Poster Restoration for Inserts/Halfsheets??

[guest4902]

Hi all!

First a quick hello to everyone, first post, but long time lurker.

I'm after some help and advice please.

I've been collecting movie posters for a while now, but have decided to just focus on my favourite size which is the Insert. I love this style as its quirky, and because of its unique size allows me to display more posters than say a One Sheet.

Recently we moved house, and I noticed more than usual that the posters I have framed have developed a kind of Buckling/Waviness to the Paper/Card? I don't have any special measures in place when it comes to Climate etc...so I'm guessing it may be caused by heat and/or moisture?

I decided to remove two of the worst affected posters, Alien/Jaws from their frames, and it seems quite bad up close!

Is there any solution to remedy this, something like Linenbacking, or similar? I am more of a collector who wants to display his posters, so understand why some wouldn't want to go this way, but not sure if I can with this type of paper?

Lastly, if I do go down the Linenbacking, or similar route, can anyone recommend someone UK based who offers this service?

Any help is greatly appreciated 

-Kris

[erik1925]

First,  to the forum, Kris. Enjoy your time around all the good poster peoples.

Sounds like maybe your inserts have compression waves from the frames they are in possibly? Are the frames the proper size for the insert? There has been some discussion here on the forum about this kind of rippling happening to framed one sheets, too.

Can you post some pix?

And before going the backing route, you could also try placing them under weight - books evenly placed and allow that and a bit of time to do their magic and flatten them out again.

[guest4902]

Thanks Jeff!

I've tried to have a look at previous posts, but nothing seems too focused on the Heavier papers.

The photo doesn't reallly do the issue justice, as it's much worse in person!

The framing was achieved by using a mount around the poster, so seemed to have plenty of breathing space. T-hinged at top corners, and one at bottom.

-Kris

[paul waines]

   Kris, hope you enjoy the forum.

As someone from the U.K. believe me all the restorers over here are useless, it's not worth shoddy workmanship for the extra few quid to send them overseas, I did not want to do this either, but it is worth it if you go that way..

However, I've had a similar thing and have found the waves press out.  Just lay them flat and put some heavy weights on the posters and leave them a few days, week or so, and they should be fine.

Are you based down South? 

[erik1925]

Good looking insert, Kris.

Was the poster held snugly in the poster? Or more loose? Maybe the weight of the paper inside the frame, and hanging vertical caused it it slightly sag and cause that rippling?

(Just thinking out loud here for possible causes and remedies). 

[paul waines]

Usually caused through temperature, or humidity differences, or both, Jeff.

[erik1925]

Gravity, too, Paul. 

The infamous trio.

[guest4902]

Thank folks!

Paul, I'm based up north (County Durham area), so not really much options for me up here.

Jeff, the poster seemed like it had plenty of breathing room as the mount was fairly wide, so it wasn't anywhere near the edge of the poster.

If this does indeed straighten out, is there any way I can stop it happening again? They've all developed slight sagging over time, but when I've picked them up from the framer they are perfectly flat, and it's normally a week or two after they're framed that I pick them up.

These two though are quite bad, and when they were in the frames they looked terrible!

I really do want to get these posters looking their best when Framed, so that's why I had thought about some kind of Backing process.

-Kris

[erik1925]

How long have these been framed and hung up, Kris? Are they near any kind of heater, etc, as Paul mentioned, temp and humidity are factors to think about, too, which can cause this rippling, too.

But with them being inserts on the heavier card stock, is why Im asking how long they've been framed, too.

I have a half sheet that has been in a frame for several years at this point, and it is as flat as the day i placed it in that frame.

[DekeThornton]

How long have these been framed and hung up, Kris? Are they near any kind of heater, etc, as Paul mentioned, temp and humidity are factors to think about, too, which can cause this rippling, too.

But with them being inserts on the heavier card stock, is why Im asking how long they've been framed, too.

I have a half sheet that has been in a frame for several years at this point, and it is as flat as the day i placed it in that frame.

I don't have any advice on restoring half sheets and inserts specifically.

But I also have one unrestored insert and one unrestored half sheet that I have had framed on my wall for around 8 years, and they still look like the day I framed them. As others mentioned, I think the keys things are to:

• minimize fluctuations in temperature and humidity
• use plexiglass/acrylic instead of glass (though one of my half sheets is behind glass and still looks good. Though there is a mat so the poster is not in contact with the glass)
• make sure there is some "breathing room" around the edges of the poster to allow it to expand and contract. In other words, don't use a frame that is too small.
• only hinge/attach the poster on the top edge
   This also allows it to safely expand and contract

Of course none of this helps with the rippling that already occured
 Sorry to hear about that 

[MoviePosterBid.com]

there are a bunch of good recomendations here but I have some questions

Recently we moved house, and I noticed more than usual that the posters I have framed have developed a kind of Buckling/Waviness to the Paper/Card? I don't have any special measures in place when it comes to Climate etc...so I'm guessing it may be caused by heat and/or moisture?

where do you live? If you live in say Florida, you have high humidity & need a dehumidifier

are the frames too tight in mounting (not width/height. I mean the back mount) and are sealed?

if they are sealed (paper closing the back of the frame) this is wrong for paper framing. They need to breath.

also, were they framed in a room that sees temperature fluctuation daily due to sun in the morning, cold in the evening? this would create some condensation inside a sealed frame, creating a mini-climate.

one more thing. don't use glass, use plexi. Glass transfers heat to the paper & dries it out

[paul waines]

Yep, Rich has it about covered Kris.  Oh, and I'm not far from you, I'm just outside of Middlesbrough...

