Best tape or method to keep dust cover on back of Gallery Wrapped Canvas

C

ccoppola

Guest
I mainly do Gallery Wrapped Canvas for my clients and I keep having the same issue with my dust covers releasing from the tape in spots.

I am currently using Scotch 3m ATG 908 Acid Free 1/2" tape with black kraft paper or tyvek.

I apply the tape very well and use a roller and my fingers to make sure its stuck to the back of the canvas and then again once I put my black kraft paper(dust cover) over the tape.

When it leaves my shop it is on perfect but over time, it will release in spots.

What can I be doing different to keep that on so it wont release over time?

Thank you in advance..C
 
A dust cover on canvas will keep dust out, but won't protect the canvas from puncture from behind. You might try using a piece of inexpensive 4-ply mat board, which you can staple to the back.

I mainly do Gallery Wrapped Canvas for my clients and I keep having the same issue with my dust covers releasing from the tape in spots.

I am currently using Scotch 3m ATG 908 Acid Free 1/2" tape with black kraft paper or tyvek.

I apply the tape very well and use a roller and my fingers to make sure its stuck to the back of the canvas and then again once I put my black kraft paper(dust cover) over the tape.

When it leaves my shop it is on perfect but over time, it will release in spots.

What can I be doing different to keep that on so it wont release over time?

Thank you in advance..C
 
I like the idea of paper mat backing. Not too expensive, protects the canvas. Have a couple of colors for a little flexibility. I'm not generally too crazy about stapling, as the proper way would be screws and cup washers, but if these are unlikely to appear on the Antiques Road Show, stapling should suffice....
 
I too am not a big fan of stapling a mat board. I don't think it looks as clean.

Do I just need to use a stronger tape??? If so what is the best tape to use??
 
You might try fillet tape, but if you are in an area of the world where humidity is a concern, I don't think that tape is the answer. I have had bad luck with Tyvek, and paper dust covers with no support underneath are usually quickly punctured. I prefer a solid cover and use corrugated polypropylene (AKA Poluflute , Coroplast), screwed to the back with cup washers as mentioned by Ellen. I have used mat board panels but find they are too reactive to climate changes to be practical in Florida.
 
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I don't know how aggressive the adhesive is on Acid Free ATG but the product serves no purpose in framing. No type of ATG should ever come in contact with artwork so regular ATG will most likely give you better hold. Have you tried 987, 924 or 969 to see if it is stronger.

Acid Free ATG is just a gimmick to convince you to pay extra for a product that serves no purpose.
 
A number of framers use PVA or Franks Fabric glue (among others) to attach the backing paper. Run a bead around the edge, put paper on back (or flip it onto the paper, let dry and trim. I've tried it but don't use it...but with this method, the paper will be stuck for a long, long time.
 
I would simply burnish the paper down to the atg, that should solve the issue.
 
The Acid Free ATG tape is weaker. Use the 3M 924 regular ATG tape and burnish it on. It's also cheaper than the Acid Free.
 
Cup washers and screws to hold mat board or fome core to back of gallery wrap. The 'canvas' is it canvas or the stuff that is used to print giclees on to? Canvas might grab onto atg on a good day and if lucky might hold long enough for customer to hang it but the giclee definitely won't even last that long. I like the protection of fome cre or coroplast especially for big pieces.
 
I go with the solid board, screws and washers. A canvas, even a gallery wrap, should be backed with a rigid board not paper. Cheap mat, foam, poly...whatever, but a canvas is a canvas and should be finished that way. In my humble opinion so I agree with Ellen and the others. I also hate the look of staples.
Chris Paschke
 
I like the idea of paper mat backing. Not too expensive, protects the canvas. Have a couple of colors for a little flexibility. I'm not generally too crazy about stapling, as the proper way would be screws and cup washers, but if these are unlikely to appear on the Antiques Road Show, stapling should suffice....
What size cup washers for 16" x 20"?
Thanks, dan
 
I use double sided 3M-969 ATG tape and mat board. I burnish the mat board down, it will not ever come up even in humid areas. 969 is a pain to start on the applicator - you will more than say a couple nasties, under your breath of course :rolleyes:, but once you get it on I believe you will be happy with it. If it comes loose with 969 it wasn't meant to be installed - that tape is very aggressive and is really nasty to remove if you ever have to so don't get it on the art.
 
