Author Topic: displaying fiber prints without a frame  (Read 1414 times)

MrclSchprs

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displaying fiber prints without a frame
« on: March 23, 2017, 09:34:40 AM »
How would you display a fiber print (up to 30 x 40) when budget constraints do not permit proper framing? Matting won't be a problem. I am looking for inspiration to present 10 or so prints.

Late Developer

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2017, 10:08:51 AM »
If a wooden frame and glass isn't an option, I'd either put a heavy-duty matte around it and "back" the print to stop it being too flexible in the frame - or mount the print on a thicker piece of "board" or hardboard / thin plywood.  This sort of thing might help:

http://www.bigprintshop.co.uk/board-printing/?gclid=CNL5n4iv7NICFU06GwodojwD5w

Having said that, the biggest prints I've ever displayed have been 24 x 16 inch.  30 x 40 inch seems pretty big and a simple thick card matte might not offer much.  How will the prints be secured to the wall / display area? That might determine the options available.
"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

jojonas~

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2017, 10:57:45 AM »
yup, I'd employ a mat for "framing" and something on the back as LD says to keep the print from bulging.

then I'd probably hang them up with paper clips (the strong, alligator looking kind) and let them hang with wires.

I've seen some peeps using tacks instead to just put it straight on the wall (still with a mat around though) but to me that just looks tacky ;)
/jonas

Francois

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2017, 12:28:24 PM »
If it's a short term framing, you don't have to worry about the archival stuff.
The sizes you give are in inches or centimeters?

You can get some Masonite (hardboard) from the hardware store and some thin acrylic to protect the print.
Using a lot of binder clips to hold the whole thing together.

I've once seen somebody use painted foam insulation as the backing and a sheet of acrylic on the front held with nails driven through holes in the plexiglass to hold it all together. It looked quite neat.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

MrclSchprs

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2017, 03:56:43 PM »
Having said that, the biggest prints I've ever displayed have been 24 x 16 inch.  30 x 40 inch seems pretty big and a simple thick card matte might not offer much. 

Pardon my ignorance .... I am so used to the metric system that it never occured that some might read inches instead of centimeters. 30 by 40 centimeters

Late Developer

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2017, 04:35:47 PM »
Having said that, the biggest prints I've ever displayed have been 24 x 16 inch.  30 x 40 inch seems pretty big and a simple thick card matte might not offer much. 

Pardon my ignorance .... I am so used to the metric system that it never occured that some might read inches instead of centimeters. 30 by 40 centimeters
That's about 16 x 12 (in old money) so a basic matte and a bit of board "backing" should be a doddle. Deciding on fixings will probably be the more interesting conundrum.
"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

Francois

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2017, 08:07:50 PM »
In that case that's relatively small, at least small enough to handle.
I know Ikea often has great frames for extra cheap. It's sometimes even cheaper than building your own.
Check their Saxnäs, Fiskbo, Gunnabo frames. The first two go for 5.99$ at my local store and the last one for 9.99$... pretty cheap.

But if you don't have access to the Swedish Superstore with meatballs, you can do like LD suggested.
You can use two small blobs of epoxy on the back to hold some framing d-rings or hanging sawtooth strips.
If you want to go super lightweight, you can use some corroplast to make the back (corrugated plastic panel).

BTW, 1 inch = 2.54cm.
12 inches to the foot.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

jojonas~

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2017, 08:48:47 AM »
I appreciate you writing out the ä, Francois :)
/jonas

Francois

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2017, 03:14:51 PM »
I always loved Swedish people and the stuff they made.
I was in high school when we got an exchange student from Sweden. That's where I learned the importance of accents on letters. Her name was Åsa Eckman. I really loved her, but she wasn't interested.

