Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Linen backing your posters

This is topic Linen backing your posters in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 12-14-2004, 02:11 PM:

Has anyone ever got a poster mounted on linen? I know it's suppose to up the value (depending on the movie) quite a bit, plus it's easier to store.

I've been thinking about getting a couple of mine backed, but need the funds to do it. Just wanted to pose this question to everyone and see what their thoughts were on how it looked/how long did it take/ was it worth it.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 12-14-2004, 02:46 PM:

Yes, I have had many older posters linen backed. It does not really up the value, but it does not hurt the value like mounting on poster board does.

Most posters are printed on paper that degrades over the course of time. Posters on linen can be restored at some later date, but it is very difficult to restore posters mounted on poster board, in addition to the fact that most poster board is itself acidic.

Another mounting option that is popular among collectors is mounting on rice paper.

/Mitchell

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 12-14-2004, 03:18 PM:

mitchell,

Did you have to look high and low for a reputable place that linen backs? My biggest fear is that I'll take it to a place and they'll screw it up and ruin my poster. Plus, I think that if I wanted to get it done, I'd have to go to a big city, since all of the framing places around here dont know what the hell I'm talking about when I say linen [Smile]

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 12-15-2004, 09:07 AM:

Living just outside New York City, finding a place to do linen backing was not hard. I used J. Fields Gallery, which does an excellent job. While I do buisness with them in person, they do buisness nationwide. There are also cheaper places out there, but I have not personally used anyone else.

There is also a bi-weekly newspaper for old movie poster collectors called Movie Collectors World where some of these linen backers advertise.

/Mitchell

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 12-15-2004, 10:44 AM:

J. Fields Studio in New York has a good reputation for poster preservation and restoration.

For those on the left coast:

Precision Restoration , Oceanside, CA
and
Studio C , Vista, CA

are ones I've heard good things about. Both have good FAQs to read regarding various options for poster preservation. I've got a few posters I'd like to have some work done on (repair then encapsulation) whenever I get some extra scratch.

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 12-21-2004, 06:18 PM:

Would linen backing ruin a poster with autographs on it? I have a poster that's special to me (cannonball run) with 2 people's autographs on it, the poster is in good shape with no major tears but folded of course and some wrinkles. I'm not sure how the process works though.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 12-22-2004, 08:01 AM:

Linen backing done by a competent studio should not damage the autographs, but you need to let them know it's there, and if possible, what type of pen it was signed with.

Since you are going to be in NYC next week, you should stop into J. Fields and talk to them. They are happy to explain the process.

/Mitchell

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 12-22-2004, 10:42 AM:

What is Linen Backing?

I assume it's mounting the poster on some kind of linen (hehe) but what are the benefits/effects?

I've got quite a few posters I would hate to get ruined (and that's almost inevitable in Florida) some of which are also autographed. Right now, the really important ones are framed.

=TMP=

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 12-22-2004, 12:03 PM:

The short answer is yes, linen backing is mounting the poster on linen cloth.

Almost all paper manufactured since 1900 has a high acid content, a by-product of the way it's manufactured. Most inks will fade over time, faster when exposed to direct sunlight. These factors, along pollutants in the air, cause posters to self destruct over time. It may take 30 to 50 years, but it will happen to most posters. The paper will slowly yellow, slightly shrink, and become very brittle. The good news is that posters can be restored to like new condition though various chemical baths, that remove the acid and whiten the paper without damaging the printing.

The most common way posters are mounted in the USA for framing is on solid foam board. The problem with this, from an archival perspective, is that the foam board (and the glue) has a high acid content, it is rigid not allowing the poster to shrink and causing potential bubbles or cracking years down the road, and seals off the back side of the poster. This means that not only does it not stop the degradation of the poster, it also makes it very difficult to restore the poster in the future.

Linen backing is the most popular form of archival mounting. Some other include mounting on rice paper and non-acidic construction paper. The common thread to all of these is that they are non rigid so that the poster can breath, non acidic so they do not hasten the posters disintergration, and can be bathed in the restoring chemicals so that the poster can be restored in the future.

While regular foam board mounting from your local frame shop may be fine for most posters, anything that you want to last lifetime or is of great value should be on linen (or another archival) backing. Mounting a poster on foam board destroys it's value to serious collectors. They want archival or not mounted at all.

/Mitchell