Face-mounting is a framing method that is particularly well-suited for my prints. The face of the print is mounted directly to an acrylic glazing with a special adhesive, and then back-mounted to a substrate with hanging hardware. The resulting piece is extraordinary with a frameless, contemporary look.

I use A Street Frames outside Boston for face-mounting. Typically, they use Acrylite Gallery Non-Glare P99 for glazing and anodized aluminum for the substrate and hanging hardware.

Face-mount prints are made on a glossy photo paper that is required for the face-mount process. Since the prints cannot be removed from a face-mount, they are technically not archival prints. Nonetheless, with the inherent stability of HDX pigment inks and UV protection built into the face-mount process, these prints have excellent longevity characteristics.

Face-mounting appears to offer additional protection for prints over traditional framing methods. Print longevity in the face-mount process is enhanced by protection from humidity, ozone, and dust as the print is sealed between the glazing and the substrate in an airless environment.