How To Keep The Mats With The Backing

I use photo tape. First, I lay the mat and backer face-down on a table, touching along their top edges. Then I use a couple of tape pieces (2-3" each) to make hinges where the two boards join. Finally, after taping the art in place between them, I make a tape loop to secure the lower part of the sandwich. I've done it hundreds of times.

I've always sold them unframed and depended on the crystal envelope to hold mat and backing together with with the only tape used as a hinge attaching photo to mat. Would that not be the way to do it? Especially if the customer plans to re-frame the piece?

I use archival adhesive tape with the Scotch ATG 700 Adhesive Applicator, which can be purchased at a number of Art supply stores. I apply the adhesive around the print on the backer and then position the mat on top and press down on the mat so that it adheres to the backing. I believe Hobby Lobby and Michaels stores use the same adhesive in their framing shops. Been using it for years.

I use spray photographic glue, but I do not use the thick backing as that will not fit into most ready made frames-too thick. I use acid free bristol board.

I would suggest not buying mats with that backing.

Parker,

Are we talking about some prints for an art show, in bins? If so, spray adhesive is fine, usually both sides, the mat and the mounting board. Scotch and 3M make good products,some can be moved afer and some will be impossible to adjust after they are applied together.

If you are producing something for a museum, than archival tape is best.

Rich

I just bought a bunch of supplies for this very task. I like this video minus the glass. I think I will make something out of an old sock.

Here is another way which is cool also.

What kind of dry mount do you use, Louise? And you don't mat your work at all or you just don't buy the kits because the board that comes with it isn't acid free?

I use the acid-free "Quick-Stick Photo Tabs" mounting squares, made by Lineco, purchased through the Clear Bags site. I get the 1/2" size, 500 to a pack. They're double-sided adhesive, and can be re-positioned when initially working with them. A more permanent bond is achieved if left to set. You can remove them, but damage to the print and/or mat will occur possibly.

Double sided tape has always worked for me. I tape the corners, sides and middle of print.

I don't like the idea of a permanent bond since I've had customers request to change out a white mat for a cream or black one - and I can peel them apart fairly easily so long as they've not been stuck together long. (I keep a small batch of unused mats in a box at shows - its saved a few sales).

Also, I've seen people's work get water damage on the edges of mats and if not permanently stuck to the print they can salvage it and change it out. I had an air conditioning unit leak rain through its vent and down on some paintings during a show at a fair - was able to salvage people's work and just get them re-matted since they didn't use adhesive spray.

I never stick them together. The matted print and backing board go into a clear bag (www.clearbags.com - get the one with the adhesive on the bag not flap). Less work. The buyer can then take it out of the. As and put in a frame, or just decide they want a different colored mat. Also if something doesn't sell it makes it easier to reuse the mat for a different image.

If you're storing them without art inside, for future use, store them flat somewhere, perhaps stacked in a large plastic tote where they'll stay dry and clean and flat until you're ready to use them. I have a set of map drawers that I bought at a yard sale that I use for storing mats, backer boards, and printed art.

If you're talking about putting art in them for framing, I use Randall's method with the archival ATG tape after the art has been dry mounted. If you plan to sell them matted but unframed, bagging them like Steven suggested and hinging the mats together with archival paper tape seems to be the most popular practice.

As far as 16 x 20 images go, I'm stuck with a corrugated cardboard, no mat, crystal envelope system since anything else is prohibitively expensive for people here. The system runs about $10.00 a unit. Has anyone come up with anything better?

Glad you started this thread, Parker. I have mats (not hinged so I will have to stick them together) and prints I was going to mat for the local art store. I was just going to use double sided tape to stick the mats together, then just lightly tape the corners of the photo so they could be removed, hopefully, without damaging the print even if the tape damages the inside of the mat when prying it apart. I'll have to read all these suggestions again.....I only used hinged mats before, which means you can shove the print up into the tight hinge area, and only have to tape the bottom of the mat closed.

I don't like cutting mat board, I don't like framing, and I don't like paying for custom frame jobs...

I buy pre-cut mat, with backing already attached -- it's attached on one side only, which is all I need. I use acid free framing tape to tape the painting in place... the framing tape is worth the extra cost because it stays in place well, removes easily & doesn't discolor or leave adhesive behind.

Pre-cut mat with backing is available from Dick Blick, and probably lots of other places as well. I use this for my small watercolor landscapes... nice because I can remove one painting and put in another with very little effort. Also pre-cut mat fits standard size crystal envelopes, and standard size commercially made frames...

"What kind of dry mount do you use, Louise? And you don't mat your work at all or you just don't buy the kits because the board that comes with it isn't acid free? "

I use 3m photographic spray glue. No, I don't buy the kits/packs. It's not that the board isn't acid free (I believe it is), but when people buy matted pieces, they are also probably going to go to someplace like Michaels for their frames and the mats with the boards are too thick to fit into ready made frames-they will bulge and may be too wide. I get acid free bristol board, which is less than half the thickness of the boards in those kits and finish off my matted pieces that way. It still gives stability but without the bulk.

Oh, for those attaching their photos to the mats, never tape all 4 sides-do the top only! Time and climate will cause the print to buckle and curl if you secure it on all 4 sides. By only attaching the top and letting it hang, it won't buckle.

Thanks Louise. Do you mat anything "large" or do you frame it at a certain point?

The largest I will mat myself is 11x14 prints to fit 16x20 frames. Those I order dry mounted, though.

Louise,

I use that same spray on ALL the images in the bins and bags. Anything larger and it's the archival tape that works best. I cut my own mats, up to the full 32x40 mat board and then use the piece that falls out for smaller mats sizes, until theree's hardly any waste of mat board. Even the skinny long leftovers are used to put my artist info on and also the info for the image itself, not much waste and very cheap, when you buy a full sheet, or even a whole box of mat board. Nothing wrong with spray adhesive for most prints and if you only spray one side, the print/mat is easily moved or replaced.

Any cheap prints and small cheap prints, I buy from someplace like Jerry's and then make the image size to fit their mat hole and I leave a 1/2" around the image and the mat, and that gives the appearence that it's a double mat,

Rich

I'm like Rich in that I buy full 32x40 sheets of mat and backer board. The local Blick store lets me use their board cutter, so I can trim them to any size. Just by quartering them, I get 16x20s. I cut the mat openings here at home using a Logan mat cutter that will handle mats to about five feet on the long side.

tag

Murray,

I've got a cheap Logan Mat cutter and as long as I keep the blades sharp and replace them, I get great looking mats and most importantly to anyone that has ever cut a mat, good corners!

Rich

Thanks for the tip, Louise. I just bought some cheap double sided tape, guess I should look for the good stuff instead.

I couldn't find the hinged mats on Amazon. May have to look at Blick...(?). In any case, I have 25 of the separate ones to start with. I'll use those up first. I had a bunch of the hinged ones, but I don't know where I put them.

I don't cut my own mats-there's no place in my house to put a mat cutter and precuts are perfect every time, so I don't have any waste. Jerry's Artarama sells precut mats in packages of 10 online for a very reasonable price and I can get museum board, which is about the same thickness as the bristol board, cut to fit about 6 11x14 mats. However, the museum board is a bit more expensive so once I found the bristol board, I've gone with that.

Thank you for all of your input! Just purchased photo tape and will be putting them together soon!