Back Boards For Cels?

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:08 pm

Hi,

I got asked this question the other day and I couldn't answer it so I was hoping to pass it onto the community and see what everyone has to say.

My brother collects cels and he asked me if regular acid free boards (glossy white ones, like for comics) would be ok to use for cels. Does anyone know if the cel paint would stick to the acid free comic boards?

Kata · Post by **Kata** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:40 pm

Eventually the cel paint would stick to the board.

Best is to have the cel in a cel bag then put that along with the board into another cel bag.
Cut a small part of one of the corner of the cel bags for the cel to be able to "breathe". You also can punch a whole in the bag with one of those hole punchers.

That's just what I know out of experience.

Post by **sensei** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 5:39 pm

So long as cels are kept in an Itoya-type portfolio, I think they are protected enough without backing boards. They are rigid, and it takes a lot to bend or crease one. (It happens, but more often during shipping rather than just being handled normally by a collector.)

However, these backing boards are very useful for sketches, which are much more prone to creasing and/or dog-earing if not reinforced in some way. I buy acid-free card stock at the local Michael's and use a paper cutter to cut it to size. This needs to be done especially when there is one sketch in a cut that it an odd size or sticks up from the rest. Otherwise, even in a portfolio it will eventually get dinged or creased.

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:16 pm

This does bring up another question: I've heard cels should be allowed to 'breathe' and the opposite. Oxygen oxidizes paint, so wouldn't punching a hole and exposing the cel to air be bad? Or is completely sealing it off bad? I've heard both arguments and I never know which one to go by.

Golden Boy · Post by **Golden Boy** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:49 pm

If memory serves me right, aren't comic book backing boards too small for standard sized cels? I haven't picked up a comic book in like forever, but I'm pretty sure the boards are too small to use for cels.

gb

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:09 pm

Thanks for the replies. I will pass the info along to my brother.

GB - you can get acid free boards that are 18 inches by 24 inches, so you could just cut them down I guess

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:19 pm

This does bring up another question: I've heard cels should be allowed to 'breathe' and the opposite. Oxygen oxidizes paint, so wouldn't punching a hole and exposing the cel to air be bad? Or is completely sealing it off bad? I've heard both arguments and I never know which one to go by.