I would like to know of what foam boards are being used to mount photo or canvas based paper?
For canvas I use ¼” Mighty Core or 3/8” Gator Board. Mighty Core is less expensive.
For paper I use 3/8” foam core, which is less expensive than Mighty Core or Gator. But I don’t print much on paper any longer.
How do you mount them?
For canvas I use Raphael’s Miracle Muck to bond the canvas to the Mighty Core. I use a roller to apply a thin uniform coat of muck to the mighty core. You can find details at Raphael’s
http://raphaelsap.com/miraclemuckandaccessories.aspx I apply this after putting a coating known as Glamour II on the front of the canvas and letting it cure for a few days. The Miracle Muck also should cure per the manufacture’s recommendation.
You should always use latex or similar exam gloves when handling any part of the canvas, paper, mighty core or gator, or anything else. Oils from the hands produce disasters when they end up on the materials.
When mounting paper I use acid free linen tape and also provide a 1.5” upper white border for the print. This gives a lot of room for the tape to bond, and, if needed it can be cut away without risk to the print. Some use what is known as T hinges. There are several ways do bond the materials. I use matt paper to cover the tape and the print’s borders.
I seriously recommend that you buy a book or two on mounting techniques for fine art prints. You can learn a lot more than posting on web forums. It is not difficult to learn but there is a lot of nuance. One book I have is named “Mounting Methods Volume 5”, by Vivian C. Kistler, MCPF, GCF. There are many other books. There is also a very good web forum known as the Picture Framers Grumble
http://www.thegrumble.com/ Where can I find them for a good price? Until now I bought them locally at Utrecht Art Store, but they are very cheap its getting indent marks easily.
Find the biggest local or nearby wholesaler and buy from them. I buy from our local wholesaler in the Seattle area, called Jayeness Mounding. If you are not in their local sales areas (Seattle and Spokane areas) it is probably not a good idea to buy from them. In any event, if you don’t buy locally you will probably pay a lot for shipping and have to endure shipping damage. This will cause endless grief and delay.
Also how do you cut them? I am using a blade with a ruler its a pain in the... to use this method.
I mostly use a box knife and straight edge for canvas and Mighty Core/Gator. I have several aluminum rulers that are between 2’ and up to 8’ in length, but also use my Fletcher-Terry 2200 for foam core and matt papers. Sometimes I use my Fletcher-Terry 3000 media cutter. For bigger pieces on mounted canvas, I gently clamp the ruler to the canvas. Too much force will compress the Mighty Core with ruinous results. Definitely practice many times before working with production pieces. For larger pieces, practice many more times.
At a suggestion, you might also consider contacting a local framer. Often they may offer a discount to volume purchasers. If you’re in a hurry this can save a lot of cost compared to practicing on production pieces.
Lastly, change the razor blades frequently. When working with bonded canvas I replace the blade after about 15 cuts, give or take for the size of the cut.
