Poster framing

[sermad]

I know a few of you guys are into your memorabilia along with your records (collecting is a evil bug as we all know...) and I wondered where you all get your posters frames.

Ive got some stunning film posters that I'm aching to put up but I dont know anything about framing them. How do the creases come out - Do they need to be spray mounted? Rough prices to pay etc. And any recommendations in the london area would be great!

cheers.

[wayne]

Ah, something I know about, having worked as a picture framer for several years about, ooh, too many years ago to mention...

Anyway, the answer is that it depends what you want to spend: cheapest option is to measure them and pick up clipframes to the nearest size, and centre the posters on the black or white coloured backing paper. The sandwiching between glass and board will press out some of the creases, but not all.

The other option is dry-mounting, which is basically a process whereby your poster is backed with adhesive paper and card and put into a big 'iron' type press: this will get rid of most creases (except where the paper fibres are broken) but is permanent, and with items like rare/collectable posters might devalue them. You might want to keep them in poster form if you're worried about this, though the big purpose of dry mounting is to preserve the poster - stopping any fraying, creasing etc, and to prevent it sagging in the frame.

Best thing is to pop into any framers and ask: tell them what you want and they'll quote you a price - and maybe cut you a deal if you get a few done at the same time (we used to) as well as make a shady reduction for off the books cash payments. I gather *some* framers do that, but can't say I ever came across such a dubious practice in my day



There used to be good place at the Archway end of the Holloway Road, if it's still there. There's another on Essex Road, just down from Haggle, but sure there are plenty more. Anywhere that sells artists' materials is a good bet, as are poster-shops: even if they don't do the framing themselves, they should be able to recommend someone they use.

Take the posters in with you, ask for what you want (you'll be able to select from a mind-numbing range of frames at different costs) and get a few quotes. If you're lucky, the posters'll fit a standard size frame and you'll be able to take them away with you: otherwise, expect a week or so to have them made.

[sermad]

wicked! My bus goes down essex road so I'll keep my eyes out for the place.

Dry mounting sounds the ticket. I'll never sell them and none are expensive at all so I'll go for that.

I'll get some out in a mo and take a piccie of my faves.

[theeman]

if it's, stay, expensive film posters then the way to go is to pro gallery-style mount them on linen. there are only a few places in the world that do this, and it's expensive (about 40-50 quid a poster) but it gets absolutely all the creases out and also slows down the paper aging process to some extent.

go into any of the big poster dealers and ask them about it - they'll give you a contact. there's a guy in paris and a guy in canada who do this.

obviously not for the casual poster fan, but if you're serious this might be useful!

sermad - talk to jonny about it if you want more info. he did a lot of the collection he sold this way.

[sermad]

Thanks ed for the advice too. I really set myself £50 per frame and clip frames for the smaller ones.

Here are some piccies!

[Nick Cope]

Like the Driver one!

There's a place in Finsbury Park. I think it's also an art supplies shop too. It's almost next door to the tube station a block over on the crouch end side of the station. I've been told they're cheap, which is why loads of artists use them...

[Nick Cope]

Boy will your house ever be the lad pad!

[mokka]

that westworld one is incredible. any idea what the film is like?

[sermad]

One of the best films Ive got. It was written and directed by Michael Crichton. He ripped himself off for jurassic park really (replace rampant dino's with rampant robots) and a nutcase performance by yul brenner. The simpsons hilariously made an episode out of it when they went to 'itchy and scratchy land' and all the robots there go nuts.

That poster is the belgian issue (I think). Got it off ebay yonks ago for maybe 10-15 quid.

[Palmer_Eldrich]

Ditto loving the Westworld poster so nizzice!

P.

[Palmer_Eldrich]

I'm training to be a sparks so I can relate to old Brynner there LOL

[wayne]

Quote[/b] (theeman @ Mar. 02 2004,21:11)]if it's, stay, expensive film posters then the way to go is to pro gallery-style mount them on linen. there are only a few places in the world that do this, and it's expensive (about 40-50 quid a poster) but it gets absolutely all the creases out and also slows down the paper aging process to some extent.

go into any of the big poster dealers and ask them about it - they'll give you a contact. there's a guy in paris and a guy in canada who do this.

obviously not for the casual poster fan, but if you're serious this might be useful!

sermad - talk to jonny about it if you want more info. he did a lot of the collection he sold this way.

Never had need to do this, but it's basically a variant on the process conservation departments use in museums for backing canvases etc: serious stuff for serious stuff, acid-free materials, and reversible (as normal dry-mounting isn't, since dry mounting basically binds your paper to a piece of card/wood/canvas or whatever with a layer of glue - bit like a large scale iron-on transfer on a t-shirt, really).

The thing dry mounting does, in normal (ie: non-temperature/humidity controlled environments) is help to strengthen the paper, literally 'iron out' the creases, and while it doesn't prevent yellowing (due to acids in paper itself) or normal expansion/contraction of fibres due to heat & cold, damp etc, it does minimise the damage all these things do at a reasonably low cost. Mind you, keep things out of DIRECT sunlight, as nothing will prevent inks fading if you don't!

Ed's is absolutely the way to go if you're dealing with valuable collections or pieces, though, can't stress that enough. Do nothing irreversible to potentially lucrative items! Anything else will be fine with standard dry-mounting.

Also, it occurs to me in passing that the MVE film shop in Notting Hill deal in film posters, so maybe somebody there would know a good place to get film posters framed. The place on Essex Road, now I think about it, might be *just* an artist's materials shop (had mounts cut there on occasion, but no framing done), but they should still be able to recommend someone good even if they don't do it themselves.

[Matt Hero]

I must be living in the most expensive place to get framing in the UK given some of the prices mentioned here.

I got my 'Watership Down' OG poster framed for my birthday last year, and it is the Aussie 'strip' style poster (35cmx70cm ish) and it cost me over £50. Mind you, he did a damn good job with the creases in the paper.

Fortunatly, most of the other posters (US One Sheet type) that I've framed have fitted into the 100x70 standard frames you can get from the high street.

UK Quads are bigger than that from memory, which is why I've not got 'round to get any of those framed as yet.

[wayne]

About £50 sounds about right to get that 'Watership Down' size of frame made (would've cost you £20 just to have a clipframe made that sort of size ten/fifteen years ago) and what Ed's talking about is an expense on top of any actual framing...Obviously it's an area where there's a minimum price, but no maximum.

Spot the difference between the decor of the attached & unattached man's choice of picture to frame - Sermad = guns, kung fu & robots, Matt = nice cartoon rabbits... In the shop, back in the early 90s, it was blokes bringing in Athena posters of Ferraris & actual footy shirts, girls bringing in b/w photos of men holding babies & cherubs. Couples, on the other hand, almost always brought in Monet & Klimt...

Ah, what a difference a woman makes!

[bongolia]

the Finsbury Park place is the John Jones Arts Centre, on Stroud Green Road to the north of the station