Question Advice please on framing very thin paper

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artis pura

Grumbler in Training
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Apr 13, 2012
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Hi,

I have a sketch on 40gsm paper that is hinged mounted and single matting.

My issue is that the paper is warping all over the place and I am having trouble finding a solution that will also be archival and reversible.

I have pressed the paper to remove a crease that the client put in the paper and made sure that it had ample time to dry. Both in the pressing stage and also afterwards.

Is there any suggestions that any grumblers may have for me. My main concern of course is conservation but visually it is driving me nuts and I worry the client will also not be happy.

Thanks in advance

Erin
 
First, it isn't in the nature of paper to stay flat. This is especially true of very thin papers, which react much more and more quickly to changes in their environment.

People don't like this, which is why so many things get mounted over-all. It's really the only remedy I've ever heard of. This mounting over-all is generally not a conservation-minded practice.

When we humidify and flatten a sheet of paper, we put in in a stack of blotting paper, weight it, and leave it for a minimum of two weeks. It's not always flat when it comes out, and if it is, we cannot guarantee that it'll stay flat.

A sealed mat package with a piece of humidity control sheet inside (google 'Art-Sorb') can help keep works on paper from moving. Both acrylic sheet and coroplast, common glazing and backing board choices, are permeable to water vapor, so the humidity control sheet needs to be changed out every few years.
 
Thank you for the advice.

I thought it was the nature of the paper but I wanted to exhaust all options and knew I would get informed advice from the Grumble. I will look into the humdity control sheets. In Queensland we have very high humidty so this may be a great option to offer in the future. I dont think the customer in this case will want to go to the expense.

Thanks again for the advice and confirming what I already thought.

Erin
 
Another case of the customer's problem becoming the framer's problem.

In situations like this, the only thing I would do to rectify the paper is to leave it between two sheets of board under a weight for a few days. Anything else strays into the area of restoration. Unless you have have experience and training in this field you can easily get into a world of grief. Of course people don't want to pay for a restorers services so they want the framer to somehow magically fix it.
Pressing paper art using a heat press does work. Sometimes. Just because it worked once doesn't mean it will work on everything.

Keeping with the spirit of preservation framing, you should take the piece as it is and frame it to preserve it's condition. Wrinkles/creases and all. Any attempts to 'improve' it are essentially altering it.

Personally, I have learned just enough about restoration to know when to leave well alone. :smiley:
 
I think hinging is probably part of the problem. Maybe a sink mat or edge strips would be better. That said its the nature of the beast.
 
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