[CJ138]

I agree with Rich. I think those will flatten out just fine. Humidity is a killer, where do you have them in your house? Mine are in my basement, which is finished, but I run dehumidifiers all year.

[erik1925]

Perfect candidates for some weight & wait time, Kris. They will turn out great, as others have said here, too. And no backing needed.

[Simes]

I know the norm for backing inserts is on to paper.  But I have had a few backed to linen.

Should the above not work out, the extra strength afforded by linen will help - I believe.

[martinc]

I have limited experience of having posters restored or linen-backed but I think it is fair to say that the most contentious area is in restoration, be it the quality of the work involved or the cost (based usually on an hourly charge, which can mount up quicker than a taxi's meter waiting outside your house).

It sounds as if, in your case, it might be just a straightforward linen-backing job if you choose to go down that route, which might therefore eliminate the more expensive element of the process (I almost said ordeal).

I think that you will get a variety of opinions on the advisability of backing posters which do not require any restoration and a lot of it comes down to personal choice. Like anything in life you never know whether it's for you until you have tried it!

[guest4902]

Jeff,

I have another Insert which has been framed for a couple of years, which still has rippling, but nowhere near as bad as the Jaws/Alien. These have been framed for just over a year.

-Kris

[guest4902]

I live in Northern England, so it gets cold a lot, so have artificial heating throughout the house.

They were placed near a radiator when we moved, but not in the previous house. This is where the buckling started, but was worse in the second house.

The Framer used extra padding at the back before putting on the rear mount. This was said to have been done to straighten the poster, as they had been rolled since they were printed.

They are all framed with conservation glass.

there are a bunch of good recomendations here but I have some questions

where do you live? If you live in say Florida, you have high humidity & need a dehumidifier

are the frames too tight in mounting (not width/height. I mean the back mount) and are sealed?

if they are sealed (paper closing the back of the frame) this is wrong for paper framing. They need to breath.

also, were they framed in a room that sees temperature fluctuation daily due to sun in the morning, cold in the evening? this would create some condensation inside a sealed frame, creating a mini-climate.

one more thing. don't use glass, use plexi. Glass transfers heat to the paper & dries it out

[guest4902]

Thankyou to everyone above for the advice!

I'll try and get them straightened out first, and see how they look. My big concern is that I don't want to pay for an expensive frame again, for the problem to reappear.

I'll post some photos below of the frames, and see what you all think.

-Kris

[Simes]

I live in Northern England, so it gets cold a lot, so have artificial heating throughout the house.

When you say you have artificial heating, can I ask what genuine heating would be - the sun?

[guest4902]

Artificial: made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.

When you say you have artificial heating, can I ask what genuine heating would be - the sun?

[MoviePosterBid.com]

I live in Northern England, so it gets cold a lot, so have artificial heating throughout the house.

They were placed near a radiator when we moved, but not in the previous house. This is where the buckling started, but was worse in the second house.

The Framer used extra padding at the back before putting on the rear mount. This was said to have been done to straighten the poster, as they had been rolled since they were printed.

They are all framed with conservation glass.

the radiator & the closed/sealed framing are the culprits.
you had constant climatological issues heat/cold.

I still won't get them backed.

just run this through your thoughts:
if you get the posters restored, you may not like the results ( I am generally against backing stuff. they have to be trashed before I consider it)

you might consider the cost of replacement, vs the cost of restoration

[guest4902]

Is there any other way I should be framing these? Can anyone recommend someone who could frame these up with the special considerations you mention?

Cheers,

-Kris

[Neo]

Another thing to consider is the frame hanging by the wire.  When the weight of the frame hangs from a wire like that, it causes pressure on the sides.  This is even worse when there is not much "breathing room" between the piece and the frame, as the pressure is transferred from the sides of the frame to the piece, thus causing waves, ripples, etc.

I use D-ring hangers on my frames.  They don't have some of the issues that the wire hangers have.

[erik1925]

I live in Northern England, so it gets cold a lot, so have artificial heating throughout the house.

They were placed near a radiator when we moved, but not in the previous house. This is where the buckling started, but was worse in the second house.

The Framer used extra padding at the back before putting on the rear mount. This was said to have been done to straighten the poster, as they had been rolled since they were printed.

They are all framed with conservation glass.

Two of the culprits. And with that extra padding, it sounds like the inserts might be held in too tightly, retaining heat (from the glass) and any moisture/humidity.