Linen-Backing

Linen-Backing for Vintage Movie Posters

Damage to vintage film posters and vintage movie art can often be caused by adhesives, dust, residual stains, watermarks, and typical wear-and-tear due to poor storage conditions. Posters can also have missing fragments, wherein the original material has been torn or worn away.

Linen-backing can return a poster to a condition resembling its original state. The process can seamlessly revitalize a poster with the necessary restorations by employing methods aimed at ensuring consistency between the restored components and the original image. Using only high-grade materials, such as acid-free Masa paper, cotton canvas, water-based pigments, and water-soluble adhesives, as well as the use of archival preservation methods, linen-backing can ensure the conservation of as much of the original poster as possible.

FilmArt Gallery's meticulous attention to detail and it's partner linen-backing experts strive to make sure that materials and techniques applied to a movie poster are not harmful over time and are reversible to return it to an unrestored state.

The entire process can ensure that your one-of-a-kind piece of movie history or memorabilia retains its value while making the poster visually similar if not identical to its original condition.

The Linen-Backing Process

Posters that are linen-backed are mounted on to acid-free paper and canvas where it is then assessed and any necessary restoration is carried out. Fold lines and other defects are reversed and repaired, after which the poster can then be rolled for shipping, ready for framing.

Linen-backing will dramatically improve the overall appearance of a poster and it can substantially increase its value. It is the preferred archival method for conserving and/or restoring a poster. Practically any flaw can be fixed or damage reversed, most often to the point that you would never know it was there.

Paper-backing is a very common form of restoration that can be used on card stock posters. It is the accepted conservative method preferred by professionals and longtime collectors (as opposed to dry mounting). When a poster has been paper-backed it has been professionally mounted onto a piece of high-quality Japanese rice paper after almost all of the poster's defects have been corrected or minimized.

The paper-backing process is similar to linen-backing but is usually reserved for card stock posters including inserts, half-sheets, lobby cards, and window-cards, where the poster remains in a form similar to how it was when it was unbacked. Paper-backed posters often cannot be rolled as they remain stiff as per their original stock, and must be shipped flat.

Gelatin mounting is a relatively new method of poster preservation and restoration, where a poster is mounted and unmounted without any type of backing, yet allows a base for the replacement of paper, color retouching, flattening and cleaning. This technique can be applied to lobby cards, rock posters and in sizes of up to 40 x 60 inches, with all restoration materials being water-soluble and PH neutral.

Contact info@filmartgallery.com for more information or to arrange a quote.