ALL ABOUT PLAQUE MOUNTS

Plaque mounting (also called block or "plak" mounting) is an inexpensive and creative way to display your artwork without the worry of glass that can break, or the added weight of a frame. Plaques are easy to hang and keep your favorite art and photographic prints bright and beautiful for decades. Read on to learn more, and find out about KeenART Media's plaque mount options!

SUMMARY WHY PLAQUE MOUNTS HOW THEY'RE MADE PLAQUE STYLES DISPLAY OPTIONS Glass-free Lots of border options Various display options Inexpensive Printing Dry Mounting Lamination Standard/Flat Box/Flush Raised Float Matted Frameless ("as is") Picture Frames Floater Frames

WHY PLAQUE MOUNTS?

Plaque mounts are a great choice for home decor that lasts. Here's why: NO GLASS Plaque mounts are a great choice for children's rooms, earthquake-prone locations, and high-traffic areas. Because they are mounted directly onto MDF wood board and laminated, there is no glass to shatter, should they happen to fall off the wall. The worst that would happen is a chipped edge, but most smaller plaques would not be damaged at all if they fell onto carpet. So feel free to display your plaque mounts in places you might normally hesitate to hang art. Above the baby's dresser, at shoulder height in the hallway, or anywhere at all! BORDER CHOICES Most people don't frame their plaque mounts, and why would you! The slim, bevelled edge that accompanies the mounted artwork or photograph can be painted one of more than a dozen colors, including marbled and imitation-wood designs. This is a great way to alter the look of your multi-image display, or ensure each piece has a uniform border to tie the wall together. MODERN DISPLAY OPTIONS At KeenART Media, we offer five different plaque mount options to choose from, so you can truly make your art your own. Choose from a basic plaque mount, thicker wood, or even a "matted" look. You can select the best option depending on what you are displaying. INEXPENSIVE The cost of a framed print is generally 40% or more than the cost of a plaque mount. Add to that the ease of cleaning, the safety issues, and the glare-free viewing, and you've got yourself a pretty good deal! PERMANENCE Your plaque mount image is printed with archival, lightfast (fade-proof) inks and coated with a UV-protective laminate. Your artwork can last for generations. This also means, however, that the plaque mounting process is irreversible. As such, we do not recommend plaque mounting important original artworks or posters. It is best to create a digital image of the piece and mount that instead.

HOW PLAQUE MOUNTS ARE MADE

PRINTING The first step in plaque mounting is printing the artwork or photograph (#3 in image). We use our top quality ink jet printers and archival, fade-resistance inks to print your image. The result is bold, vivid color or strongly contrasting grayscale, and a flawless reproduction of your digital image. Alternately, you can mail or drop off your existing print to have it plaque mounted. When you enter your artwork size on our Plaque Mounting service page, you will see the pricing for both options. DRY MOUNTING Once your image has been printed, it will be "dry mounted" to the MDF board you selected (#1 in image). A piece of heat- and pressure-activated adhesive tissue (#2 in image) is placed between the image and the MDF, which has been cut to size and includes a routered keyhole hanger at the back (unless it is a float mount). When this "sandwich" of materials is placed in a heat press and a great amount of pressure is applied, the printed image is firmly affixed to the MDF. LAMINATION and FINISHING The face of the plaque mount is coated with a matte laminate (#4 in image) and the plaque goes through a machine that bevels the edges and applies the chosen edge color. A special MDF float hanger will applied to the back of any float mount plaque. The plaque mount is carefully inspected for scuffs or scratches, and shipped to you in secure and well-padded packaging! Note: 1/8" will be trimmed from each side of the image when bevelling the edges.

PLAQUE STYLES

STANDARD/FLAT MOUNT

A standard or flat plaque mount is the style you are probably most used to seeing. Your printed image is mounted on a sheet of 3/8" MDF fiberboard that has been cut to side. The edges are bevelled and your chosen edge color applied. The result is a timeless, borderless style. Standard plaque mounts are great for showcasing everything from documents (diplomas, an acceptance letter) to meaningful clippings (your business mentioned in the paper, a graduation announcement) to photographs of friends and family, or art prints that deserve a unique style of display.

