Bushpilot Loc: Minnesota

I never use tape or adhesives. I use acid free photo corners, which allow for expansion and contraction of whatever surface you mount it to. I use quality acid free mat board separate the photo from the glass for framing. Another advantage of using photo corners is you can remove and replace the photos without damage.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

thanks, you kept me from going there.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

There are various ways to mount prints... The key thing is that whatever you use, as well as the mounting boards and mats, etc. all be "acid free, archival", if you want the print to last.

I used to do framing professionally and we used tape on matted or matted and framed images. It wasn't "double sided" either. Just archival tape at the corners on smaller prints and sometimes along the edges of larger prints, hidden under the mat.

We used mounting presses and spray mounting at times, too. Usually those were used for unframed prints or any sort of framing that displayed the image all the way to the edge, so there was no way to "hide" mounting tape. Sometimes a mounting press or spray mount was needed for larger prints that didn't want to lay flat, too.

Most prints are best protected by glass.... Personally I prefer regular picture glass (i.e., not "non-glare" ) because it shows image detail and colors best. UV glass is best, but costs more.

I agree that there MUST always be some air space between a print and the glass. If that's not done and the print is directly in contact with the glass, it almost guarantees that the print will stick to the glass and become discolored. Normally this spacing is done with an archival quality mat. But there are also methods of achieving the same air space without a mat.

Today there are some pretty good coatings that can be applied to prints to provide quite a bit of protection, instead of mounting them under glass and in a frame. I don't know if these should be considered an archival, long-term solution though.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

great post, Alan. thanks!

Lionel1954 Loc: Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

Do not use tape, the proper way of mounting a photo to a foam core board is to use a spray on adhesive and be careful not to mount the image with creases. The adhesive can be bought in craft stores, framing shops and on line.
If you use double sided tape it will wrinkle your image and make the image look really cheap.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

My prints are matte laminated in a vacuum press to foam core or gator board. I NEVER use any glass ! - it degrades the image - and costs like _ell.

robertperry Loc: Sacramento, Ca.

I use 3M Scotch positionable mounting adhesive #568 exclusively. I buy large sheets of foam boards and cut to size. Example: for an 11x14 photo, cut foam board to approx. 2" larger than photo. Reason, after applying adhesive to back of photo, extra space means you don't have to be perfect when laying the photo onto board. I use logan mat cutter with straight edge cutter to make final cut to size of photo. Take note, 3M claims to be positionable, once it touches surface, it is not positionable. You will pull and kink the photo trying to reposition it. I have photos I mounted this way 25 years ago. Still gorgeous hanging on my walls. See my avatar.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

For longevity, I would not use that foamboard, unless it has rag faces, which is archival and inherently acid free. The board that is often marketed to photographers as being acid free is not chemical free - it is buffered, and the buffering chemical can leach out and be just as damaging to a photo as the acid would.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/elmers-cotton-rag-foamboard/

Using tape, unless you cover the entire back of the print with tape is not a good idea. The print paper is hygroscopic, and will swell and contract with changes in humidity, causing it to buckle. Archival spray mount, or better yet, dry mounting (heat activated or cold press) is your best bet.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Particularly true with thinner papers. I usually mount with tape behind a mat to avoid contact with glass and it works OK with thick papers, e.g. 16-20 mil thickness. Some of my favorite papers (pearl metallic) are only made in 10-12 mil thickness and with Oregon humidity never lay flat. Then full contact mounting is required.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

:thumbup: Thanks for the link !

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

i do agree with this post. i use a dry mounting press and also a cold mounting press on archival fibre board. archival matte if not bled to the edges. if bled, just oversized with an archival over matte and uv glass on top.

canon Lee

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

My pleasure, as always!

Jana-TAS Loc: Washington

What I should said is a non-glare "conservation" glass. That is what we would refer to our customers rather than the regular glass.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

My preference is to mount using some of the newer heat activated foam boards now available. Examples would be KoolTac or Bainbridge Artcare. These are acid free foam boards with one side coated with an adhesive that is activated with low heat compared to most traditional heat activated adhesives. A good bond can be achieved with only 150 degrees and 20 second dwell time. Although I use a standard heat press, I have experimented and found that a typical household iron will do the job adequately if one doesn't mount prints often enough to warrant investing in a press. (You will need to get some silicone coated release paper for between the iron and the print). One of the nice features of some of these products is that they are reversible. Apply heat from a hair dryer and the print can be taken off the board without leaving any adhesive residue on the back of the print. You also do not risk any accidental damage to the print due to overspray of a spray adhesive, or from adhesive getting on your fingers.