creates a strong bond between the artwork and the mat board. There's all sorts of different types available at craft stores and online, from paper tape to linen tape. Just make sure whatever you choose is acid-free and designed for framing, like these.

The traditional way of attaching your artwork to your backing board is known as "hinging." Today I'm going to show you a basic hinge mounting technique known as a "T-hinge." You always want to use several small hinges rather than one large hinge that runs the whole length of the piece. Using several smaller hinges lets the artwork hang freely and allows for its natural expansion and contraction during different seasons. If you use one large hinge, your artwork may ripple over time.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Although the following is the proper way to do things, I usually cheat and just put two pieces of acid-free tape on the back of my artwork and stick them to the back of my mat. But if you're framing a really special piece, especially anything requiring archival techniques, I recommend you take the time to do it properly.

We start by laying our backing board and mat board on our work surface so the top edge of the backing board and the top edge of your mat board are kissing (awhhh, isn't that sweet). This means the back of our mat board will be facing up and the top edge will be at the bottom. Confused? Stick with me. It will all become clear. It helps to place a piece of scrap backing board underneath your mat to lift it up and make it level with your backing.

Once you've got them lined up, cut a strip of your acid-free tape slightly shorter than the width of your backing and mat and place it across the seam so your mat and your backing are now hinged together. Like this:

Now cut two more strips of tape, this time about two inches long (If your artwork is really large, you may need to cut 3 or 4 pieces of tape.). Gently attach them to the backside of the top of your artwork, making sure the tape thoroughly adheres and extends no more than a 1/2 inch onto your artwork. Like this:

Lay your artwork on top of your backing board with the tape extending beyond the top edge of your artwork (sticky side up) and close the mat on top of it, being careful not to let the tape stick to the back of your mat.

Position your artwork within the mat opening so its edges are completely covered by the mat. If you have a piece of backing from a sticker or book of stamps, you can use it to temporarily cover the tape while you're positioning your artwork under the mat.

Once you have your artwork in place, carefully lift the mat off again being careful not to bump your artwork. They make special weights (They're like little leather bean bags.) that you can place on top of your artwork to prevent it from moving until you finish hinging it. If you use them, you always want to place a piece of clean paper (typically blotter paper but any clean sheet of paper will do) over your artwork first so the weights don't smudge it.

Now cut two more pieces of tape and place them across the tape you attached to your artwork to create a T shape (if you used my sticker backing tip mentioned above to temporarily cover your tape, remove it now). The second set of tape attaches the artwork to the backing board, like this:

Now fold your mat back on top of your artwork and you're done! You've successfully hinged your artwork!

Cleaning Your Glass
What? I haven't talked about cleaning your glass yet? Well, you're in for a treat! Not really. It's pretty boring and basic, which might be a relief to you since I fear I may have over-explained most of this tutorial. Still, based on the number of times I've cut myself while cleaning, or kneeling on, glass (yes I'm that stupid sometimes), I feel it merits a brief mention. Basically, if you keep the following rules in mind while dealing with glass, you'll have a lovely experience (and no blood!):

1. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT put your glass on your freshly cut, perfectly clean matted artwork until you have cleaned it! Glass is dirty, especially if you took my advice and bought it from a glass shop.

2. Place glass on a clean working table with plenty of space to maneuver (this will prevent you from kneeling on glass like I did).

3. Wear gloves if you're worried about cutting yourself - preferably ones with rubber fingers so the glass doesn't slip around on you.

4. Spray a little glass cleaner (like Windex) on your glass and take a folded paper towel and wipe from the far side of the glass to the side closest to you (basically wipe towards you). If it's really dirty, you'll have to fold the paper towel and wipe over again. The key is to avoid shimmying the glass in such a way that it cuts you, so you want to keep it as stationary as possible. I find it helpful to line it up against the edge of the table and press it against your hand while you wipe. Again, you may want to wear gloves to protect yourself.

5. Once you're sure the glass is clean, turn it over and repeat the process. When your glass is clean and dry on both sides, place it on top of your matted artwork.

Now inspect it for any minor smudges or bits of fuzz etc. If you find any on the underside, simply remove any from the top side first and then flip the glass over (carefully hold it by the edges so you don't cut yourself or smear the glass with finger prints) and place it back down on the artwork and wipe off the offending dust. This step can be maddening, but hang in there. You will eventually get rid of all the dust and fuzz.

I've found it helpful to place my fingers against the edge of stacked backing board, mat board, artwork, and glass to aid in keeping them stacked while I wipe any remaining smudges or dust off the glass. Have I mentioned you may want to wear gloves?

Sometimes, it's also helpful to slightly drag the glass off the edge of the mat so you can wipe the edges without worrying about dragging cleaner or dirt off the glass and onto your clean mat.

Okay folks, We're getting close to the finish line! Tomorrow, I'll show you how to get it all in the frame and finish the dang thing so you can hang it on the wall already. See you tomorrow.