Art and Photography

Question about framing a print printed on 27 pound paper at costco

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  • May 9th, 2015 1:13 am
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Deal Addict
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Apr 2, 2004
1001 posts
17 upvotes

Question about framing a print printed on 27 pound paper at costco

I went to a print shop and printed a historical map I wanted framed on 27 pound paper. The plan was to get it framed at Costco. The guy mentioned at the print shop 27 pound was better than 32 if I was just going to mount it behind glass. At costco, the person asked me if I wanted the print mounted on something first ( I forgot the exact term she used but i think it was on cardboard?). At the time, I asked her what the pros and cons were and she said pro was that the print was mounted on the cardboard and prevents waviness later on, con being that the print is permanently attached to this cardboard. Does anyone know what the backing or process she was talking about is called? And what do people here recommend? At the time, I said no to the backing. Would I expect waviness in the print later on if I didn't choose the backing? Thanks in advance.
3 replies
Member
Jul 12, 2010
498 posts
89 upvotes
Right off the bat, I not too familiar with doing prints as of yet.

But I think you are referring to photos mounted on styrene backing. I don't think your print will get more wavier over time if you have it mounted/ framed as your not really taking it out much and it just sits there. If you were to tell me you take it out of the frame and transport it alot to like shows then I could see you might wanting to get the backing done to keep it straight and flat. Gives it more structure to the photo. But you might want to see other people's opinion of it.
Sr. Member
Oct 12, 2013
588 posts
2973 upvotes
Vancouver, BC
My experience stems from a short stint in working in the Michael's art store's framing department and also personal experience with prints that we got framed at home.

Depending on how you get it framed and mounted, it is possible that a print could get wavy over time.
For example, my dad had some large prints (24x18) framed up at a cheap place some time ago. I think they just taped the photos to the framing mat. After about 5-10 years, the photos are noticeably warped. I believe humidity of where your map will be hung, or sunlight, or conditions like that will cause it to get wavy, and also the method used to frame it.

When I worked at Michael's, we would usually mount the photos onto a piece of hard-back foamboard and tape-glue the mats over top of that before putting it in a frame.
Of course, if you are pressing the print right up against the glass, there is less chance of it getting warped.
Deal Fanatic
Nov 1, 2006
9648 posts
3950 upvotes
Toronto
The person at Costco probably asked you if you wanted it mounted on foamcore. There are some self adhesive types like Gatorboard which is self adhesive or prints can be mounted using spray adhesive. Once that's done, the print can be mounted in a frame with or without matting. By fixing the print like this, you are effectively combining it with the backing board and it cannot be removed without damaging the print. If you wanted to do the same job using best archival practice, you would attach the print to backing board using the t-hinge method. This way the backing board and the print can be separated later without any damage. Mounting a print directly against glass is not a good idea as condensation can form and damage the print. It's always better to keep the print away from the glass by using mats and/or spacers.

Which approach you take depends on the value of the print.

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