Taking a poster out of its frame- and swaping for another one.

[Mirosae]

I want to shift some posters around, and I am thinking to do a swap, taking one out of its frame and use it to frame another. Frame is a custom made frame, the new poster is LB and same size so i know it will fit. But..have you guys done that? Any risks? Part of me feels like ....ok, lets get on with it...and part of me thinks ....just leave it as it is and buy another frame....

Have you tried something similar...Any tips?

[mwright]

Hey Rosa I recently asked Michaels (the frame store) about this and they said they do it all the time. Inexpensive too they said it would be maybe 25 bucks

[Neo]

It's fairly simple.

Usually professional framers put a brown, Kraft type paper on the back of the frame.  It's cut to size, and glued around the edges.  You can either
(1) cut the paper around the inner edge of the frame, and remove it, or (2) use something like brake cleaner, spray it on a paper towel, and wipe the edge of the frame.  This will release the glued paper from the frame, then you can reapply it after you put the new poster in.

With wood frames, framers usually use rigid points to secure the foamcore to the frame.  Use something like a flat-head screwdriver to press against the side of the point, and alternate sides, to wiggle it out of the frame.  Then you can remove the foamcore and the poster.

After you put the new poster in, and put the foamcore back, you need a point driver to put new points in.  You can use rigid points, that are a little stronger, but can only be used once, or you can use flexible points, which are not as strong as they can bend fairly easily with something like a flat-head screwdriver, and can be used several times before they eventually become too weak and/or break.
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TL;DR: Yes.  Remove the paper on the back of the frame, and you can figure it out.  If they're wood frames, you'll need a point driver.  I have this model and it works great.
http://www.amazon.com/Logan-Pro-Framing-Dual-Point-Driver/dp/B000WZS9Q0

[Mirosae]

Mike, thanks, very helpful. I  asked my local framer but he  was a bit sceptical  since it wasn't  one he framed,  I guess he is trying to cover his back in case something  goes wrong. But you are right. I should have asked another one.

Brandon Thanks, this is better than most of the youtube videos I found!

I will try both suggestions, will see how far I get. Thanks.

[paul waines]

I do this all the time, it's quite easy, mostly covered be Neo.

If you have any problems Rosa, the main will be the back board fixings breaking or coming out, but these can be bought very cheaply, a couple of quid for a packet..

[jayn_j]

Hi Rosa,
I do this all the time, but there are a couple of gotchas.

If the frame was done by a custom framer, it may have been fitted to that poster, instead of the generic size. Posters tend to vary in size by up to 1/4".  If the frame was fitted to a slightly undersize poster, it may bunch when a larger poster is put in, and this will cause the new poster to wrinkle.  Even if it looks OK, it may cause problems later on as the room heats and cools.  Always make sure there is at least 1/16" of slack between the poster and the end of the frame.

Metal frame posters can be adjusted slightly in size by loosening the rails.  It leaves tiny gaps in the corners, but this is better than a wrinkly poster.  As has been mentioned many times, the frame usually comes with 6-10 spring clips hold the backing board tight against the glass.  These can cause binding as well, and the general consensus is to just use 1 clip at the top of a 1 sheet and let the rest float free.  Not sure about quads.  That might be 2 clips on top.

For wooden frames, it is usually unsatisfactory to try and reuse glazier points.  They tend to be loose when replaced in the same hole and are impossible to drive in with a pliers anywhere else.  The best answer is to use a point driver tool, such as this: http://smile.amazon.com/Logan-Dual-Point-Driver-Elite/dp/B003BMFOJQ/ref=zg_bs_12896611_1
It looks like a staple gun, but drives in glazier points.  The key in using it is to place the gun against the backing board, but don't press too firmly.  Same issue as above with letting the poster move around a bit as climate changes.

[CJ138]

Rosa,

What kind of frames do you use? Are your posters professionally framed?
Best regards,
Conor

[Mirosae]

Hi Conor, thanks for looking into this. My frames are custom made (wood)  and museum glass,  size US OS. Have you tried this before ?

Thanks a lot