So, a question I got last night was: Can you do touch up work after you've cut the poster down off the frame?
The answer is yes, but it has to be limited to light dry work with pencils that won't leave impressions. If you do any type of wet work after cutting it down, you run the possibility of warping the poster and sub-layers. I personally learned my lesson early on, when I tried to do some additional work on my Dirty Harry Japanese B2. I used water on a corner to lighten the colors. The corner warped a little bit - not enough to notice when framed, but enough to scare me to never try that again. My wife and I avoid doing any work after we cut it down. Once it is down, it is ready to go.
Well, I think that is just a matter of opinion to some... But it boils down to paper thickness and exposed edges.
Posters come in two basic thicknesses - regular poster paper (one sheets) and card stock (lobbies, 1/2 sheets (not always as thick), inserts, and window cards)
Then there is the support - Cotton Canvas and thin Japanese Masa for linenbacking and either thin Japanese masa or a thicker card stock type paper for paperbacking. I have used masa without issue in paperbacking on both cardstock and magazine thickness paper .
In most cases paperbacked examples are trimmed to the posters original edge - this leaves it unprotected but looking original. Sometimes they are not trimmed and although there is some edge protection, it is still basically paper and can be creased easier than a cotton duct supported piece. There is only one situation where paper backing may equal linenbacking here - for the thinner posters on thicker paper that have not been trimmed. Any poster backed with thicker paper (cardboard) cannot be rolled.
If a poster is backed on a thicker paper it will have to be stored flat indefinitely and will have to be shipped flat. If paperbacked to masa you can roll the poster - although it is kind of scary everything being so tight. Linenbacked poster can be easily rolled and stored rolled.
3. Durability Linenbacking +1 (vs. Paperbacking)
Now the thickness comes into play when you back a thin poster with a thin support as it is just as durable as the poster itself. You gain nothing in terms of rigidity or flexibility like for linenbacked posters. Linebacked examples can be flexed and rolled without much worry. The poster takes on the characteristics of it's thickest layer. Paperbacked poster can still be torn!
Poster do look more original when paperbacked and trimmed.
5. Framing - Linenbacking +1 (vs. Paperbacking)
Linenbacked posters are often easier to frame, as the added edge can be used and direct contact with the poster avoided.
Which is better? Depends on your taste and expectation of care. I prefer linenbacking for thinner posters and paperbacking for inserts and the like. I'm 50/50 on half sheets. It also depends on the condition of the poster too. If the card stock poster is really weak linen may be better...
Japanese tissue can be used for spot support. Fore example if there is a weak spot on a poster, you can simply support that with Japanese mending tissue and pressed flat while it dries.
There is also kraft backing which was done (probably by theaters or exchanges) to provide more durability as they were rented out to different theaters. This could be the entire poster or just the edges and folds. I have also seen a simple linen only backing on a Lebanese poster.
There is also kraft backing which was done (probably by theaters or exchanges) to provide more durability as they were rented out to different theaters. This could be the entire poster or just the edges and folds. I have also seen a simple linen only backing on a Lebanese poster.
Actually, linenbacking preceded kraftbacking. There are many linenbacked one-sheets, three-sheets and six-sheets (on thin linen, and then it was re-folded) from the mid-1910s to the early 1920s or so. Then some genius hit on the kraftpaper idea, which worked much better.
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HAS lifetime guarantees on every item - IS eMoviePoster.com
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HAS 100% honest condition descriptions - IS eMoviePoster.com
HAS auctions where the winner is the higher of two real bidders - IS eMoviePoster.com
HAS "buyers premiums" - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS "reserves or starts over $1 - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS hidden bidder IDs - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS no customer service to speak of - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS "nosebleed" shipping charges - NOT eMoviePoster.com
There is also kraft backing which was done (probably by theaters or exchanges) to provide more durability as they were rented out to different theaters. This could be the entire poster or just the edges and folds. I have also seen a simple linen only backing on a Lebanese poster.
Actually, linenbacking preceded kraftbacking. There are many linenbacked one-sheets, three-sheets and six-sheets (on thin linen, and then it was re-folded) from the mid-1910s to the early 1920s or so. Then some genius hit on the kraftpaper idea, which worked much better.
You mean just the linen (no paper) on the back? Interesting... I know when I pulled the linen off of that Dirty Harry it was super thin, almost mesh like...
I guess those Lebanese were around 50 years behind the times! It looks very similar to the very thin linen directly on the back of those 1910s and 1920s posters.
