Linen Backing Services

WHAT IS LINEN BACKING?

Linen Backing a poster on canvas requires three essential elements; Linen which is marketed as Cotton Duck:, acid free Japanese Lining paper and a Wheat starch solution containing an alkali buffer which when used together provide a stable acid free environment for mounting a poster.

Because the wheat starch is soluble in water the process is fully reversible when soaked in water without causing any irreversible damage to the poster.  Museums and conservationists refer to this process as Archival Mounting.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

Step 1. First we stretch the linen to stretcher bars much like an artist would stretch a canvas for a really big painting.

Step 2.The Lining Paper is mounted to the canvas. During the drying time the linen shrinks and forms a tight, wrinkle free surface for mounting the poster.

Step 3. The Poster is then mounted to the Lining paper using the wheat starch glue  and we wait again; this time for 2 or 3 days for everything to dry thoroughly – again shrinkage occurs stretching the fold lines so that they become less visible so that they don’t spoil the appearance of the poster.

Step 4. Once dry the poster is removed from the stretcher bars allowing the poster to be handled safely. The poster can be stored rolled or laid flat or we frame the poster to suit the clients tastes and home decor. Any optional restoration is, of course, undertaken before framing. To learn more about our framing services please CLICK HERE

Step 5 (Optional) Restoration is entirely optional and subject to the tastes and budget of the client, it can be is as basic as lightly retouching the fold lines with some color or as extensive as re-painting the image where portions of the poster are missing. We have categorized restoration into five tiers that are based on the sort of work that needs to be done. To find out more about the sorts of restoration and the cost of this work please CLICK HERE

WHY BOTHER TO LINEN BACK A POSTER?

Linen backing is first and foremost a preservation and stabilization technique. It preserves the integrity of old and valuable paper and assures the poster can be safely handled and displayed. Posters are made from paper and with time paper becomes brittle and torn and often stained from natural acids in the paper pulp and from the atmosphere. To make matters worse people unknowingly use tape to hold tears together and this tape usually stains the poster as well. When we linen back posters harmful tape is removed and  tears are fixed. If you choose restoration we can replace  missing paper  and remove most stains. No we can’t perform miracles and bring your torn, tattered and stained poster back to new condition but we can improve the aesthetics of the poster making it suitable for framing and display. Linen backing will also generally increase the poster’s overall value.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET  YOUR POSTER LINEN BACKED

CONTACT US with a description of your poster and if possible include a photo or two of your poster. We will respond within a day or two with a price quote and if you decide to proceed we will send you a Work Order for your approval via email and provide you a shipping address.

Once we receive your poster we will let you know so you don’t have to worry about whether the poster got lost in the mail! If you live in the Houston area you can simply bring the poster to the Limited Edition in Katy, Texas.

Please allow a minimum of 10 days to complete the work. Once complete we will send you a photo of your linen backed poster and an invoice for you to pay. You can pay with online with Paypal or call the shop with your credit card details. As soon as we receive payment for the work plus packaging and shipping we will mail the poster to you in a sturdy tube.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST

There are so many sizes and styles of posters its really best for you to contact us for a quote but as a rough guide we charge

$100.00 for a 1-sheet poster (27″ x 41″)

$50.00/per Australian Day Bill or Belgian Movie Poster.

Please keep in mind that we do not linen back or frame six-sheet posters or larger due to a lack of physical space!