How can you prevent a photo mounted on foam board from warping?
Asked 2/18/2013
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2 answers
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When photos are mounted on foam board, they can sometimes bow or become slightly U-shaped over time. This usually happens because the printed photo and adhesive change the moisture balance and surface tension on the front, while the back of the board is left untreated. Is this a common issue, and what is the usual way to prevent or correct it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
10
Photos aren't often printed on foam board, but they are mounted on them.
One of the major commandments when producing works of art on a rigid substrate like wood, masonite or heavy board is "whatsoever thou doest to one side, that shalt thou also do unto the other side". Essentially, that means making sure that however one modifies the stresses upon or the absorbency of one side of the ground, you have to match on the other side. In the case of mounting photos to foam boards, you are covering the paper on one side of the board with glue and another piece of paper having at least a sizing and probably a glossier ink-receptive coating to one side of the board. That will significantly affect the rate at which moisture migrates into the paper component on that side of the board, while the other side is free to absorb humidity and expand. So it isn't the printed side contracting that's the problem, it's the back expanding.
You can mount another piece of the same type of paper on the back of the board, making sure that any varnishes, etc., used on the front are also used on the back. (Commonly, one would use a lighter/cheaper weight of paper on the back -- it's the glue and coatings that matter more than the paper itself.) Or you could step up to a more rigid support (Gatorfoam, painter's panel with bracing, gessoed hardboard).
Mounting on foam board is, though, at best a short-term display solution. It isn't archival, and isn't meant to be. It isn't a substitute for proper framing.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is a common issue when a photo is mounted to foam board rather than printed directly onto it. The usual cause is imbalance: the front side gets adhesive and a paper print, which changes moisture absorption and tension, while the back side does not. That difference can make the board curl.
The standard fix is to treat both sides similarly. In practice, that means mounting a backing sheet or other balancing layer to the reverse side so the stresses and moisture response are more equal. This is the same general principle used with other rigid substrates: whatever you do to one side, do something comparable to the other.
Warping is also made worse by changes in humidity and temperature, since many adhesives contain some water. So using proper mounting materials and keeping the finished piece in a reasonably stable environment will help.
In short: yes, it’s common, and the normal prevention method is a balanced mount—finish the back as well as the front.
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