Understand the properties of foam boards, Corflute, MDF, Masonite or hardboard, e-board and other cardboards. What makes one more more Suitably than another when it comes to picture framing.
Is foam board the best backing for picture framing?
Even stretched canvasses that are unframed should have some backing to prevent dust building up on the back of the painting. When dust accumulates it helps trap moisture which then promotes mold growth which in turn causes damage to the artwork.
They replaced the cardboard, Masonite or MDF (medium density fiber-board) that framers had been accustomed to using but they are better than their counterparts.
Picture framers many talk about acid-free, lignin-free or 100% cotton rag in their presentation to customers. The harmful chemicals in non-acid-free It is far better to eliminate the source. It is far between the backing and the picture. of the harmful chemicals than to try to slow down their migration into the artwork.
There are a lot of foam board but which are sold as preservation foam board but these are to be used with caution when used as a direct backing for artwork. One type of foam board made by Gilman USA is 100% plastic and could be Many galleries prefer to use corflute due to its economical cost and again being a plastic product lignins are not present Other conservation backings include smooth surface coated corrugated boards Earthquake. E-flute core board, where there is a double laminated corrugated core faced with white acid-free surface papers, is eagerly awaited for by the framing community.
Some kind of irreversible organic changes in some paints, photographic emulsions and related.
The benefits of the MDF are its rigidity and low-cost but it is a very The increased moisture promoting mold growth and it can also occur staining to the image by can not buckle due to the expansion of the backing but this can can rectified If the artwork or poster is only for decoration and has no long-term value, MDF is a cheap substrate to use.
Straw-board was used by picture straw-board was made from straw and had a yellow appearance. It was offer some interest due to its alkaline nature and framers would paste prints and watercolor The old framers sometimes added mercury salts and other fungicides into the mix in an effort to prevent a mold or foxing. In some ways These methods were better better than when the invention of PVA glue came around. PVA the pictures became permanently bonded to the backing.
Most of these techniques involve honing the picture to the backing board using Japanese paper hinges or some other acid-free arching hinges tapes. If you choose the reversible method at least the picture can be restored or preservation in the future.
