Swiss Clips and cheap shows

**Ed Richards** · 10-Oct-2007, 11:54

Just had an invitation to do a simple, cheap show. I am curious if anyone is using swiss clips and plexiglass to show work. My idea would be print on a matte paper like Photorag Bright White, with wide borders, and mount the prints without mats using swiss clips.

**Frank Petronio** · 10-Oct-2007, 12:24

I did... works fine although you can get pretty nice frames at IKEA for about the same price (dirt cheap) and just make inkjets sized to fit the precut mats (very ghetto but effective.)

I think I had a dozen 12x18s for $9 each... for wood with plexi.

**Ed Richards** · 10-Oct-2007, 13:09

We do not have Ikea out here in the sticks.:-) I also hate to crop to standard mats, but it is a good cheap way to go.

**Darryl Baird** · 10-Oct-2007, 18:47

two (edit - no, three) cheapo ways to hang prints:
1) mount onto plexi, sentra, or metal with a rail glued to the back for "float" hanging
2) stainless steel binder clamps (for office papers, reports, etc.) attached to each corner and hung from stainless push-pins or shiny nails (I think this would work best for Photo Rag) I hung a show last Feb. this way and later saw a huge exhibition in Chicago by Wolfgang Tillmans done in the same manner.)
3) "L" pins and plexi... allows for some surface protection. I get the L pins from Light Impressions

**Scott Davis** · 11-Oct-2007, 07:58

Word of advice about plexi -

I once did a show using swiss clips or the equivalent, and plexi. My finished prints were 16x16's in 20x24 mats. At that size, they were really too big for Plexi out of a frame because the swiss clips compressed the plexi, and being plexi, it gave, and bent. Glass is probably also cheaper, and it is scratch resistant. Unless you are framing REALLY big pieces, in metal/wood frames, stick with glass. For safety purposes, get some fine-grit sandpaper and smooth the edges of the glass so you can handle it without slicing yourself up.