Here is a handy checklist to help tell eMoviePoster.com apart from all other major auctions!
HAS lifetime guarantees on every item - IS eMoviePoster.com
HAS unrestored and unenhanced images - IS eMoviePoster.com
HAS 100% honest condition descriptions - IS eMoviePoster.com
HAS auctions where the winner is the higher of two real bidders - IS eMoviePoster.com
HAS "buyers premiums" - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS "reserves or starts over $1 - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS hidden bidder IDs - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS no customer service to speak of - NOT eMoviePoster.com
HAS "nosebleed" shipping charges - NOT eMoviePoster.com
So I got a question about humidifying and pressing posters. Time to write it up I guess. I will also talk about how I made a quick and easy press to save Matias poster after it got wet from the damn USPS leaving it out in the rain. Too bad Bruce didn't pack it.
😂 They use spackle… it’s accepted. Just google conservation and spackle.
I used a mix of methylcellulose, cellulose powder, and calcium carbonate… on smaller patches you can dab with methylcellulose and sprinkle cellulose/calcium carbonate and then come back and sand or scrape with razor.
I notice that poster mountain blogs mention a commercially available compound they use to fill in paper voids if they can’t use paper. Any idea what that compound is or were to get it?
Comments
The answer is yes, but it has to be limited to light dry work with pencils that won't leave impressions. If you do any type of wet work after cutting it down, you run the possibility of warping the poster and sub-layers. I personally learned my lesson early on, when I tried to do some additional work on my Dirty Harry Japanese B2. I used water on a corner to lighten the colors. The corner warped a little bit - not enough to notice when framed, but enough to scare me to never try that again. My wife and I avoid doing any work after we cut it down. Once it is down, it is ready to go.
Posters come in two basic thicknesses - regular poster paper (one sheets) and card stock (lobbies, 1/2 sheets (not always as thick), inserts, and window cards)
Then there is the support - Cotton Canvas and thin Japanese Masa for linenbacking and either thin Japanese masa or a thicker card stock type paper for paperbacking. I have used masa without issue in paperbacking on both cardstock and magazine thickness paper .
1. Edge Protection - Linenbacking +1 (vs. Paperbacking)
In most cases paperbacked examples are trimmed to the posters original edge - this leaves it unprotected but looking original. Sometimes they are not trimmed and although there is some edge protection, it is still basically paper and can be creased easier than a cotton duct supported piece. There is only one situation where paper backing may equal linenbacking here - for the thinner posters on thicker paper that have not been trimmed. Any poster backed with thicker paper (cardboard) cannot be rolled.
2. Storage/Shipping - Linenbacking +1 (vs. Paperbacking)
If a poster is backed on a thicker paper it will have to be stored flat indefinitely and will have to be shipped flat. If paperbacked to masa you can roll the poster - although it is kind of scary everything being so tight. Linenbacked poster can be easily rolled and stored rolled.
3. Durability Linenbacking +1 (vs. Paperbacking)
Now the thickness comes into play when you back a thin poster with a thin support as it is just as durable as the poster itself. You gain nothing in terms of rigidity or flexibility like for linenbacked posters. Linebacked examples can be flexed and rolled without much worry. The poster takes on the characteristics of it's thickest layer. Paperbacked poster can still be torn!
4. Originality - Paperbacking +1 (vs. Linenbacking)
Poster do look more original when paperbacked and trimmed.
5. Framing - Linenbacking +1 (vs. Paperbacking)
Linenbacked posters are often easier to frame, as the added edge can be used and direct contact with the poster avoided.
Which is better? Depends on your taste and expectation of care. I prefer linenbacking for thinner posters and paperbacking for inserts and the like. I'm 50/50 on half sheets. It also depends on the condition of the poster too. If the card stock poster is really weak linen may be better...
There is no absolute here.
Here is a handy checklist to help tell eMoviePoster.com apart from all other major auctions!
Here is a handy checklist to help tell eMoviePoster.com apart from all other major auctions!
Here is a handy checklist to help tell eMoviePoster.com apart from all other major auctions!
I used a mix of methylcellulose, cellulose powder, and calcium carbonate… on smaller patches you can dab with methylcellulose and sprinkle cellulose/calcium carbonate and then come back and sand or scrape with razor.
BUT Spackling is basically calcium carbonate, cellulose, and a binder.
Acetone can remove from shiny surface but also takes the poster colors too - so you have to be very cautious when using acetone.