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I use double sided 3M-969 ATG tape and mat board. I burnish the mat board down, it will not ever come up even in humid areas. If it comes loose with 969 it wasn't meant to be installed - that tape is very aggressive and is really nasty to remove if you ever have to so don't get it on the art.
Thanks for the info.
 
I wouldn't bother. It's a cosmetic exercise and once on the wall who's going to look at the back. It's not going to
exactly look bad in it's naked state anyway. Lack of a cover is not going to affect the integrity. It might protect the back
but the front is still vulnerable to dings. Dust? In 50 years it may have accumulated a bit but 2 mins with vac.......
Dust itself is not damaging to the canvas.

But if I had to do it, I wouldn't use tape/glue of any description. Pressure sensitive tape will fail in a short time. Any other
adhesive that is permanent would not be reversible and my philosophy is never do anything that you can't undo.
Fixing matboard to the stretchers using screws with cup-washers would be my choice. OK, you are making holes in the thing
but that's an acceptable bit of 'mutilation' in my view. Better than slathering it up with glue at any rate.

** And then there's the contentious point of letting the canvas 'breathe'. I know canvases have no respiratory system but free
air circulation on both sides is desirable. :D
 
Still very easy to install, and who doesn't have Coroplast lying around?
 
Anything that is visible from the sides of a gallery wrap belies the point of doing a gallery wrap. It's am unnecessary waste and if visible, just plain wrong.
 
We don't back our gallery wraps. Only do several a year, and not saying this is how it should be done. But we just leave them as they are.
 
I have switched from polyflute board to .06" thick PETG. I buy it by the sheet (48" X 96") from a local plastics supplier. It is transparent, so inspection of the back of the canvas can be done without removing it, it cuts easily, and can be drilled and countersunk. It is also quite malleable and has other uses around the shop. It is fairly puncture resistant. Advantages over polyflute are there are no flutes for dust and critters to take up residence, and it is considerably thinner than the typical 4mm polyflute used in backing.
A conservator I talk with on occasion has stopped using any kind of solid backing on oils based on the damage occurring after the fact during cleanup from several hurricanes. The solid backings will hold humidity and the chances of mold growth are greatly increased. His suggestion for backing stretched canvases of any nature that are in a coastal environment is to staple fiberglass screening to the back. It provides a good physical barrier from impact, keeps out unwanted critters, and allows the RH to stabilize more naturally after high humidity occurrences.
 
His suggestion for backing stretched canvases of any nature that are in a coastal environment is to staple fiberglass screening to the back. It provides a good physical barrier from impact, keeps out unwanted critters, and allows the RH to stabilize more naturally after high humidity occurrences.
Sounds like a good solution.
:cool: Rick
 
...A conservator I talk with on occasion has stopped using any kind of solid backing on oils based on the damage occurring after the fact during cleanup from several hurricanes. The solid backings will hold humidity and the chances of mold growth are greatly increased. His suggestion for backing stretched canvases of any nature that are in a coastal environment is to staple fiberglass screening to the back. It provides a good physical barrier from impact, keeps out unwanted critters, and allows the RH to stabilize more naturally after high humidity occurrences.
While this might be advisable in tropical conditions, some conservation authorities (CCI for one) recommend glazing and solid backing.

Here are a few benefits that would be lost without glazing and solid backing:
1. Dampens vibration and impact, which could flex canvas and disturb the paint layers
2. Slows the acclimation (rate of change) of temperature and humidity within the frame package
3. Slows the rate of expansion & contraction
4. Slows the incursion of airborne fumes and particulate contaminants

If extreme humidity or soaking occurs - such as damage from a hurricane, flood, or fire-hose - the usual suggestion is to open the affected framing, repair & dry the contents, and reassemble with new framing components as may be needed. Regardless of the sort of backing used, leaving any wet frame to dry intact probably could invite further problems.
 
