Framing Posters: Preservation and Low Cost

     Framing your original movie posters can often be a very expensive proposition. In addition, many custom framers in your own home town are not use to framing original movie posters or collectables. I have written the articles for books and websites all over the world for many years regarding framing original movie posters and other paper collectables. I always tell collectors that all that matters to the longterm preservation of your posters is what's touching it in the back of it and what's touching it in the front of it. It is just as simple as that.  Having said that, glass is not typically recommended for anything that is collectable. The most obvious downside of glass is that it is heavy and can break very easily. If breakage occurs, the chances of your poster being scraped or torn is very high. Glass is also a heat conductor and can make paper brittle over time. You can also get moisture entrapment with glass and your poster can stick to the face of it. Most conservation framers use genuine plexiglass. Many consumers use the word "plexiglass" synonomous for anything that is plastic. That is not the case. We often called all tissues Kleenex, but that is just a brand name, not the name of the actual product. There are many forms of cheap plastic: sytrene, lucite, low grade acrylics, PETG. That is typically the product you see offered in cheaply made frames, readymade frames and most of the frames you see for sale on the internet.  It is cheap, but those products have very detrimental effects to your posters. Many sellers use the word plexiglass generically for anything that is plastic, but they are actually sending you styrene, which is a very thin plastic material that sounds like thunder when you shake it. The problems with styrene are many. First, because it is such cheaply made  it scratches very easily and will typically get opaque spots in it over time. The worst side effect of styrene and other low cost plastics, is that it can actually stick to the face of your poster over time, especially if you live in an area where the humidity changes often. You don't even realize that the poster is getting moisture entrapment and when it dries, it can stick to the face of the styrene. Sellers come up with all kinds of names for these low grade plastics, usually something to make it sound much more impressive than saying "plastic fronts". However there are some sellers that use that term also. I have heard it called "clear lens covers" or "protective lens covers" or other such name. Many sellers send you a frame kit with the "plastic" rolled up in a tube for you to assemble. Either way, the product is very detrimental if you have a collectable. I can't tell you how many people have come to me with a poster that is stuck to the face of the styrene and they can't remove it. It is virtually worthless at that point. Collectable paper should be framed in genuine UV filtered plexiglass, typically about 1/8" thick, not some flimsy plastic material. As for backing products, your choice depends on the value of your item. Ph neutral foamcore is a wonderful product for items that are of moderate value or less. You might have a $10 poster, but if you like it and want it to last, ph neutral foamcore is a very low cost effective product. Contrary to what many framers will tell you, ph neutral backing is not 100% acid free, it just means that any acids present in the material during manufacturing have been neutralized. What that means to you is that it is a very high quality product and won't add any impurities to your poster, but it won't take any of the impurities already existing in your item away. Remember, original movie posters weren't intended for you and I as collectors, but rather for advertising and were not printed on high quality acid free paper. The posters themselves will continue to degrade just in their own righ over time. For valuable items, 100% acid free backing is suggested. I use a product called Artcare, which is a very unique product. Not only is it 100% acid free, it actually has ingredients put into it during manufacture that will neutralize the acids in your actual posters. Now if you have a poster that isn't worth a ton of money, no need to speed extra money to museum conserve it.  However, remember that framing anything between glass and cardboard is going to ruin it in short order. I have done the framing for the Motion Picture and Television studio's here in Los Angeles for many years. In addition, I do the custom framing for many of the top collectors of movie posters in the country. Even if you are faming a poster worth thousands of dollars, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to do it. You just have to use certain materials.  Hundreds of Ebay customers each month use my custom frames to display and protect their movie posters. As a longtime movie poster collector myself, it is important to educate other collectors so their collections remain in high quality condition for future appreciation from not only a display point of view, but as an investment.  Please see other related articles I have written in reference to framing movie posters such as "Are spacers necessary?" and "Top 10 Questions Most Frequently Asked." As always feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Happy Collecting. Sue Heim - Hollywood Poster Frames 

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