I have a 20" x 30" poster that is printed on heavy glossy photo paper (ordered from Snapfish) and I want to mount it on a piece of foamboard, which is also 20x30. I tried this with a self-stick foam board, and it didn’t work. The sticky side is just not sticky enough and the poster keeps curling off.
What kind of glue can I use that will be tenacious but without being absorbed by the poster and causing wrinkles? I thought of wallpaper paste but there must be something intended for this sort of thing.
Preferences will be given for answers that include the phrase “I have done this and…”
First off, It’s MUCH easier to mount a 20x30 poster on a 32x40 board then cut it down; it’s not that much more expensive for the bigger board.
I’d recommend having it dry-mounted by a frame shop, but if you want to do it yourself, use 3M Super 77 Spraymount. For that size get the 7oz size with the purple cap. You probably don’t need Hi-Strength 90, that stuff’s insane.
A roller would help with wrinkles.
I’ll second the frame store recommendation. They usually also have a vaccuum table they can put your poster+foamboard into to draw out any bubbles. I used to work at one and have done this hundreds of times. The best way to go.
If you go with the Super77 (the name’s accurate - the stuff’s super sticky!) I’ve got a couple tips.
As **garygnu ** said, it’s far easier to use a larger piece of foamcore and cut it down, rather than trying to carefully line up the art onto the same-sized board. Super77 is contact cement - you get one chance to stick it, so one slip is doom.
Spray the Super77 on the mounting board, instead of the art. Trying to maneuver a few square feet of curly, sticky art is not a ballet you want to dance. Even still, you’ll want a pair of extra hands - spray the board, then grab the art with clean, non-sticky hands in each corner. Lay down the center of one edge, then start smoothing the art down, working with the backs of your hands (they tend to be cleaner, smoother and less oily than fingers) from the center, out to the edges, to avoid bubbles. Be careful at the edges not to get overspray (expected) or squeezed-out (oops, sprayed it on too heavy!) glue on your hands.
If you work quickly, you’ll have a very narrow window of opportunity to reposition the art to get rid of wrinkles or bubbles. This opportunity is measured in seconds.
You’ve not lived until you’ve spray-mounted 4x6 foot banner prints - that was fun, :dubious: and took five people. Two unrolled the prints, two did the placing and smoothing, and one sprayed glue on the boards as we unrolled.
All that said, if you want the 99.99% sure bet that the art will be mounted dead-flat perfect and unharmed, take it to a frame shop for dry-mounting. They do this for a living and will have it done in less time that it would take you to read all the instructions on the can of glue.
An alternative to the spray adhesive is a glue stick. I’ve used this to mount heavy paper photos onto a hardboard backing with good success - no wrinkling or warping. It’s just a little harder to spread evenly, but it allows more work time for adjustments than the spray adhesive does.
My parents had a frame shop for about 12-13 years. They noted that, over time, the foam board will bow. I think this is because the paper shrinks slightly. You can use inch-wide strips of foamboard to make a shallow box and glue or tape one open end of the box to the back of your foamboard. It not only helps control the bowing, it also gives you a handy way to hang your finished posteer.
Many years ago when I was mounting 16x20" photos to Masonite, used something called dry mounting tissue. It came in 8x10" sheets, so used four of them. Put them in place,laid the photo on top, and used a warm flatiron to press on the photo. It sort of melted the tissue and made a perfectly flat mount that adhered for years. Also works on cardboard or almost anything you want to use for backing.
I have no idea if this stuff is still available, but you might want to call a photo shop to inquire. It is a really easy, non-messy procedure.
