Tapes & Adhesives for use in Professional Picture Framing
22nd July 2008Fine Art Trade Guild Guidance on the Use of Tapes and Adhesives in Picture Framing
The international symposium on Tapes & Adhesives Standards for Picture Framing, held in London on 8 November 2004, made significant headway in agreeing standards for the tapes and adhesives used in framing. Spearheaded by an excellent paper by Barry Leveton GCF, closely assisted by Mary Evans GCF and contributions from manufacturers, museums and conservators, as well as commercial framers, the delegates focused attention on the use of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes at conservation level.
Work has continued behind the scenes ever since, and in September 2010 a consultation document Tapes and Adhesives for mounting and framing artwork on paper was published. This was accompanied by a useful table, cross referencing materials with the Five Levels of Framing. These can be downloaded by Guild members and Registered Trade Visitors at the bottom of this page.
We invite comment from tape and adhesive manufacturers, trade suppliers and expert framers, and would particularly value expertise in mounting photographic artwork and Giclée papers and coatings. Comments please to Louise Hay
Fine Art Trade Guild framing standards continue to state that no self-adhesive tape is permissible for attaching artwork in conservation framing and that this should apply to the framing of limited edition prints of moderate to high value. The Guild would like to thank manufacturers and trade suppliers who have cooperated with the positioning of these tapes in their marketing and labeling, to clarify their position within Guild standards.
Conservators’ concerns focus on repositioning, repair, workshop mishaps, out gassing, staining, pH stability and CaCO3 content.
Guild MD Rosie Sumner, who chaired the symposium, advised, ‘Unless and until we can support scientifically a change to current standards and framing advice, publishers and framers using self-adhesive tapes to attach limited editions to mountboard risk customer complaints or even litigation unless they clearly identify that the process may not be fully reversible. By Guild Standards, this also means not claiming the job to be conservation framing.’
For Guild Framing Standards go to Five Levels of Framing
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