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Jim, I have been using Optium and PETG barriers for a couple of my clients. Most borrowing museums and galleries are specifying this treatment. For those shops that have smaller local museums or collections that lend, this may be an opportunity for some business.
 
If an adhesive-attached backing is necessary, you could use acrylic gel, which is what I generally use on polystyrene frames. ATG won't stick to those, either.

As an adhesive, acrylic gel takes time to dry before trimming, but you can paint it on, let it dry, and activate it using a tacking iron. Either way, it's cheap, readily available, water-soluble (and cleanup) while wet, and chemically-stable for a long-term bond.
 
Jim, I have been using Optium and PETG barriers for a couple of my clients. Most borrowing museums and galleries are specifying this treatment. For those shops that have smaller local museums or collections that lend, this may be an opportunity for some business.
Wally, I can see using acrylic as a rigid backing, but why would Optium be any better for this purpose? It's not like the reverse is going to be on continuous display. While certainly not problematic, it seems it seems a bit expensive for this purpose. Why do the museums specify it?
:cool: Rick
 
I don't think museums are specifying Optium for the back. It would be a front "barrier". Consider the meaning of "and" in Wally's post.
 
Correct Pat. The art is being removed (oil/canvas) and the frames are being modified to accommodate the entire frame package so the PETG can be screwed to the back. This includes shims to keep the Optium from contacting the art.
The Optium serves as a physical barrier in front of the art and the PETG behind.
It is not a sealed frame, though with some minor changes it could be. That technology is proving to be less advantageous as time moves on.
 
Wally, I can see using acrylic as a rigid backing, but why would Optium be any better for this purpose?
Rick, if the PETG sheet that Wally refers to is what I think it is, then you could say it is something like very thick Mylar.

Vivak is a brand I've used several times for mounting purposes, because it has excellent clarity, cuts well, and in thin sheets, it can be formed/creased sharply, like Mylar. It's affordable, too.
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23337

Are we both talking about the same stuff, Wally?
 
OK, I thought Wally was saying sometimes he used one product for the back and sometimes the other.
That Vivak sounds interesting. Never had experience with it. Can the thin version be cut on a standard wall cutter?
:cool: Rick
 
That Vivak sounds interesting. Never had experience with it. Can the thin version be cut on a standard wall cutter?
:cool: Rick
Yes, the thin material cuts and creases easily on matcutter or wall cutter. I've cut a few patterns for clear plastic boxes using my CMC, too. Hugh Phibbs put me onto Vivak several years ago; it's one of the many innovative products he has brought to us.
 
I wouldn't bother. It's a cosmetic exercise and once on the wall who's going to look at the back. It's not going to
exactly look bad in it's naked state anyway. Lack of a cover is not going to affect the integrity. It might protect the back
but the front is still vulnerable to dings. Dust? In 50 years it may have accumulated a bit but 2 mins with vac.......
Dust itself is not damaging to the canvas.

But if I had to do it, I wouldn't use tape/glue of any description. Pressure sensitive tape will fail in a short time. Any other
adhesive that is permanent would not be reversible and my philosophy is never do anything that you can't undo.
Fixing matboard to the stretchers using screws with cup-washers would be my choice. OK, you are making holes in the thing
but that's an acceptable bit of 'mutilation' in my view. Better than slathering it up with glue at any rate.

** And then there's the contentious point of letting the canvas 'breathe'. I know canvases have no respiratory system but free
air circulation on both sides is desirable. :D
Forgot to thank you for the info.
Dan
 
We staple calico to the back. This allowsthe back of the canvas to still breathe as well. Keeps all the dust, spiders and geckos out, plus the green tree frogs find it harder to grip on to sleep behind the artwork (they love hard smooth surfaces as their feet grip well).
 
