the board and into the waste piece below. Control will come with practice.
Place a mat blank in the cutter following the direc- tions for your cutter. Move the cutting head along the track to the top of the mat. Press the point of the blade all the way through the board, about ³⁄₁₆" (4–5 mm) above an intersection, and right on a line. Pull the cutting head toward you in one motion, ending about 3/16" be- low the intersection of the lines at the bottom. Continue with the other cuts in the same way. The cuts must inter- sect at the corners so the bevels are cut all the way through and the middle falls out cleanly after the fourth cut.
Hinge the window mat to the backboard with pregummed cloth tape (fig. 6-11). One-inch tape is ade- quate for most mats. While the adhesive is still moist, close the mat and make sure the two boards are well aligned. Place a piece of polyester web in the fold and allow the mat to dry under a weight. A number of mats can be stacked to dry.
Pregummed tape is preferable to pressure-sensitive tape, which in time can ooze adhesive from the edges.
The water-activated tape also permits easier alignment of the two boards.
For convenience, place a large blotter covered with polyester web on the work surface, especially if putting hinges on a number of objects.
Select a Japanese paper. The hinge paper should be lighter in weight than the document or artwork. Each hinge is composed of two parts. A minimum of two hinges is needed; larger, heavier works require a hinge every 10"–15" (25–38 cm). Tear one rectangular piece for each hinge, about 1" × 1½" (2.5 × 4 cm). The second part of the hinge can be cut instead of torn to save time, since it will not come in contact with the work.
AT TA C H I N G T H E H I N G E S
T O T H E A RT W O R K O R D O C U M E N T
Turn the art image side down. Determine where the hinges will be attached. They should be a little in from the corners, one to two inches, depending on the size of the art. Two hinges are enough for a piece up to about 12"–15" (30–38 cm) wide. A print up to 24" (60 cm) wide can have three hinges. If you are not working on a blotter/polyester web surface, place a blotter square covered by a web square under each spot.
Put the hinge on the pasting blotter or paper and apply a thin layer of paste to the end of the hinge. Paste about ¼"–½" (7–14 mm), according to the size of the work. Allow some of the moisture to be absorbed, then put the hinge on as shown in figure 6-13. Cover it with a blotter square and smooth gently with a bone folder. Take the damp blotter off, and cover with a polyester web square and a dry blotter square. Put a weight on top and leave for at least a half hour. Repeat the process for each hinge.
Be careful not to apply too much paste to the hinge.
Excess moisture may cause water stains or wrinkles in the art. If in doubt, take the blotters off after a couple of minutes, check that all is well, and replace with dry blot- ters. Repeat ten minutes later.
AT TA C H I N G T H E A RT W O R K
O R D O C U M E N T T O T H E B A C K B O A R D
Open the hinged mat package and place the artwork so it shows through the window, adjusting it till it is just right.
Put a small blotter on the artwork and a weight on the blotter. Carefully open the window mat and make sure that the hinges on the artwork are straight and smooth.
Apply paste to the second piece of Japanese paper, over the entire surface. Place it across the part of the hinge that extends from the artwork, attaching it to the backboard (fig 6-14). The crosspiece should be at least
¼" (6–7 mm) from the art so that the art can be lifted on its hinges easily. Put web and blotter over the hinge and place a weight on top. Repeat with the other hinges. Let dry for at least an hour.
Since the crosspiece of the hinge is well removed from the art, you may use a good-quality pressure-sensi- tive tape for this step, such as Filmoplast P90, or gummed cloth tape.
Other Mounting Methods
It is also possible to mount objects on the backboard without attaching hinges to the artwork, which is often desirable in the case of valuable or fragile works.
P E R I M E T E R M O U N T S
These mounts support the object on all four sides and are ideal for irregularly shaped pieces. They are made from four strips of acid-free paper, about 1½" (4 cm) wide, two for the sides and one each for the top and bottom of the artwork. They are all cut long grain and an inch or two longer than each dimension. The strips are folded lengthwise, with the fold line not in the middle but about a third of the way to one side.
SMALL EXHIBITIONS Fig. 6-13
Fig. 6-14
Fit the top and bottom strips on the object as shown in figure 6-15. The narrower flap goes in front.
Place the folded side strips over the top and bottom strips, at the edge of the print, and make pencil marks on the folded areas of the vertical strips where they cross over the horizontal strips. See arrows in figure 6-16.
Open the vertical strips, place them on a cutting mat, and slit the folds at the marks with a scalpel or utility knife (fig. 6-17).
Insert the ends of the horizontal strips into the slits of the vertical strips (fig. 6-18).
Snug the supports around the art (fig. 6-19).
To attach the perimeter mounts to the backboard, open the hinged mat package and place the artwork so it shows through the window, adjusting it as necessary.
Put a small blotter on the artwork and a weight on the blotter.
Carefully open the window mat and make sure that the mount is still snug around the artwork.
Use a good-quality tape, such as Filmoplast P90 or gummed cloth tape, to attach the crossed ends of the mount to the backboard (fig. 6-20).
Fig. 6-15
Fig. 6-16
Fig. 6-17
Fig. 6-18
Fig. 6-19
Fig. 6-20
SMALL EXHIBITIONS
M O U N T I N G S T R I P S
These clear supports consist of a piece of one-ply mat board (a little thicker than an index card) with a larger piece of 7-mil Mylar
attached to it. A strip of double-coated tape on the back is used to attach the mount to the back- board (fig. 6-21). The strips are available from conservation
suppliers.
They come in 4" (10 cm) and 12"
(30 cm) lengths and can be used in many situations where a perimeter support is indicated.
C O R N E R S
Paper or polyester film corners can be purchased from most conservation suppliers. They are suitable for many small items that are both sturdy and flexible. The borders of the window mat should be wide enough to cover them. Don’t use corners on brittle items, or on any object that doesn’t flex well. Corners are not a good choice for valuable materials because of the danger of damage to the corners of the object.
Attaching Photographs to a Mount
Depending on the size, thickness, and condition of the photograph, use perimeter mounts, corners, or commer- cial mounting strips or plastic channel mounts to pro- vide good support and avoid risk of distortion. Don’t attempt to remove photographs from mounts; they are part of the artifact. Instead, accommodate the thickness of the cardboard by using perimeter mounts or commer- cially available mounting strips or channel mounts.
Thin photographs that do not stay flat should be prepared by a conservator. Do not dry mount original photographs in-house.
Always use a mat that is deep enough to keep the emulsion well away from the glazing of the frame. A double or triple mat might be needed, or a sink mat. For information on making sink mats, see NEDCC Technical Leaflets 37, “Matting and Framing for Art and Artifacts on Paper,” and 50, “How to Do Your Own Matting and Hinging,” both by Mary Todd Glaser; Phibbs, “Preserva- tion Matting for Works of Art on Paper”; and Smith, Matting and Hinging of Works of Art on Paper.