Help help help! Framing Woes!

[kizu]

Well I've been trying my hand on framing cels. So far... Well it's not really gone well. Everytime I think I did my homework something comes up that makes think I did something wrong... And I've searched animanga, beta and RS for info but couldn't really find what I was looking for.

Here is what I did...
1) used aluminum frame instead of wood
2) used labeled "acid free" mats, 2 in front and 2 at the back (turned over so that the cel only touches the white part). I did this to float the image away from the glass and the background. It added a nice 3D effect to the cel
3) Mounted the top of the cel with very small amount of acid free tape and let it hang. I would've liked to use some very clear PP bags but i didn't like the extra layer and I do not like distortion at all. So it's there naked....
4) the background I attached to this thick "acid free" backing board. It doesn't touch the cel but does touch the back mat (which I used as spacer).
5) I used OP3 acrylic sheet...

Now here's my problem... Well aside from I have no eye for color combinations...
1) I learned that "acid free" mats, especially colored ones on front aren't really archival? They are buffered yes but can have acid build up again over time... A good choice would've been rag mats but unfortunately the colors are so limited and they can get expensive. Same situation with "acid-free" backs. So really those who frame themselves using these "acid free" mats and boards are not really archival which make sense looking at the cost of making a frame compared to having it done professionally... I think the professional archival framing, the cost is more because they use real archival materials? Not just 'acid-free'?
2) If I do decide to use a cotton rag mat, is there any other way to "space" a cel aside from buying a second cotton rag mat? i've seen those metal spacers but I don't think it'd work for cels? Any recommendation?
3) Finally I guess I'm a bit weirded out by this, but the backgrounds are definitely not "acid free" so is having space between the background and the cel good enough? Especially if the background touches the mat that touches your cel..... And no... I won't bag the cel because I really really do not like how it looks framed in a bag...
4) For those cels that I don't have a background for... I was thinking of printing my own backgrounds on archival paper but what's the point of using archival paper if the ink probably contains acid? Am I wrong?
5) Does anyone have a good source to buy framing materials from? I'm going to re-do all my frames and use those old frame with "acid free" materials for my other cels that I will rotate in frame... See there are a few cels that I don't ever want to touch again but want to see everyday... and no I will not rotate them as that will mean more handling...

Ah... I am so -confused-. Any help is appreciated and sorry for the lengthy post...

[RoboFlonne]

I keep mine in a cel bag because museum grade acid mats are more expensive and the cel bag doesn't affect me!

After all all of my cels and sketches are in cel bags... so I'm used to seeing them in a bag.

The bag is extra protection if the frame falls and the glass breaks.

[kizu]

Thanks Roboflonne unfortunately I really do not want to put in a celbag. Aside from the distortion, in one of the threads about framing cels in RS I think the guy from SR labs said not to use a cel bag for long term framing. But it's been a while, I really need to dig up that old post.

[Cordelia]

The problem with 'acid-free' sometimes mean that only the surface is acid-free and the core is not. That means that the core can breakdown over time and release acids. Usually, museum archival grade materials will be stated as such since it's an obvious selling point (usually the more description the better). This means that the entire board (core and all) is acid-free i.e. lignin- free. Many also come buffered. You could check with the supplier who sold you your current mats to confirm.

Actually on the note of cel bags, not all plastic bags are archival standards either because many plastics are treated with acid to soften the material. So best to check with supplier. Again they are proud of the archival quality and would most probably state so.

I googled 'museum archival mats' and some suppliers, e.g. dick blick or iconusa.com or www.gaylord.com (trusted but can be pricey)

I read the following on gaylord: 'The patented Artcare™ Microchamber technology actively protects your framed artwork from pollution damage and acid degradation. This innovative technology combines molecular traps with specific paper formations and dual buffers to hold pollution gases away from the artwork and to effectively neutralize acids generated within and outside the framed artwork.'

Hope that helps. Your effort will make it all worthwhile in many yrs to come

[JWR]

Well from the talk the guy from SR labs gave at last years AX cel panel I think your worrying too much.

