Art mounting for idiots
October 7, 2014 3:20 PM   Subscribe

My job is having an employee art show and I want to mount some pamphlets for display, but I don't know anything about mounting art. What's the most idiot-proof way to do this?

My pamphlets are printed on 12pt glossy cardstock. They're double-sided, so I need to mount two of them, probably arranged vertically -- they're about 17" wide when unfolded.

The copies I am mounting will have never been folded. I print tons of them, so they are essentially disposable, I don't have to be able to recover them from the mounting. They only have to survive one day, so if the final product is not super durable that's no biggie.

They will be displayed laying flat on a table -- we have no wall space at work.

So, what kind of materials should I mount them on? Foamcore? Matte? What should I use to affix them? The only tools I currently have are a craft knife and a rather dull guillotine papercutter.
posted by Sauce Trough to Media & Arts (6 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Foamcore and spray mount. All of the spray mounts are fine, pick the cheapest that isn't repositionable.

Spray the pamphlet, stick it flat to the foamcore. You can trim around it using a straight edge (ideally a metal ruler) and an Xacto (score and then cut-- you won't get it on the first pass. If the blade hooks or drags, change to a new blade.)

They also make a sticky-back foamcore, but it's harder to use than the intuitive spray glue process.
posted by blnkfrnk at 3:38 PM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Oh, and if your foamcore gets a feathery/rough edge, that's also a sign to change your blade. You can sandpaper off the edge if you have to.

A yet easier way is to go to a frame shop and ask for a dry mount. It's a heat and vacuum seal to foamcore and they should trim it for you. It should be 40$ or so.
posted by blnkfrnk at 3:41 PM on October 7, 2014


I have spent a fair amount of time with foam core and spray mount, everything blnkfrnk is right on the money.
posted by doctor_negative at 3:56 PM on October 7, 2014


If you are trimming the foamcore down to the size of the pamphlet, lay a metal ruler on top of the pamphlet with the outside edge of the ruler aligned with the outside edge of the pamplet, then use a utility or Xacto knife to cut next to the metal straightedge AWAY from the art.
posted by Ostara at 6:14 PM on October 7, 2014


Best answer: Just adding advice to cover a wide radius with something to protect your surroundings because spray mount carries and can be impossible to remove.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:59 PM on October 7, 2014


if you're just mounting for the show, do whatever works for you. If you want the display to hold up over years, then it takes more planning/advice.
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posted by TheAdamist at 7:21 PM on October 7, 2014


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