Ten Tips on Using Sect of Homokaasu's Rasterbator

In a previous post I showed an image of our completed wall art. I've compiled some tips to help anyone who wants to get the same results themselves:

1. Use a printer capable of borderless printing. My Canon PIXMA MP160 can do this only with a stiff paper (like the matte photo paper I used). Otherwise you're stuck with thin white margins on each panel-sheet.
2. Use a laser printer if financially possible. Looking back I regret not choosing a laser printer. I chose to use the Canon PIXMA MP160 because I didn't know how financially efficient it was. After printing 60 sheets and going through two color cartridges, the total cost came out to ~$60 ($28/each + tax). That's $1/sheet. If you can purchase comparably-priced color printing at a copy shop, do so. You won't have to worry about liquids dissolving the water-soluble ink used in inkjet cartridges. You'll probably have to request printing each 8.5"x11" panel-sheet on a 11"x17" sheet and then cutting it to size (full-bleed).
3. Don't use masking tape to stabilize the panels on the wall (in addition to a foam core hanger). I didn't think about this until after I finished, when my understanding property manager informed me that masking tape only comes off easily from the wall when it's fresh. When masking tape sits for a while, it bonds with the paint/wall and becomes difficult to remove. x_x An efficient alternative solution--use two hangers on the back of each board instead of one.
4. Use double-sided tape and affix it about 1/4" inside the edge of the paper. First, double-sided tape versus adhesive spray--we used adhesive spray on a trial project and noticed the edges didn't stick very well to the posterboard. We also noticed the over-spray left a bit of a tack on our fingers, and we didn't want any of that getting onto the panel-sheets. x_x Your mileage may vary. Second, don't attempt to affix the double-sided tape right on the edge of the panel-sheet. We found affixing the tape about 1/4" inside the edge of the paper much more forgiving. Start in a corner, dispense about three inches, press it into place, then repeat until done with the side. Dispensing anything longer than that and you risk the tape clinging in the wrong place--resulting in torn paper as you attempt to remove it and reaffix it. x_x
5. Use a spreadsheet to calculate the locations of the nails. I used this Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to calculate the hole locations. Feel free to use it and modify it to your specifications.
   
6. Mark center location of each foam-core panel. Based on a suggestion from an artist, we found the center of each panel by drawing two diagonal lines (between opposite corners) using a straight edge. Where they intersect represents the center. More efficient than measuring. I placed each foam-core hanger here to ensure the foam-core panels hung consistently.
   
7. Mark holes vertically first, then mark each row horizontally. With the help of a laser level and a tape measure, we marked the height of each row. Then, marking the distance between the nails onto a sheet of paper (since it was only 9.5") we used that instead of the awkward and inconsistent tape measure to mark the location of the horizontal nails in each row. We used a laser level and made a pencil mark every 9.5" according to the sheet of paper. Do this for each row--much, much more efficient than measuring each hole manually.
8. Number each sheet and foam-core panel. We had 60 panels, and we found it confusing to know how to orient them and in which order to place them. To simplify things, we laid out the panels on the floor to put together the image, then stacked them, numbering each one lightly on the back (consistently in the same corner). You can also do this as you print them. After using tape to affix the panel-sheets to the foam-core panels, re-number them consistently in the same corner to ensure correct orientation on the wall.
9. Use masking tape to outline the placement of the artwork on the wall before nailing. We didn't know quite where to place it on our wall until we used masking tape to get a visual idea of how big it really was. We weren't sure how to center it horizontally and vertically, but after affixing the tape-frame to the wall, we came up with our decision relatively quickly. The laser level once again helps with placement of the tape.
   
10. Take precautions if placing artwork in high-traffic areas. Will wind blow your 60 carefully-leveled pictures askew? Will your kitten find the low-hanging foam-core boards a lovely new scratching post? Will you feel paranoid about bumping and damaging the panels each time you pass them? We solved these problems on the fly with a loop of masking tape on the back of each panel and raising the panels a bit higher. Take your time, think things through, then affix the panels.