Vivian & Brian Q & A



Have a Question? Ask two leading industry experts! or Scroll down for the Q&A!
		Vivian Kistler, CPF, GCF To ask Vivian, please click below* vivian@columbapublishing.com	If you are unsure as to whom to ask, please submit your question to the address below and the appropriate expert will answer it*. q-and-a@columbapublishing.com

		Brian Wolf, CPF, GCF To ask Brian, please click below* brian@columbapublishing.com	Vivian & Brian travel often. However, they will answer your question as soon as possible.
		*By sending this email, you are giving us permission to post your question on our web site. Your name, email address or any personal information will not be used.


Questions & Answers
	Question: How often is it necessary to train or retrain employees?
	Vivian's Answer: Initial training obviously should be conducted within the first month of hiring a sales clerk, art consultant, or picture framer. However, we should not stop there. Retraining is often overlooked and, as a result, experienced staff are sometimes not up-to-date on the latest state-of-the-art techniques and technology. You can develop a training program with a combination of books and videos. The Basic Picture Framing video is the quickest way to initiate an employee.

	Question: Oops! I let the ink dry on my ruling pen. I don't want to scrape it because I am afraid I may scratch the pen. How can I clean this?
	Brian's Answer: The ink is easily removed with hot (not boiling) water. Because the ink pens are made of stainless steel, hot water will not harm them and will loosen the laquer- or water-based inks.

	Question: I am considering getting in the framing business. I am in a very rural community with a population of about 3,500. We did have a frame shop here but she was very limited on what she could do and she has gone out of business. I am wondering . . . where do I start? I know very little about the industry. I need help. Do I buy books, videos, go to class or what? Are there trade magazines out there and what about websites?
	Vivian's Answer: My web site has links for magazines and trade suppliers--have a look. Volume 1 of The Library of Professional Picture Framing should be the first read on the technical side and watching the video The Basics of Picture Framing should make understanding the framing easier. The success of your venture will be contingent on the technical knowledge of framing and business knowledge. The Articles of Business book is also listed on the web site.

	Question: How would you go about handling and framing Ilfochrome prints? How would you mount them? The print is 39 x 27 so the framer used a 5" 8 ply mat plus spacers then Plexi as the glazing. The print is hinged and not mounted. As a result the print is wavy and the Plexi is wavy and in addition to that the static caused the print to be pulled against the Plexi and left a permanent pressure mark on the print. I would like any info you have about Ilfochrome.
	Vivian's Answer: This is advanced framing. Ilfochromes are covered by Alan Lamb in his book Framing Photography, Vol 6 of the Library of Professional Picture Framing. Many techniques come into play, the size, the type of spacers, the exact space from edge of photo to the edge of frame, the type of frame, the weather (humidity and temperature), and the type of hinges and their placement. Hinging is correct for valued photographs. Ilfochromes may be dry mounted but that is very advanced mounting and can be done at the photo lab where the print was made. But full mounting is not appropriate for valued photos.

	Question: How do you get a rolled up poster to lay flat before mounting it? What do you think of using Crescent's Perfect Mount self-adhesive boards to mount it on? I don't have a heat press.
	Brian's Answer: From my third day in a frame shop, it became clear that mounting would be a struggle. We had spray glue and wet glue and enough enterprising bravado to solve most any problem. There was always a risk that the poster would be ruined because none of these methods allowed repositioning. Most of the time it worked out fine. Things are much easier, now. Posters have come in to my shop rolled up an inch in diameter. As long as it's not creased anywhere it will mount just fine. Unroll it carefully and sandwich it between two sheets of foamboard. Leave it there for several days. If your customer is in a hurry, that's unfortunate. If you had a press you could toss the poster in there and the heat would flatten it, but the instinct to curl needs to be coaxed out of the paper Once the poster is relaxed, less prone to instantly roll right back up, it will be much easier to handle as you mount it. Yes, Perfect Mount is a great way to mount posters! Remember my comments about risk? Unless it's quite warm in the shop or the paper is instantly attracted to the perfect mount adhesive, you will be able to position the poster on the Perfect Mount board. It won't bond on contact like old self-adhesive boards always did. When the poster is where you want it, lightly rub it onto the board, cover it with the release paper, and burnish it with a plastic squeegee. Consult Crescent Cardboard for more extensive directions, but it really is simple. My favorite Prefect Mount feature is its cold flowing property. Remember the last time you mounted a glossy photograph? After it was mounted the surface took on that orange peel texture and it didn't look quite as impressive. Next time use Perfect Mount, lightly rub it onto the board, cover it with the release paper, but don't burnish it. Instead, cover it with a lite of glass, I usually use 2 or 3, and leave it overnight. The bond takes either time or pressure to develop. Give it time and the surface remains like glass. I don't want to sound like a commercial, but Perfect Mount is a professional, permanent mounting product. The heat press has become the industry standard. If you have already bought one, you're set. If you haven't, consider what a press costs, how much dry mount tissue costs, the space you would have to devote to the press, the power it consumes, vs. the cost and features of Perfect Mount.

