Frame Destination
YUPO paper is a popular option for artists who want to paint on translucent paper. A 100% recyclable, waterproof, tree-free synthetic paper made from polypropylene, YUPO was first developed in Japan during the 1970s. It is used extensively in the packaging and labeling industry. However, many artists, especially watercolorists, are embracing it as well. Because of artist demand for this renewable paper source, artist pads of YUPO paper are available in translucent and white.
The see-through nature of translucent YUPO coupled with the delicate color saturation of watercolors makes mounting finished works without a mat board difficult. A Frame Destination customer recently reached out seeking a solution for this obstacle.
Frame Destination set out to help the customer find a suitable mounting method. We mounted a piece of 9” x 12” translucent YUPO paper, but this method will work for any size and type of paper with a little bit of modification.
The Materials
After examining the paper, we decided that a hinge-mounting method using self-adhesive hinging tissue by Lineco would give us the best results. This pressure-sensitive, lightweight tissue is specifically designed for hanging translucent art. When properly applied, it becomes almost translucent itself.
Lineco’s hinging tissue provides a permanent bond that will remain stable over time and is strong enough to support lightweight, mid-sized art. This archival-quality product has a neutral pH and is acid and lignin free, meaning the tissue itself will not yellow or damage your art.
The Mounting Process
We mounted the 9” x 12” YUPO paper to foam board using two T-hinges. To preserve and protect your art, be sure to choose an acid-free foam board.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to the mounting process we used.
- Cut four, two-inch long strips of adhesive tissue. If your art paper is larger, you can make longer hinges or add a third hinge. When the process is finished these hinges will be barely visible, so don’t worry about cutting perfectly even strips.Most picture frames cover about ¼” inch of the image, so if you keep the width of the tissue between 3/16” and 1/4” it should be covered by the frame.
- Peel the paper backing off of the tissue to expose the adhesive side. Separating the paper from the tissue can be tricky, but be gentle so you don’t tear or damage your strips.
- Place one strip of tissue horizontally across the top of your image an inch or two from the board’s corner. Remember to only put about ¼” of the strip on the front side of the mounting board so the hinge is not noticeable in the finished product.
- Wrap the remaining tissue over the foam board’s edge and adhere it to the back side of the board.
- Repeat this process for the hinge near the other top corner of the board. If you are working with larger paper and opt to add a third hinge, place it in the middle for added stability.
- When both hinges are in place, flip the mount board over so that the back is facing upward. Take another strip of tissue and place it vertically over the top of the first strip, creating a “T.” Adding this vertical strip makes the hinge more stable. Don’t forget to stabilize all your hinges.[Image – Live photo of the T hinge]
When you’re done, you should see two T’s on the back top of the mounting board.
Your mounted YUPO paper is now ready. Flip it back over and start creating! Even without framing your completed work, the hinges are barely visible.
When you use a traditional frame, the hinges will be completely hidden.
This process will let you create beautiful works on YUPO’s translucent paper and frame them cleanly without a mat board to achieve the look you envisioned. The same process can be used with YUPO’s lightweight white paper.
no dry mounting ?? varnished ??
Hi Patrice, I've never dry-mounted Yupo, however, I found an article by Chris Paschke that discusses dry-mounting Yupo paper in detail - http://www.designsinkart.com/library/M-YupoP2-201601.htm. Also, I haven't varnished the ones I've made. I put them under UV glass or acrylic with spacers to hold the glazing off the art. - Joely
Is it absolutely necessary to use acrylic or glass when using Yupo in a frame?
Thanks!
Hi Neota, it's my opinion that if you want to preserve your Yupo painting for long-term, it should be framed just like any watercolor painting, which means with glazing (glass or acrylic) preferably UV-filtered.
The reason is that light is a big enemy of art, perhaps its number one enemy. If you are having trouble deciding whether to use glass or acrylic, this infographic might help - https://www.framedestination.com/glass-acrylic-graphic.
With that said, if you are just looking to put it up in your house for a few months and/or not worried about environmental damage, then probably not. - Joely
Hello Joely,
I have been painting with alcohol inks on yupo paper for about two years. I have my work professionally framed and matted. I found that the smaller pieces under 24 x 24 don't seem to be a problem and have done some larger sizes as well. I am finding that the larger pieces of yupo want to ripple and if dry mounted over time will let loose. do you have any experience with this problem and any suggestions??
Thank you for any advice you might have on this problem.
Hi Linda, thanks for your comment! I haven't worked with Yupo over 20 inches yet, so I can't give you an answer specific to it. However, large prints warping is something we frequently hear about. In your case, I'm wondering if it has something to do with the dry mounting? Maybe the mounting press is not functioning properly? Also, have you talked to your framer about options other than dry-mounting? We normally suggest archival mounting techniques, for example, the t-hinge discussed in this blog post, for mounting artwork. Because the artwork is adhered at the top only and the bottom hangs free, it can expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes and is less likely to warp/ripple. Talk to your framer and see if they'd be willing to try it.
Will the self adhesive linen hinging tape work for adhering white Yupo paper to a wood cradled panel?
I paint with oils and am trying to figure out a way to mount Yupo paper to wood cradled panels.
I contacted Legion and they said not to use gel medium which I've used to mount Arches oil paper to wood.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
Thanks,
Silky Hart
Hi Silky, that's an interesting question. I don't know the answer, but if you can hold off a bit, I'll do a test and we can find out! Couple of questions: (1) Are the wood panels primed or raw? (2) Is the YUPO already painted? Or are you planning to paint it after attachment? (3) Are your oil paints traditional or water-mixable? - Joely
Hello, I attached a piece of Legion’s translucent YUPO paper to a cradled wood pencil using our self-adhesive linen hinging tape.
As you can see from the photo, the tape sticks to the wood, and it also sticks, at least for the past week, to dried Winsor Newton oil paint.
In my experience, most people who use wood panels do so because they plan to sell them unframed like regular canvases. In this application,
the tape is still slightly visible at the top, so you’d need to either frame it, or paint over the tape if leaving it unframed.
Painting over it though introduces the possibility of the oil damaging the tape fibers over time.
So, the short answer is yes, you can attach YUPO to a wood panel with the self-adhesive linen hinging tape.
But, it’s not a long-term solution for unframed artwork. Hope that helps! Good luck!
Will the self adhesive linen hinging tape work for adhering Yupo's heavy weight white paper to a mounting board?
Hi Courtney, it works with 140lb watercolor paper and I think Yupo heavy is around 144lb, so it should work. If it's a large piece, you might want to do three hinges across the top.
Hi. I have a question that I am hoping you will know the answer to. I am not an artist, just a customer, and I am in the market for some artwork for my master bathroom. Though it is a bathroom, it really doesn't get too humid in there at all (I bathe instead of shower, and I always leave the double doors to the bathroom wide open so there is very ample ventilation in there.) I am in contact with an artist who does alcohol ink on yupo paper. I want her to do two large pieces for me, each 30"x 30". How would you suggest mounting, framing, etc. these works so that they are suitable for the location I intend to place them in. If she seals them, and then I have them framed under glass, is that adequate? I would so appreciate your advice not only as to how the works should be sealed by the artist, but also specific instructions I should provide to the frame shop. I certainly don't want to have these beautiful and expensive works of art warp or deteriorate. Thanks so much for your advice!!
Hi Dee - I would go with what the frame recommends. These are professionals in their industry. I would also suggest contacting YUPO - https://yupousa.com/ to see if they have any input on how their paper might behave. We also have an informational blog here: https://www.framedestination.com/blog/picture-frames/hanging-picture-frames-in-the-bathroom