MITRA Forum Question Details

​We do have a thread from awhile back that may be of interest (see here) so have a read and let us know if you have additional questions. "L" brackets combined with a bracing system along the outer edges (and possibly with an additional wooden bar across the back adhered to the outer brace NOT the panel) may be one way to go. We will check with some of our conservator colleagues on this subject as well.

​After having reached out to a couple of framers who work closely with conservators, here is some information that they were willing to share: Screw only into the frame, liner/brace or subframe (strainer). Offset brackets is the chosen hardware for such an installation process. They are attached to a strainer, liner or the frame and will hold without any screws in the panel or stretch bars. If you want to frame it without covering any of it up under the lip of the frame, you should use a floater frame. Here's an example of one. The problem comes in holding the art in place. As a framer I'd normally use the offset brackets Jerry showed attached to the stretcher bars or screw through the floater frame into the stretchers. That's acceptable because the stretchers are the support, not the art. In your case though the plywood is more of an inherent part of the artwork and you stated you did not want screws in it. Another option for holding a painting in place in a floater frame is Dual Lock, which is sort of a heavy duty Velcro, but it still needs to be attached to the back of the painting. Finally, they may want to take a video and photos of the installation process for future reference. See the attached photo for reference (floater frame).Floater_Frame.png