3 Professional Photo Mounting Products You Need

You may spend hours taking the perfect photo or creating a masterpiece to display in your home, but there is often far less thought put into mounting that artwork — which can end up being a big mistake.

Your memories and painstakingly created artwork need the right mounting materials to both safely display them and preserve them for future generations to enjoy. But it can be difficult to know which products to use, especially since there are so many different types. We’ll break down three mounting products you should have in your framing arsenal — and when you should use them.

Photo Tabs

Archiving photographs and prints with regular adhesive tape is risky. Most store-bought brands of tape are made with chemicals that can degrade the photos over time, leading to irreversible damage.

Instead, opt for photo tabs specially designed to archive photos, such as the Lineco photo tabs. Lineco photo tabs are acid-free, double-sided adhesives that can permanently mount photos, prints, paper and even fragile newspaper clippings to photo albums or scrapbooks without yellowing. These tabs pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT), so you can rest assured knowing your memories are safe for decades to come.

4-Inch and 12-Inch Mounting Strips

Photo tabs work great for smaller photographs and paper, but larger photos and artwork need more support along their straight edges — and that’s where Lineco’s 4- and 12-inch mounting strips come in.

These clear strips from Lineco are not only affordable — they are acid- and lignin-free, meaning they won’t harm artwork. They use a pH-neutral and pressure-sensitive adhesive that is safer for priceless photos and artwork, and none of the adhesive comes into contact with the surface.

The 4-inch strips are the best choice for smaller photographs and artwork, but the longer 12-inch strips can be cut to fit your needs. You can even use the mounting strips to add extra support to photo tabs in albums and scrapbooks.

Print Weights

Mounting large prints can be a frustrating process: you get one side mounted, but then the other corners roll up, ruining your perfectly centered mount. Instead of getting frustrated, use one of our one-pound print weights, made of non-abrasive leather, to hold your prints or artwork in place so you can center and securely attach them to the mat or backing board.

Don’t Skip Out on Quality

Cutting a few corners when mounting your photos might save you a few dollars in the beginning, but it’ll cost you more in the long run. Don’t risk regret by using any old mounting product off the shelf. Your future self — and your family — will thank you for investing in products that will preserve your memories for generations to come.