Float mounting shows the whole sheet, with its edges, on top of the backing board. It suits handmade paper, prints signed at the edge, papyrus and small textiles.
Float mounting is a way of framing a sheet so that all of it shows, including its four edges. The sheet lies on top of a backing board. The mat or the frame begins some distance outside the sheet, so a band of the backing is visible all round. We do this work in our workshop at 1242 Davie Street.
What float mounting suits
Handmade paper with a deckle edge. A deckle edge is the rough, feathered edge that forms when a sheet of paper is made by hand. A mat would cover it.
Small textiles and paper objects. A piece of lace, a small weaving, an old envelope, or a sketchbook page with its torn edge.
Flat or raised
There are two kinds of float.
Flat float. The sheet rests against the backing board.
Raised float. The sheet is fixed to a smaller piece of acid-free board hidden behind it, which lifts it off the backing. Acid-free means the board is made to stay free of the acid that browns paper. A raised sheet casts a shadow on the backing, and its edges are easier to see.
How the sheet is held
Hinges are small tabs of thin paper. For a float they are fixed to the back of the sheet near its top edge and folded out of sight behind it, so nothing shows from the front. The sheet hangs from its top edge and is free at the sides and the bottom, which lets it move as the air turns damp or dry. A large or heavy sheet gets more hinges along the top. Removing the hinges later releases the sheet.
A floated sheet has no mat to hold its edges down. Thin paper, or paper with a strong curl, can lift at the lower corners. We look at the sheet at the counter and say whether it will lie flat. Dry mounting, which bonds the whole sheet to a board with heat and adhesive, gives a flat float and is permanent. We advise against it for original work.
A page with a painted border of its own is a piece to show whole, edges included. Muraqqa': The Blue Robe, an oil and gold on paper from our gallery, 30 by 40 cm, is an album page with panels of script, a flowering plant and a figure in a blue robe.
Glazing means the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front of the frame. In a matted picture the mat holds the glazing off the surface. A float has no mat over the sheet, so spacers hold the glazing off. A spacer is a thin strip hidden under the edge of the frame, between the glazing and the backing. The frame has to be deep enough for the glazing, the spacer, the sheet and the backing, and deeper again for a raised float. That limits the choice of moulding, the shaped length of wood or metal a frame is cut from, to the deeper ones.
The backing you see
The band of backing around the sheet acts as a border, and you choose its colour and its width. A backing in the exact colour of the paper hides the edge of the sheet, so one shade darker or lighter shows a deckle edge best. Our mat border width guide helps with the width. A float can also sit inside a mat whose opening is cut wider than the sheet. That gives two levels, like the mats in our guide to double mats and fillets.
Backing colour is chosen against the board of a drawing as well. Soft Refusal, a coloured pencil drawing on artboard, 30 by 40 cm, shows an arm and a hand in pale pink and brown on white, so a backing one shade darker would show the edge of the board.
The size of the frame, its depth, the glazing and the moulding. A raised float adds a hidden board and more labour than a flat one. We quote at the counter with the sheet in front of us.
What to bring or send
Bring the sheet flat and untrimmed, and leave a rough or torn edge exactly as it is. If you live outside Vancouver, send the size of the sheet, a note of whether the paper is thick or thin, and a photograph that shows all four edges.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop, and see custom framing for everything else we frame.
How it works
1
Bring it in, or send photographs
Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.
2
We look at the actual piece
What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.
3
It is made by hand and fitted
Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.
Common questions
What is the difference between a float mount and a mat?
A float mount shows the whole sheet with its edges, and a mat covers the edges with a border of card. In a float mount the sheet lies on top of the backing board, held by hinges hidden behind it. With a mat, the sheet is behind an opening cut in the card. A float mount suits paper with a rough or decorative edge. A mat suits a sheet with plain or damaged edges.
What is a deckle edge, and how do I show it in a frame?
A deckle edge is the rough, feathered edge on a sheet of handmade paper, formed where the wet pulp thins out at the side of the paper mould. To show it in a frame, the sheet is float mounted on top of a backing board, so nothing covers the edge. A backing one shade darker or lighter than the paper makes the edge easy to see.
Is a float mounted picture flat on the board or raised above it?
A float mounted picture can be either flat on the backing board or raised above it. In a flat float the sheet rests against the board. In a raised float a smaller piece of acid-free board is hidden behind the sheet and lifts it, so the sheet casts a shadow on the board. A raised float needs a deeper frame. Ask us at the counter which one suits your sheet.
Will a float mounted sheet stay flat?
A float mounted sheet of firm paper stays flat, because it hangs from hinges along its top edge and its own weight holds it straight. Thin paper, or paper that was rolled for a long time, can lift at the lower corners, since no mat holds the edges down. We look at the sheet at the counter and tell you whether a float or a mat will suit it better.
Why does a float mounted picture need a deeper frame?
A float mounted picture needs a deeper frame because a spacer has to fit between the glazing and the backing board. With no mat over the sheet, the spacer is the part that keeps the glass or acrylic off the surface. A raised float adds a hidden board behind the sheet, which needs more depth again. The moulding is chosen with enough depth for all of these layers.
What colour should the board behind a float mounted print be?
The board behind a float mounted print is usually white or off-white, close to the colour of the paper. A backing in the exact colour of the sheet hides its edge, so one shade darker or lighter works better. A dark backing makes a pale sheet easy to see from across a room, which suits small works. Hold the sheet against board samples before you decide.
Can a small textile or a paper object be float mounted?
Yes, a small textile or a paper object can be float mounted. A piece of lace or a small weaving is stitched to a cloth-covered acid-free board with fine thread, and its whole outline stays in view. An envelope, a ticket or a sketchbook page is held by hidden paper hinges. In each case a spacer keeps the glazing off the piece and no glue touches it.
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Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.
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I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
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A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
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