The main item for use of acid free is for paper products such as sketches & Gengas. Cels themselves are made from plastic and are not affected as much by the acids in paper. He said even "acid free" paper are not truly free of acid for they absorb such from the air. What he recomended for such items like my comic art pages would be the acid buffered paper which has a film like baby powder as a buffer.

The floating using 2 mats works best with cels so they do not stick to the glass or the background paper. The sticking is the main source of damage to cels , that's why he does not recomend cel bags.

Now that all being said. A lot of that is for cels such as Disney & ultra high end stuff valued in the tens of thousands. What you have done for your cels is fine. I and others keep our cels in bags that are unsealed inside cel books kept on end as to not allow damage from the weight.

What damages cels most is Heat & temp extreams, Direct UV light & being crushed by weight. These can be avoided by using UV coated plastic or glass (glass should not be used if you live where earthquakes can cause them to fall off the wall , break the glass & damage the cel). Hang the framed cel away from direct sunlight and away from direct lighting on them. Those not framed should be ok to store in Itoya cel books just do not overload them and store them on end rather than flat where they can press on each other.

[kizu]

Thanks Cordelia and JWR. I checked out the links too. Pricey but perhaps worth it.

I think I will go for cotton rags at the very least. It is also probably true that I am worrying too much but the less I have to handle in the future the better. I'm really more surprised that all the "acid-free" on those NON-cotton and NON-alpha cellulose (sp?) ads isn't really an accurate description "in the long run".

I'm having someone ship over some of those UV film too and am going to cover my windows with them. LOL... Yes I can go a tad crazy.

Also, most of my cels are in PP cel bags. I'm actually thinking of getting the ziplock crystal clear at clearbags.com. Just because I do not like adhesives. Does anyone know if those are a not suitable, like mylar bags are not good for cels?

Has anyone used that Nielsen Bainbridge artcare frame? I figure one would need another backmat for it but it seems like a good choice if one doesn't mind the lack of color options...

Also is taping the top of the cel really good enough? There's this page that I stumbled on about using an 'edge strip system'. Is that a better way?

[Cordelia]

Also, most of my cels are in PP cel bags. I'm actually thinking of getting the ziplock crystal clear at clearbags.com. Just because I do not like adhesives. Does anyone know if those are a not suitable, like mylar bags are not good for cels?

One way of not using adhesives is to create a deep fold in the cel bag (i use handle of scissors to press along the fold), after some time, they have a natural bent flap so no adhesives needed. Works well on thinner cel bags. Haven't bought any ziploack crystal clear bags before but do remember to allow your cels to breathe e.g. by cutting one or two corners of the bag. Cels and the paint on it release gases over time and when trapped in a bag, they can speed up deteoriation.

On the topic of acid, yupz usually the concern is on paper products. So like JWR pointed out, these are solved using buffered paper e.g glassine to interleave or buffered backing boards. The buffer eg. calcium carbonate helps to neutralize acids that are released. Actually, acetate itself can release acids when it deteoriates too. I read on SR Labs website that they deacidify cels, not sure what's the process though. If anyone knows, pls share

Not sure if you are referring to taping in general or taping when framing. Generally I will remove the tapes that come with the cels coz I'm pretty sure they are not archival and will yellow/ turn sticky with age. Actually acetate and cel bags has static electricity which keeps the layers together when they are kept in a cel bag. So many a times, I don't even need to tape them together. When I have to, I cut a tiny strip of acid free tape and this can be easily removed.

Most imptly, do go to a reputable framer and specify your requirements e.g. museum/ archival framing methods.

Talking about going crazy on conservation, I'm planning to buy a dry cabinet to store my cels to keep humidity at 45 - 50% RH (museum gallery standard)

[Amsterdam781]

can be avoided by using UV coated plastic or glass (glass should not be used if you live where earthquakes can cause them to fall off the wall , break the glass & damage the cel.

I agree with this. I currenlty have 4 cels framed. The uv glass can be bought at most craft stores that have a framing department. I found the cheapest in my area was Hobby Lobby. It sounds like you have done a great job with your cels.

[kizu]

Hello just reviving an old topic because I got a question. As you all know I'm using acrylic OP3... I'm having problems with cels sticking to the acrylic, just the middle part where it seems to get sucked in the opening...And I've tried putting 3 mats in between them. What else can I do to keep this from happening?