I've been wondering about whether to start adding a backer to the canvas stretching I do at the shop I work at.
I have read this and other threads, as well as the information from CCI, regarding the reasoning for such practices.

I'm wondering if I should add backing as an optional offering, explaining the reasoning to the customer, as it would add a bit to the overall income of a job. But I seriously doubt it would increase my overall shop profits by a significant margin (just not enough demand for the service).

This shop is a very tiny 1 person operation in a small town, no formal training, only learning from this forum and a lot of online research.
Backing canvas has never been the practice of the frame shop owner, or any of the framers who have worked here before I began framing here 10 years ago. On average I may only do a handful of canvas' a month, sometimes none at all for several months.

In 10 years time, I haven't once had a customer bring in an already stretched canvas that had any kind of covering on the back.
Nor has anyone (including experienced artists) ever requested a backer when they've requested me to do stretching (either Gallery Wrap style, or for framed canvas).
I guess it's just not "common practice" in my region (coastal BC Canada)?

Within the last few months, I have re-stretched over a dozen original canvas' for a customer who is certainly a skilled and experienced artist. She moved to our region from elsewhere in Canada, removed and rolled all her original artwork from stretchers for shipping reasons. She knew enough about the process to ask to see what materials and methods I use to construct and join the frames. She knows her stuff. Covering the back never came up once. There was no indication (holes, tape, glue or anything else) of backing being applied to the pieces when they were originally stretched.

I think it comes down to the perception of value....
For the added cost of materials, and additional finishing time, is there any value in backing canvas if it's not seen as necessary by most consumers?
I assume the seemingly few people who know of the practice would request it?
It's likely that truely professional artists would look for this service more than the majority of less discerning local level hobbyists?

I believe another factor on this topic is knowing your own market and clientele expectations. My shop isn't an art gallery, we don't "specialize" in original artwork framing. I'm more of a generalist shop.

I know a shop whos clients demand a "higher level" of premium services would have a very different point of view.

Thanks to all who commented, it's a good topic and something for further consideration.
 
Just because it’s never done, doesn’t mean you should not offer it.
I usually back a canvas. Lots of inexpensive art I would use flawboard and staples. Since my flawboard now is silver, it looks actually quite nice with the staples

I always offer. Most customers never even thought about it. I just tell them it protects the back a little better against puncture.
Even though the front is still unprotected, most people like the idea.
 
I'm probably 5 years too late to help the OP with the adhesion issue, but I'll share my thoughts anyway.

We use a few permanent tapes on the the awards/engraving side of our business. The tape we use most is a Tesa product, commonly sold by awards/engraving distributors. We generally buy ~100 rolls at a time in 1/2", 3/4", and 1" widths. This stuff is ridiculously strong/aggressive (and pressure sensitive), and it is quite permanent for indoor applications. I wouldn't hesitate to use the 1" width to hold a full sheet of mat board on the back of a frame. It's definitely NOT a conservation tape, but that shouldn't matter if it's only between a floater and its dust cover.

For heavier duty applications, we use several different 3M VHB tapes. I even used one of these tapes to secure a sign to the brick veneer on the outside of my shop. :)
 
Do you have a product name/number for that tape? Thanks.

It varies from distributor to distributor.

We buy most of ours from JDS Industries (www.jdsindustries.com). Their 1/2" Tesa is p/n H120. The product description is as follows:
1/2" x 36 Yards Gold-Line Premium Tesa Tape
Acrylic-based adhesive. The tape is white.
Light, age, and moisture resistant.
Center hole of tape roll: 3" diameter
9 mils thickness
Made in USA.

All of the major awards industry suppliers carry it, but since the bulk of our sales are JDS products, we just put the tape in the order with the rest of the stuff. Other suppliers include Tropar/Airflyte, PDU-CAT, Johnson Plastics Plus, and Marco Awards.

I've never bought Tesa tape from FAST-STM (Specialty Tapes), but I've bought some of the 3M products there. Their website is www.pik-fast.com.
 
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