Here's one of my favorite animations of all time... it's called the Danish Poet... Danes, Swedes and Norse are all a bit family...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTef0HWbW_M
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

kentish cob

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2017, 02:00:05 PM »
...budget constraints do not permit proper framing?
How about improper framing? ::)

I've been framing as a part time / home business for something like 10 years now, so find it hard to argue against the benefits and value of decent framing, but I fully understand that budgetary constraints are important. So, for what it's worth here's a small sample of my thoughts and opinions: 

First and foremost: Protection. If you've gone to the trouble of making quality fibre prints, they deserve to be behind glass. Dust, dirt, airborne pollutants and grubby fingers will all affect the print and mount/mat at an alarming rate. Edge damage to the mount will also appear as if by magic.

Secondly: Flatness and rigidity. Quality mountboard is often manufactured to have a curvature which helps to keep the artwork nice and flat against the glass in a frame (ie. prevents bowing backwards out of the frame). The bigger the mount, the more pronounced the curvature, and with your print size of around 16x20 inches, I'd guess your overall display size is likely to be 20x24 inches. Without the rigidity of either being stuck to a stiff backing, or pressed firmly against glass, the curvature of the boards may detract from the visual impact of your display.
The curvature can be mitigated somewhat by reversing the backing to counteract the bow of the cut mount (assuming the "mount back" is the same type board as the cut mount - common practice), but that will necessitate fairly high-grab adhesives - again, if I'd made some nice fibre prints - I wouldn't want them in close proximity to lots of sticky stuff..!

Francois mentioned acrylic as a lightweight alternative to glass (styrene is even lighter and cheaper), but in my experience, 2mm float glass is cheaper and more rigid at this thickness (I buy 36x48 inch sheets at £5 + vat each - an equivalent sheet of [floppy] 1.2mm styrene is almost double that price).
If cheap ready-made frames from the likes of Ikea are still busting your budget, how about "clip frames"? They're cheap, reusable and universally available.
Or you could make up your own Passe-Partout. A simple sandwich of backing board, mounted print and glass, all held together with decorative taped edges... you could even use a tape to match your mount colour, giving a very minimalist look.

I hope some of this helps with your decision.
Please do let us know how you decide to go on, and show some pics of the display.


(edited to correct acrylic / styrene confusion - apologies)
     
« Last Edit: March 27, 2017, 03:54:24 PM by kentish cob »
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BernardL

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2017, 07:51:12 PM »
Quote
First and foremost: Protection. If you've gone to the trouble of making quality fibre prints, they deserve to be behind glass.

Yes, but... If I've gone to the trouble of making quality fibre prints, preferring air-dried baryta paper over RC, giving undue(?) importance to the Dmax, etc... I'm not going to display it behind a piece of regular glass, that will just ruin the intrinsic appearance of the air-dried baryta. Cheapo "anti-glare" glass does not show a reflection of the opposite side of the room, but just adds flare (good bye Dmax). And true AR glass costs  more than I can justify for my prints.

Sooo; has anyone a way out of this corner?

kentish cob

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2017, 09:06:08 PM »
Cheapo "anti-glare" glass does not show a reflection of the opposite side of the room, but just adds flare (good bye Dmax). And true AR glass costs  more than I can justify for my prints
You're undoubtedly correct, Bernard, but the simple truth is, no matter how much money you throw at it, it's always gonna be a compromise.
Reflection control, light transmission, UV blocking (at varying wavelengths), neutral colour at any viewing angle, scratch resistance, weight, cost.

In reality, we rarely consider all the options because we don't want to add hundreds if not thousands of pounds to our framing costs (I have a glass price list that would give you nightmares).
We all choose the best fit for our available budget depending on the criteria that's important to us. People will choose either UV protection or reflection control, but rarely both.

Low cost (constrained budget) = limited protection, but limited is preferable to none.
Merveille de Bollwiller.
A hardy, vigorous and productive variety with large nuts!

http://www.steers-gallery.co.uk/
http://www.putaframearoundit.co.uk/

Francois

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Re: displaying fiber prints without a frame
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2017, 10:15:31 PM »
I've seen museum quality multicoated anti-reflection glass at a framer once... sadly I've also seen the price!
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.