Mounting large art?

[dr.girlfriend]

I posted in the past that I really loved this art, but it was unavailable:




I found a wallpaper design place on etsy who made something similar looking -- they are three 22x50" panels, so pretty big.  I can find custom frames online, but how hard would it be for me to try to spray-mount them myself?  They were not as expensive as the real thing but still several hundred dollars, and I don't want to mess up.  I'm not sure if a custom frame place would even do something so big, but maybe they would?  Is there a better way to mount them that I'm not thinking of?

[tacokick]

A custom frame place would do it but I bet it’s really expensive.

My go to suggestion is if you live near a college with an arts program get in touch with them. There are normally stores that cater to students and framing or students will frame things as a side gig.


Do you have to mount them or could you use a large floating frame?

[moreace01]

Purely anecdotal, but when I was a teen, I had a huge Misfits poster that my grandma took to a custom shop and had put on foamcore with spray adhesive. I can't imagine she would have agreed to spend a lot of money on my hideous poster (ftr - I am sure she did it to spite my mother. lol).

[dr.girlfriend]

Jul 23, 2022 9:58:38 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Do you have to mount them or could you use a large floating frame?

Does floating frame just mean the print is sandwiched between the back and the glass?  For those dimensions wouldn't there be too much flexibility to the backing and the plexiglass (I don't think any of the frames that size use real glass) to keep the print securely between them?

[deadwing]

Jul 23, 2022 22:02:49 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Jul 23, 2022 9:58:38 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Do you have to mount them or could you use a large floating frame?

Does floating frame just mean the print is sandwiched between the back and the glass?  For those dimensions wouldn't there be too much flexibility to the backing and the plexiglass (I don't think any of the frames that size use real glass) to keep the print securely between them?

Floating can also mean the art is mounted on a piece of foam board cut so it's invisible when looking directly at the frame. It raises the art a little bit and gives it a bit of a shadow around it - giving the illusion that it's floating inside the frame.

[redheadk]

I ordered a custom frame for an odd-sized print. It wasn't as large as yours, though. It was significantly cheaper than having it professionally framed but still looks much nicer than just off the shelf. pictureframes.com. Might be worth a look if you are wanting something similar to your inspiration.

ETA: Missed the spray mounting. Mine came with a foam core board for stability but I just used acid-free tape to adhere it. It isn't truly mounted, just framed.

[ellipses84]

I think you could DIY with spray mount. You may want to practice with some similar scrap paper. It’s a lot like mounting wall paper.
Another option is to use magnetic wood frames that mount on the top and bottom, but I don’t think that’s quite the look you want.

[Deleted]

I actually spray-mounted something that large before and I'm not going to lie, it wasn't easy. It was definitely a two man job, but I didn't use a second person and it was obvious. Luckily it was just an inexpensive poster, but I essentially ruined it. That said, it might be easier with something that is more substantial.

Custom framing would be my recommendation, but it isn't cheap. I just had some stuff framed and spent nearly $1k.

[origami]

I’ve never done this but I wonder if it would be easier if you mounted it to something bigger than the print and then cut it with a straight edge?

[sb]

If it's from a wallpaper designer, is it possible to get it in a wallpaper? And if so, would you be open to not having glass?

We did some (much larger than yours, about 4x7 feet) wallpaper panels in our dining room and did them ourselves and it was a pretty easy project. We just used project board, mounted the wallpaper, added picture frame molding that I had spray painted gold, and hung them with french cleats.

[dr.girlfriend]

Aug 3, 2022 10:35:39 GMT -5 sb said:

If it's from a wallpaper designer, is it possible to get it in a wallpaper? And if so, would you be open to not having glass?

We did some (much larger than yours, about 4x7 feet) wallpaper panels in our dining room and did them ourselves and it was a pretty easy project. We just used project board, mounted the wallpaper, added picture frame molding that I had spray painted gold, and hung them with french cleats.

A.  That is gorgeous!

B.  I guess maybe they actually *are* wallpaper, now that I think of it?  I had asked if they were handpainted or printed, and she said "we print the design on to silk panels."  Physically, they feel like flexible, textured paper.  How did you mount them to the project board -- with wallpaper glue?  And what exactly is "project board" and where do you find it / how did you cut it to size?  Is it something from a craft store or hardware store?