	Question: How would you mount a block of black tea 8"h x 6"w x1.25"thick and still have the sides show?
	Vivian's Answer: I would use cord or ribbon that looks suitable to hold the block to the backing board. Also I would use a small shelf for the block to rest on. This can be much smaller than the block of tea, just enough to add support. Set the block on the fabric covered backing board supported with MightyCore. Use an awl or X-Acto knife to make cuts in the backing board just a bit under the block of tea. The cords or ribbons can be threaded through the back side of the backing board over the block of tea and through the backing board to the back side. Knot and tape the cords in place. Two bands of gold or red ribbon or cord should look appropriate. Don't let the glass touch the block of tea. A support shelf can be made from a small piece of moulding that is held in place with screws from the back side. A shelf can be inserted into a sheet of Mighty core. Straight cut a rectangular opening and insert a piece of Mighty Core. Secure on the backside with gummed paper tape. Cover the shelf to match background.

	Question: How do you mount a sport jersey?
	Vivian's Answer: Shirts must have a full support of a sheet of rag mat board. Cut the support to fit the shape of the jersey. Slide the support inside the jersey. Position it on the backing board. Then sew through the back matboard into the jersey, through the matboard to the front of the jersey, then head back through the jersey, matboard, jersey, backing board and tie a knot and tape off the knot. Exact directions for this (and lots of other stuff)is in Framing Collectibles.

	Question: A customer would like some photos framed mostly 8x10's. He doesn't want a matboard and no type of border. He just wants glass only with a backing. eg. Acid-free foamboard/rag. The photos have sentimental value and he will not be hanging them at the moment just storing them in the frame to stop them from getting damaged. . I know I should not have glass directly on photo. Do you have an ideas on how to frame this? I have thought of Econospace and Framespace but I have read somewhere that the photos edges should not be placed on these spacers as buckling will occur. What do you think?
	Vivian's Answer: If the customer wants to save the pictures ..this plan will not work..especially in storage. The storage could present a whole new batch of problems such as heat, cold, condensation, excessive dryness or moisture. The pictures must have a mat. And there must be enough room for the photos to expand and contract (another reason for a mat). A 1 inch mat will do. FrameTek makes a special spacer for photo frames but I do not know how well it works in storage. If you use a spacer it cannot be set on the edge of the photo or the photo will buckle from the restriction. If the customer cares about these he'll do it right.

	Question: I am framing a limited addition magazine. I want to make a shadow box frame for it - but I want to retain the value of the magazine so I won't attach it permanently. How should I keep the magazine in place?
	Vivian's Answer Make a sink mat for the magazine. Also you'll need to insert a piece of 2 or 4 ply rag board into the center of the magazine to support it. Exact directions for this can be found in Framing Collectibles . Page 24 is a framed TV script with a front opening frame and page 49 is a booklet combined with other items. A framed puzzle on page 48 should be helpful too. Vol 4 Conservation Framing also has sink mat and framing a puzzle.

	Question: Could you please advise the best way to fit fillets into mats? In fact, any helpful information how to cut, measure and use fillets.
	Brian's Answer: Fillets! 1. Measure the sight size of the image. 2. Carefully measure the visible width of the fillet. 3. Draw a picture, do the arithmetic, and figure out the size of the mat opening you require to yield the proper sight size once the fillet is installed. 4. Cut the mat with a reverse bevel. This is better than a straight cut mat because the leading point of the bevel will crush ever so slightly, giving you a tight fit. 5. Mitre all four pieces of the fillet. Cut them about 2mm longer than you know you need them. Make sure the outside visible edge of the fillet will be the correct size to match against the edge of the mat. 6. Shave them down little by little with the Morso until each side fits exactly. Test the fillet pieces against the side of the mat as you trim and label each piece with its corresponding side of the mat. It is crucial to have a Morso or a proper fillet trimmer. I have done this by trimming the mat instead of the fillet and it works but it is clumsy and inefficient. 7. Glue the fillet together. Some framers don't glue at all. Some framers ATG each fillet strip into the side of the mat and glue each fillet corner as they go. Do what works best for you, but whenever possible, I like to begin the installation with the fillet glued together. Installation: 1.Glue the fillet into the mat with numerous dots of Elmer's Glue ( PVA ), not a continuous bead of glue. I worry that too much moisture may warp the matboard. I also worry that too much glue will ooze out. I have used ATG instead of glue but if the fillet warps even slightly away from the mat, ATG will not hold it tight for long. Glue will. 2. Clamp the fillet onto the mat using banker's clips. Check an office supply store. Clamp every 5 or 6cm and use matboard scraps to keep the clips from scratching the mat. Let it dry a couple of hours. 3. Build up the back level with the flange of the fillet. Different fillets have different flange thicknesses, so experiment. Typically two layers of matboard or 6-ply rag will be pretty close. Cut strips wide enough to build up the entire width of the mat and ATG them into place. Other considerations: 1. Conservation. Some framers cut a rag mat to insulate the fillet from the art. Some let a few millimeters show, some hide it a few millimeters back from the fillet. Some framers consider the wood and varnish of the fillet as unacceptable items inside a conservation package. 2. A picture is worth a thousand words, so check out Vivian Kistler's Library of Professional Picture Framing Volume 2, page 89. It should clear up most of your questions. Hope this is useful. There are some choices here. You will do fine. Fillets are beautiful but they will test your skill. Have fun!