Should I Linen Back my Affiche or Not?

We become this question a lot by our customers and we ever ask them what they are buying the posters for; to hang and display them or to file them abroad in a collection? Since it's obvious even to a serious collector that a linen backed poster looks amend than a folded one the choice must be based on other factors which we discuss here.

Who buys Posters?

In that location are actually four groups of people who purchase posters.

Grouping i.

The largest grouping are those who intend to display their posters in their firm perhaps in their media or game room or in their offices or restaurants. This group also includes interior decorators.

Group 2

The second group of people are collectors of Hollywood memorabilia, who collect everything related to their favorite movie or histrion, singer or genre. Others will collect WW1 or WW2 propaganda posters while others focus on Travel, Advertising, Circus or Magic posters. For this group the poster is what matters regardless of whether the poster is backed or not.

Group 3

These collectors are the and so called "serious" collectors who prefer posters in their original folded or unfolded condition and in as close to mint condition every bit possible. Much like collectors of stamps or comics they are willing to pay a premium for fine examples and are always looking to upgrade and expand their collections rather than spend coin on conservation.

Group 4

The fourth group of people are those who purchase with the intention to sell, they may have little or no emotional zipper to the poster they are in event dealers who are trying to make money by investing in posters.

Condition is everything: is your poster stable?

If yous have to unfold your poster gingerly because the poster is and then brittle that information technology wants to autumn apart and is torn or starting to tear, and so your poster is not stable and nosotros recommend linen backing information technology. Existing flaws and imperfections are probable to worsen over time if left unattended. Posters are made of paper an inherently delicate and highly vulnerable textile and almost all are damaged in some way.

Atom Man vs. Superman

This is just a manifestation of their age every bit they were never meant to final forever. If your poster is already damaged linen backing volition stabilize the poster and you lot may choose to have some restoration undertaken to fill holes, repair margins and retouch missing colour. Almost all restoration is performed afterwards the affiche is linen backed.

Once linen backed your poster will be protected from mishandling; information technology will not tear or fall autonomously at the fold lines and it will not disintegrate from oxidation and acids which are so prevalent in older paper.

The poster will also exist flat after linen backing, a hint of those fold lines volition withal be nowadays simply they volition not spoil the appearance of the design and artwork. The fold lines were never what the creative person had in listen when he designed the poster!

Is your poster in very fine or mint status?

If your poster is in near mint condition, then we would suggest not linen bankroll the poster if your intent is to resell information technology or employ it as an investment. Your poster will entreatment to all 4 groups of collectors which translates into more value. Let someone else make the decision to linen back and salve yourself the toll!

Volition Linen Backing Improve the Value of my Poster?

Linen Backed posters will commonly sell for more in auctions, scanning auction archives and sorting results from high to low will most e'er reveal this fact.

Linen Backing, if done correctly, is an archival process pregnant that it is reversible. If the poster were to always become damaged a conservator would be able to remove the poster from the backing and remount it relatively easily.

People recognize the additional value of a well linen backed poster.

A affiche which is poor, fair or even expert status has limited value. If the poster cannot even be safely handled, then information technology's actually just a slice of vintage paper. A good conservator who can rescue such a poster from oblivion greatly enhances it'due south potential value.

Havana Panel

Will the Cost of Linen Bankroll be recovered if I sell my affiche?

This volition depend on how much you spend to go your poster backed. Beware of dealers and retailers who do not linen dorsum posters themselves as they volition contract the work to a linen bankroll studio and take their cut in the process. Such dealers may charge $300 or more to back a Us 1 Sail and you will exist lucky to ever recover this premium when it comes time to sell.

Nosotros linen back all our own textile keeping the cost down for our customers. If you spend between $75 and $150 on linen backing a U.s. 1 sheet poster, then you will likely recover these costs if you sell the poster in the future.

Is my poster an original if its linen backed?

At that place is a myth that a linen backed poster is no longer an original or is in some mode harder to authenticate. Most of the criteria such as fold lines paper quality and National Screen Service (NSS) markings and size are nevertheless visible from the front end of the affiche and even the ink stamp on the back of the poster tin exist seen nether a potent lite table.

Remember linen bankroll must be reversible or archival in nature and should not permanently change the poster; we live by the adage that "Less is More than" these posters are old, used and well-handled and like whatever antique or collectible yous should never alter the poster so every bit to lose the "patina" or "soul" of the affiche. Many of our WW1 posters take ragged margins which we adopt to leave alone; after all its over 100 years former!

Posters should not await new one time backed that would exist over restoring and yous might every bit well save some coin and just buy a reprint!

Exercise you programme on displaying your affiche in a frame?

One of the cardinal reasons to linen back a poster is to flatten it. Once flattened information technology volition display nicely in a frame. Frame shops achieve the same outcome past mounting the affiche on foam board usingpermanent, solvent based glues.

Pale Rider BA

Amidst poster collectors this is universally understood to destroy the value and collectibility of a poster. This is because it is so difficult to remove it from the board without damaging it and because the process is very time consuming. Unless the affiche is valuable information technology may non even exist worth trying to remove information technology.

Some posters were printed in two or more panels such as iii and 6 sheets and some foreign posters. For these posters linen bankroll is the simply solution available to reassemble the affiche so as information technology can exist viewed in its entirety

A Last Give-and-take on Modern Double Sided Posters

From the mid xc'southward many posters were printed double sided for utilise in back lit marquees for added graphic entreatment. These glossy posters are more difficult to linen dorsum every bit the surface of the newspaper is treated. If the posters are absolutely mint then they tin can successfully be framed without linen bankroll, however, if the posters have been handled a lot every wrinkle and wave on the poster will be noticeable and linen bankroll should be undertaken to flatten the poster.