I really like these “see thru mounting strips” – scroll down – they are about the 2nd or 3rd item from the bottom.

http://www.framingsupplies.com/ToolsTapesGlues/ToolsTapesGlues.htm

no adhesive touches the painting at all. You put the painting in the mat and lay it upside down. Then press the adhesive of the clear plastic strip onto the back of the mat right along the edges of the painting . The non-adhesive, rigid plastic portion will overhang your painting and hold it into place. Then you can place your backing board or foam core on the back and set it into your frame.

You can cut the strips to any length – sometimes I put a piece on the center of all four sides, and sometimes I create 4 corners with them. As long as you have some on each side the painting cannot slide out of place.

Prashant,
I do a lot of my own matting and framing after taking a class at the Base Hobby Shop on how to cut mats and frames.

Normally, with a watercolor painting, you would place it face down on the acid free mat over the opening. When you have it where you want it, put two or three pieces of tape at the top of the painting only to connect it to the mat. The sides and bottoms hang free.

The tape only touches the back of your painting and the mat, not the painted surface. (There is a technique for float mounting a painting also where it sits on top of the mat rather than under it, but that is a different method than what I am describing here.)

When you put the painting into your frame, the glass will be on the bottom, the mat with the painting mounted in it will go next, then the backing board.

A couple of times when using a frame I picked up at a garage sale or somewhere else, I have used a matboard as a backing board because a foam board was too thick. So your idea to do that with the frame you bought is a good one.

Hope this helped. Check out americanframe.com for more information on mats and frames.

Sylvia

Yes..you can put the painting down face up on your backing board and use the plastic tabs that way IF you’ve left enough of a margin around the edge. The clear plastic part is about 1/2 inch wide…so you need to be sure you have at least that much “extra” paper to be hidden under the mat. (in a pinch I’ve been known to trim the plastic to be not as wide, though)

I do think that’s an easier way to do it because I find it REALLY hard to put my painting face down on the mat and have it lined up properly. I HATE it when I turn it over and find it to be crooked!!!

I know you are not supposed to tape all the way around a painting when framing because you want to allow it to expand/contract/warp in the humidity. These tabs work okay for that because they don’t hold the paper completely tight to the mat -there’s a tiny bit of wiggle room, and they don’t go all the way around all the edges.

As for backing or mounting board… it depends on how deep the frame is. I use acid-free foam core on my metal frames (and they sometimes ALSO need a mat board with it to fill it up). With wooden frames I will usually use some acid free mat board. For shows I prefer a simple black metal frame and white mat – I’ve been taught this is the most “professional” way to present work. (I know that can be debated of course!! just saying what I’ve been taught at school)

Great Advice everyone!
Sorry Prashant:wave: , don’t want to steal your thread… but I have a few questions :o
Is it better/worse/”does it matter” if one attaches the painting to the backing board or to the mat?
What’s the preferred way to do it?

One big question that bother’s me:
Should I be putting a dust cover… glue a piece of paper to the back of the frame so any does doesn’t seep in?
I have never done this but I always wonder.
The disadvantage would be that it would be kindof permanent… and I won’t be as likely to reuse a frame :confused:

You may also want to see the WC Studio Tips and Framing channel.

Surfina, definitely that’s a very good technique which I will absolutely certainly be using it!