Longetivety on fine art prints mounted on a kapa/foam board with glue?

[Jozef Zajaz]

Hi!

Do anyone know any problems about this? How do i best mount my pictures to be framed in a aluminum frame with no glass?

Like these boards:

http://www.hokaponline.nl/images/KAPAFIX%20006a.jpg

[luxborealis]

I've no experience with this product, but your post begs a few questions...

1. What do you mean by "longevity"? Do you mean museum-quality archival or just how well will it stand up to day-to-day display over a short period?

2. How important is it to you to display a photo in an aluminum frame without glass/plexiglas? Glass offers protection not only from people touching the photo, but also from atmospheric changes and pollutants.

3. How serious are you about longevity if you are not going the route of conservation matting & framing with glass?

4. Photos that are "glued" down to backing boards are frowned upon due to permanence issues in the first place. Why go that route?

5. If you wish to go the Kapafix route, then know that there are two possible longevity issues beyond a lack of glass/plexiglas and conservation mat, namely, how "archival" is the glue and how archival is the backing board? If either is not archival then that jeopardizes the longevity of the whole project.

[Jozef Zajaz]

1. What do you mean by "longevity"? Do you mean museum-quality archival or just how well will it stand up to day-to-day display over a short period?
Well more than a couple of years.


2. How important is it to you to display a photo in an aluminum frame without glass/plexiglas? Glass offers protection not only from people touching the photo, but also from atmospheric changes and pollutants.
Very important.

3. How serious are you about longevity if you are not going the route of conservation matting & framing with glass?

Well not museum longetivity but at least 10-20 years.

4. Photos that are "glued" down to backing boards are frowned upon due to permanence issues in the first place. Why go that route?
Thats why i'm asking questions above if there is better alternatives.

5. If you wish to go the Kapafix route, then know that there are two possible longevity issues beyond a lack of glass/plexiglas and conservation mat, namely, how "archival" is the glue and how archival is the backing board? If either is not archival then that jeopardizes the longevity of the whole project.

what alternatives?

[geotzo]

Hi there,
I have done many prints that ended on kapafix and kapamount. A few of them hang in my studio for more than 5 years and some are being displayed against windows and direct sun. Though I have no
reference from a non-kapafixed, print on the same subjects, I can tell no serious fade or other symptoms. Mind though, that capafix sides (the spongy part) will start becoming dust under very dry environments
and/or after a few years. It should hold for more than 5 years I presume.
Final thought, all the prints I have done on these boards, where C-prints and not inkjet, if that matters in any way. You should be ok with raisin papers and i would avoid anything cotton fiber and matt, as they
may absorb some of the glue's chemicals.
George

[luxborealis]

Hi Jozef,

If you want a longevity of 10 to 20 years for display purposes, you might need to reconsider the presentation.

If you are printing on a quality paper with pigment inks, the photos probably won't fade in that time, and, provided no one touches the photos, they might last without glass in front for that long. But, the oils carried by fingers attract dust and dirt in the air and will cause degradation. It's not that people run up to photos and touch them, but as they are pointing to something in the photo, they might inadvertently touch the image. Also, photos need protection from those tactile people who simply must touch to believe!

The glue and substrate of the Kapafix are another issue. You may have better luck finding out more by posting on a European forum since most of the links for Kapafix are European in origin.

The best alternative - wood or metal frames with an archival overmat (to separate the photo from the glass) and glass or acrylic (e.g. plexiglas). For maximum longevity, the photo should not be mounted, but rather taped using hinging/hanging tape available from an art store. There are many web pages dedicated to conservation framing so I'll leave it at that.

One other alternative that is along the lines of what you've described is a product here in North America called "Plak-It" where photos are adhered to a particle board sheet then laminated. See Plak-It.

[Jozef Zajaz]

Hi Jozef,

If you want a longevity of 10 to 20 years for display purposes, you might need to reconsider the presentation.

If you are printing on a quality paper with pigment inks, the photos probably won't fade in that time, and, provided no one touches the photos, they might last without glass in front for that long. But, the oils carried by fingers attract dust and dirt in the air and will cause degradation. It's not that people run up to photos and touch them, but as they are pointing to something in the photo, they might inadvertently touch the image. Also, photos need protection from those tactile people who simply must touch to believe!

The glue and substrate of the Kapafix are another issue. You may have better luck finding out more by posting on a European forum since most of the links for Kapafix are European in origin.

The best alternative - wood or metal frames with an archival overmat (to separate the photo from the glass) and glass or acrylic (e.g. plexiglas). For maximum longevity, the photo should not be mounted, but rather taped using hinging/hanging tape available from an art store. There are many web pages dedicated to conservation framing so I'll leave it at that.

One other alternative that is along the lines of what you've described is a product here in North America called "Plak-It" where photos are adhered to a particle board sheet then laminated. See Plak-It.

 Looks like framing on the alu frames i got i have to switch from kapa fix to a non acid cardboard + non acid tape.

Plak it is no alternative as i dont want to laminate my prints.

Any other tips. If you have any websites to refer to please to.

Thank you and a merry xmas from sweden