L: Front of plaque; R: Back of plaque

BOX/FLUSH MOUNT

A box or flush plaque mount is very similar to a flat mount. The only difference is the thickness of the MDF board. Your image is mounted on a very thin sheet of fiberboard which is affixed to a thicker frame, resulting in a 1" depth that gives your art a "wrapped canvas" appearance that extends further from the wall. Box mounts are great for a slightly edgier look to the traditional plaque mount. Consider pairing flat and box mounts side by side for an interesting multi-level look.

L: Front of plaque; R: Back of plaque

RAISED MOUNT

A raised mount consists of two 3/8" sheets of MDF. Your image is mounted on one, and the edges bevelled and colored. Then the entire plaque is mounted into another, larger sheet. This sheet is generally in a solid color, though a second printed image may also be used. The result is a "reverse mat" effect that creates depth and highlights the chosen color. This style is a great way to accent a color in the room that also happens to be present in your image. Have bold, maroon lampshades? Choose that as your background color to offset a white wall and draw attention to that hue.

L: Front of plaque; R: Back of plaque

FLOAT MOUNT

In a float mount, the image is mounted on a 3/8" sheet and bevelled, just like a flat mount. A smaller, 1" platform with a keyhole hanger is then affixed to the back. When the plaque is hung on the wall, it creates a "floating" effect and an attractive shadow between the wall and the image. Float mounts are a great choice for recessed walls or nooks where you want to hang art, but don't want it to get lost or overlooked. The dramatic depth created by the raised backpiece adds interest and ensures the piece will be noticed.

L: Front of plaque; R: Back of plaque

MATTED PLAQUE

A combination of a flat mount and a raised mount, a solid color is first applied to a 3/8" sheet of MDF that is larger than your image (generally 1-1/2" on each side). Your image is then placed over the solid color background to create a matted effect. Much like a raised mount, this option is excellent for accenting a color in the room. It can also be used as a mat would in a framed image - to create space which draws the eye toward the artwork, and draw attention to that color in the picture itself.

L: Front of plaque; R: Back of plaque

PLAQUE DISPLAY OPTIONS

FRAMELESS

"As is" is a great way to display your plaque mount. Indeed, each mounted piece is specially designed to be displayed unhindered by a frame. The smooth, bevelled edge creates a subtle border that provides a distinction between art and wall, without cluttering up your image with a picture frame that could prove distracting. In this way, plaque mounts are both easier to order (no slaving away over mat and frame samples, matching colors, etc), and end up saving you money. You order one item, instead of three or more!

PICTURE FRAMES

If you really like the combination of plaque and frame, however, adding a picture frame to your plaque mount is very simple. If the rabbet (depth behind the lip) of your frame is deep enough, you can simply use turn buttons to hold the plaque in the frame. If the plaque protrudes from the back of the frame, offset clips allow you to keep the piece flush within the frame. And, unlike a traditional framed artwork, when framing a plaque you don't need to worry about glazing (glass or acrylic) or backing!

FLOATER FRAMES

If you can't decide between frameless or framed, floater frames are a great in-between option for displaying your plaque mount. Unlike a traditional frame, which overlaps a bit of your artwork, a floater frame overlaps behind the image, so nothing is hidden. Your plaque mount appear to hover in the floater frame, creating a pleasing shadow in the small space between frame and plaque.

EASEL STANDS

If you don't want to hang your plaque on the wall at all, an EaselMate easel stand is a great option. This piece of hardware screws into the back of your plaque, allowing it to lean on a table or desk top the same way an easel-backed picture frame would. Easel stands are best suited to smaller plaques. If you want to display a long, panoramic scene in this way, you may need one stand for each end of the plaque.

Plaque mounts are a great way to display art or photographs in a crisp, modern fashion that avoids the dangers of glass and the added weight of a picture frame. With five different styles and numerous edge color choices, you can create a plaque mount that is truly your own. Enter your image size and determine the price of your plaque mount today. Just visit our Plaque Mounting service page. If you have any questions about plaque mounting or any of our other products or services, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our knowledgeable staff are always happy to answer your enquiries and provide suggestions or advice.