[tacokick]

Jul 24, 2022 6:54:29 GMT -5 deadwing said:

Jul 23, 2022 22:02:49 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Does floating frame just mean the print is sandwiched between the back and the glass?  For those dimensions wouldn't there be too much flexibility to the backing and the plexiglass (I don't think any of the frames that size use real glass) to keep the print securely between them?

Floating can also mean the art is mounted on a piece of foam board cut so it's invisible when looking directly at the frame. It raises the art a little bit and gives it a bit of a shadow around it - giving the illusion that it's floating inside the frame.

Just saw this but that is what I was thinking. I’ve seen places online that sell the supplies to do this fairly cheaply in large sizes. It’s a specific look though.

[deadwing]

Aug 3, 2022 15:03:01 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Jul 24, 2022 6:54:29 GMT -5 deadwing said:

Floating can also mean the art is mounted on a piece of foam board cut so it's invisible when looking directly at the frame. It raises the art a little bit and gives it a bit of a shadow around it - giving the illusion that it's floating inside the frame.

Just saw this but that is what I was thinking. I’ve seen places online that sell the supplies to do this fairly cheaply in large sizes. It’s a specific look though.

I like it. I have a tiny original watercolor mounted this way. The float helps make it looks less tiny - it has a presence within the frame, if that makes sense.

[sb]

Aug 3, 2022 14:28:12 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Aug 3, 2022 10:35:39 GMT -5 sb said:

If it's from a wallpaper designer, is it possible to get it in a wallpaper? And if so, would you be open to not having glass?

We did some (much larger than yours, about 4x7 feet) wallpaper panels in our dining room and did them ourselves and it was a pretty easy project. We just used project board, mounted the wallpaper, added picture frame molding that I had spray painted gold, and hung them with french cleats.

A.  That is gorgeous!

B.  I guess maybe they actually *are* wallpaper, now that I think of it?  I had asked if they were handpainted or printed, and she said "we print the design on to silk panels."  Physically, they feel like flexible, textured paper.  How did you mount them to the project board -- with wallpaper glue?  And what exactly is "project board" and where do you find it / how did you cut it to size?  Is it something from a craft store or hardware store?

Thank you!

The wallpaper we got was prepasted so we just used water and applied it like I normally would to a wall, it was just easier .  In your case I think you could use wallpaper paste.  The etsy seller could probably give you some advice.

I *think* it was called project board but I'm not 100% sure.  It was in the lumber section at the hardware store and was basically a very thin plywood option.  I was looking for light, somewhat smooth, and not super expensive.  It was 4x8 and I had them cut it at the store down to the height we needed.  It was already the right width.  But I could have cut it at home with our circular saw too.  You could use a jigsaw if you have a steady hand and the molding would cover some unevenness I bet.

For the molding we cut it by hand with our miter box, mostly because we had a rough cutting blade on our miter saw and I was too lazy to change it out.  So I think if you have them cut your board down at the hardware store, you could do this without power tools.

[dr.girlfriend]

Aug 3, 2022 16:18:40 GMT -5 sb said:

Aug 3, 2022 14:28:12 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

A.  That is gorgeous!

B.  I guess maybe they actually *are* wallpaper, now that I think of it?  I had asked if they were handpainted or printed, and she said "we print the design on to silk panels."  Physically, they feel like flexible, textured paper.  How did you mount them to the project board -- with wallpaper glue?  And what exactly is "project board" and where do you find it / how did you cut it to size?  Is it something from a craft store or hardware store?

Thank you!

The wallpaper we got was prepasted so we just used water and applied it like I normally would to a wall, it was just easier .  In your case I think you could use wallpaper paste.  The etsy seller could probably give you some advice.

I *think* it was called project board but I'm not 100% sure.  It was in the lumber section at the hardware store and was basically a very thin plywood option.  I was looking for light, somewhat smooth, and not super expensive.  It was 4x8 and I had them cut it at the store down to the height we needed.  It was already the right width.  But I could have cut it at home with our circular saw too.  You could use a jigsaw if you have a steady hand and the molding would cover some unevenness I bet.

