Photo Mounting

I am a senior photography student and my senior show is fast approaching. I had an idea to frame my prints, however that idea was scraped by my professor, so he suggested mounting my 30x40 digital prints on foam core. I like the idea of that, however, the only foam core I can find that size is 3/16" and my professor thinks that will be too thin for the size of the images and will bend with the weight of the paper. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the photo will be too heavy? What are some other options I can explore. Please help me, all helpful feedback is very much appreciated!

3/16 foam core probably will warp at that size, but there are thicker versions of foam core out there that should work. 1/2" is readily available in decent art supply stores or on line, and should have enough heft to do what you need.

Hi! Senior show is a big event, and you probably are considering keeping the pictures, so I would also recommend you to consider a custom framing option here. These guys have an online building tool for frame customization. You can upload the photo you'd like to frame, choose the size and color of frames and mats to complement your picture. This way you'll know in advance how it will look like and I guess you can contact the site and ask them questions if any.

If cost is an issue, you can mount on untempered Masonite - can be bought at any of the Home Improvement big boxes. Some stores will cut to size for a modest fee. Once you have used any of a variety of adhesives (dry mount, spray mount, padding compound) the edges can be painted or treated with colored graphic chart tape. Durable, rigid, inexpensive. Easy to improvise or buy hanging hardware.