Flatten a Rolled Map or Poster

Rolled wall maps or posters are hard to put on the wall if they keep rolling back up. It helps to flatten them first using weights before you attempt to put them up. Keep reading for instructions on flattening a rolled up map or poster.

Steps

  1. Roll your poster opposite from the way that it curls. Start loose and tighten it up as you go, to avoid creasing it. Sometimes this is enough to flatten it, depending on the paper and how long it has been rolled, but usually you will need to carry on with these steps.
  2. Wrap rubber bands around your opposite-rolled poster, to keep it in place.
  3. Let your poster sit like this for a few hours. Do not overdo it, however. An hour or even less may be enough. You do not want to end up with a poster stuck in a position curled the other way, or you will have to start from scratch!
  4. Remove the rubber bands and place your poster flat on a clean surface. Put it so that the side which it is curling towards is facing up.
  5. Smooth out the poster and place weights on the corners and in the center of your poster for at least 2 to 4 hours. Books, mugs or DVDs are good choices for smaller, fairly un-rolled posters, but larger, more rolled posters may require heavier objects..
  6. Remove the weights.
  7. Attempt to hang the poster on the wall. If it still does not hang, put it back under the weights and leave it to sit for longer.
  8. Finished.

Tips

  • If you place the poster on the floor to flatten it, make sure it is out of the way so that nobody steps on it.
  • Work gently to avoid crinkling the poster.
  • Good substitutes for paperweights include smooth rocks, glass jars, bean bags, and heavy books. Don't put heavy weights on the poster while it is on a soft surface. The poster could crinkle.
  • Leaving the poster under the weights overnight is usually long enough.
  • Make sure if using the weights method, your weights are clean before you use them so as not to mark the poster in any way. Consider laying the poster face down and putting the weights on the back.

Warnings

  • Ironing does not work for flattening posters.
  • Do not use rubber bands that have ink stamps on them, as they may stain your paper.
  • If you want to laminate a poster, flatten it first.
  • If you want to flatten a vintage poster, please take it to a professional.

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