In order for the Diamond Painting diamonds to stick to the canvas, it is often said that it is glue that is on the canvas and that is what makes them stick. This is not entirely true, there are in fact two different ways used the make the diamonds stick to the canvas. One is “poured glue” and the other is “double-sided tape”. Here I try to sort out the difference.
What is double-sided tape?
Double-sided tape is exactly what it sounds like; double-sided tape. They have taken a large piece of double-sided tape and attached it to the canvas over the pattern. If it is a large painting, you can sometimes see an edge where they spliced the tape. The easiest way to see if a painting has double-sided tape is that it have white protective plastic. You can also see that the tape extends a bit outside the motif. If you scratch with the nail on the edge, it will eventually come loose and you can clearly see that it is double-sided tape.
What is poured glue?
Poured glue is liquid glue that is poured on the canvas and then spread evenly over it. A painting with poured glue usually have a transparent protective plastic. You can also see that the glue usually ends right where the motif ends. So you do not get a sticky edge around the motif.
Pros and cons with double-sided tape
A disadvantage of double-sided tape is that it is sensitive and easily bubbles. If you remove the protective plastic, bubbles can form when the tape comes in contact with the air. Even if you did not see any bubbles when you first opened the painting, they may appear afterwards. An advantage is that it is not affected by humidity and the diamonds can not slide around in the glue.
Pros and cons with poured glue
A disadvantage of poured glue is that if it has not hardened properly, the glue can be soft and the diamonds can slide around on the canvas. An advantage of poured glue is that it is more durable, and does not get bubbles from being folded or rolled up. This allows you to keep the canvas rolled up without having to worry about marks not disappearing.
