Print mounting - surface mount
There are 3 articles in this series, this one and two more: “Mounting Prints – Cut-out” and “Mounting Prints – Supplies”. I’d urge you to read the Cut-out one so you can see the difference between this method and that. The Supplies one just lists some gear you will need and places to get it from.
Stuff you will need:
Mount board (also know as mat board. You can use foam-core board very successfully. See below for sizing)
Ruler (at least 600mm long)
Carpenter’s square
Pencil (use a decent one!)
Rubber (a quality one, not a cheapo which will tear the board surface)
Cutting mat (not absolutely necessary but very useful. A1 sized is best. Can use just a large thick piece of card)
Double sided tape
Spray mount adhesive (optional - I wouldn’t bother!)
Modelling knife (or dedicated mat knife)
Space (plenty)
Light (good, shadowless)
Time (don’t rush it – disaster lies that way!)
This IS the cheapest way of mounting images. Personally, I think the cut-out mount has some advantages over surface mounting.
| Feature | Cut-out | Surface | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size/shape of print | Yes | Yes | ||
| Framing | Yes | No | ||
| Removeable | Yes | No | ||
| Re-positionable | Yes | No | ||
| Cheap | No | Yes | ||
| Print damage possibility | Low to zero | Medium to high |
The best thing about surface mounts is that you can mount pretty much any size and shape of photograph. This means that you can crop your image to suit your image instead of cropping it to suit a particular size or shape of board!
Surface mounting is not the best method to use if you are going to frame a print behind glass: unless you buy a deep frame (usually more expensive), the photograph may be pressed against the glass and may stick.
Printing tip: don’t print on glossy paper. Print on lustre/silk/satin or similar. Glossy prints are harder to view because of reflections; very easy to mark (fingerprints etc) and can stick to glass if framing.
These instructions are to mount your image in the centre of the mount. If you want an off-centre mount, you’ll have to work out your own measurements!
So, how big should the overall mount board be? The largest size recommended for RPS images for LRPS panels etc as well as for most club, national and international competitions is 20” x 16” (500mm x 400mm) overall. Basically, see what you think suits your image. Sometimes you might want a lot of space around an image, sometimes you might not – entirely up to you. I’ll assume here that your mount board is 500mm x 400mm.
When using a surface mount, trim the photo such that it is either borderless or has the same border thickness on all 4 edges.
Right, let’s start…
Before doing anything, make some space on a flat, supportive surface. Don’t try and do this on the corner of the dining table – use all of it! The cutting mat is ideal, but basically anything flat and large enough for your mount board which will protect the table underneath from the VERY SHARP KNIFE BLADES you’ll be using!
The numbers below are just examples – use your own measurements!
1. Measure your image overall length and width, in mm. This is the whole print, including any white border. I tend to use millimetres rather than centimetres: it’s just easier!
2. Write down your measurements, eg:
304 x 153
3. If either measurement is odd, subtract 1 from it:
304 x 152
This saves trying to measure half millimetres later on!
4. Now divide each number by 2:
304 / 2 = 152
152 / 2 = 76
And write the results of those sums down, draw a box around them and label it “image”
5. Measure your mount board overall length and width, in mm. Write down your measurements, eg:
500 x 400
6. If either measurement is odd, subtract 1 from it (in this case, leave as is):
500 x 400
7. Now divide each number by 2:
500 / 2 = 250
400 / 2 = 200
And write the results of those sums down and draw a box around those as well and label that one “Board”:
250 x 200
MARK OUT EVERYTHING ON THE FRONT OF THE MOUNT BOARD, NOT THE BACK!
Using the numbers marked as “Board’’:
8. On your mount board, on the front, mark, in pencil, lightly, the centre of each long edge. This should be 250mm from either short edge. Do the same on the other long edge.
9. Again, mark 200mm, this time on the short side from either long edge. This should be the centre of the short edge. Do the same on the other short edge.
Using the numbers marked as “Image”:
10. From the centre mark on each long edge, mark 152mm either side. This is half the even length from point 4, above.
11. From the centre mark on each short edge, mark 76mm either side. This is half the even width from point 4, above.
12. Lay your square on the mount and align the inner edges with the marks on the top and right edges of the board. Using masking tape, tape the square TO THE CUTTING MAT not the board. This should hold the square AND board in place.
DON’T GLUE/STICK ANYTHING YET!
13. Lay your print on the board and make sure it lies where you want it to. If it doesn’t, you’ve measured or marked something wrong: go back and have another go!
Assuming all is good…
Using double-sided tape:
(This needs to be the really thin stuff not the foam cored stuff)
14. Turn the print over, face down on a CLEAN surface. Lay a strip of tape along the full length of each side, about 1mm from the edge of the print.
15. If necessary peel off any backing paper on the tape, then turn the print over and place it face up on the board, lining it up with the edges of the square. Press down along all four edges to stick it in place. Be careful not to rub the edges of the print as this will damage the surface, just press down using a clean, dry, lint free cloth.
16. Un-tape the square and carefully lift it off and out of the way.
17. Using a decent eraser (not that dry old thing that’s been in the kitchen drawer since 1963!), rub out all the pencil marks on the edges of the board. Be very careful not to damage the surface of the board.
Using spray mount adhesive:
18. Don’t.
19. No, really, don’t! It is messy; it ends up going where you don’t want it; you end up sticking yourself to the board, the board to the table etc etc.
20. If you really must use this, spray the adhesive onto the back of the print, not onto the mount and spray lightly as over-spraying can cause the adhesive to bleed around the edges onto the print surface, ruining it.
Using glue-stick type adhesive:
21. No, don’t do this either. In theory it works brilliantly: in practice, the print falls off the mount a week later – it just does, believe me!
22. DON’T USE ANYTHING OTHER THAN DOUBLE SIDED TAPE (or if you really have to, spray mount)