For the molding we cut it by hand with our miter box, mostly because we had a rough cutting blade on our miter saw and I was too lazy to change it out.  So I think if you have them cut your board down at the hardware store, you could do this without power tools.

Thank you!  I've written the etsy seller to confirm but this sounds like a much better idea -- I can't believe I didn't think of it.  In particular, where I plan to hang them (in my loft with windows directly opposite) I was really worried there would be a lot of reflection off the plexiglass covering, so it makes total sense if they are wallpaper to not cover them like that!

[dr.girlfriend]

Aug 3, 2022 18:57:31 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Aug 3, 2022 16:18:40 GMT -5 sb said:

Thank you!

The wallpaper we got was prepasted so we just used water and applied it like I normally would to a wall, it was just easier .  In your case I think you could use wallpaper paste.  The etsy seller could probably give you some advice.

I *think* it was called project board but I'm not 100% sure.  It was in the lumber section at the hardware store and was basically a very thin plywood option.  I was looking for light, somewhat smooth, and not super expensive.  It was 4x8 and I had them cut it at the store down to the height we needed.  It was already the right width.  But I could have cut it at home with our circular saw too.  You could use a jigsaw if you have a steady hand and the molding would cover some unevenness I bet.

For the molding we cut it by hand with our miter box, mostly because we had a rough cutting blade on our miter saw and I was too lazy to change it out.  So I think if you have them cut your board down at the hardware store, you could do this without power tools.

Thank you!  I've written the etsy seller to confirm but this sounds like a much better idea -- I can't believe I didn't think of it.  In particular, where I plan to hang them (in my loft with windows directly opposite) I was really worried there would be a lot of reflection off the plexiglass covering, so it makes total sense if they are wallpaper to not cover them like that!

sb, Sorry, another probably basic question (the fact that you guys have a miter saw puts you leagues ahead of me in experience).  Did you just use small finishing-type nails to nail the molding directly to the project board, and if so did you nail from the front or the back, or some other technique?

[sb]

Aug 4, 2022 11:45:57 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Aug 3, 2022 18:57:31 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Thank you!  I've written the etsy seller to confirm but this sounds like a much better idea -- I can't believe I didn't think of it.  In particular, where I plan to hang them (in my loft with windows directly opposite) I was really worried there would be a lot of reflection off the plexiglass covering, so it makes total sense if they are wallpaper to not cover them like that!

sb , Sorry, another probably basic question (the fact that you guys have a miter saw puts you leagues ahead of me in experience).  Did you just use small finishing-type nails to nail the molding directly to the project board, and if so did you nail from the front or the back, or some other technique?

We used glue and left it clamped overnight to keep it flush, because the molding we used was so light.  If we chose something beefier I would have also used finishing nails (probably from the back).

[just]

Aug 3, 2022 10:35:39 GMT -5 sb said:

If it's from a wallpaper designer, is it possible to get it in a wallpaper? And if so, would you be open to not having glass?

We did some (much larger than yours, about 4x7 feet) wallpaper panels in our dining room and did them ourselves and it was a pretty easy project. We just used project board, mounted the wallpaper, added picture frame molding that I had spray painted gold, and hung them with french cleats.

STFU - is this your house? It's fricking gorgeous. The wallpaper, with those curtains and that chandelier. <chef's kiss>

[sb]

Aug 8, 2022 10:37:32 GMT -5 just said:

Aug 3, 2022 10:35:39 GMT -5 sb said:

If it's from a wallpaper designer, is it possible to get it in a wallpaper? And if so, would you be open to not having glass?

We did some (much larger than yours, about 4x7 feet) wallpaper panels in our dining room and did them ourselves and it was a pretty easy project. We just used project board, mounted the wallpaper, added picture frame molding that I had spray painted gold, and hung them with french cleats.

STFU - is this your house? It's fricking gorgeous. The wallpaper, with those curtains and that chandelier. <chef's kiss>

Ha! It is.  Thank you so much!  We did just change out that chandelier though, lol (it was not as nice in person).