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Disclaimer.
As far as things to do at your framer, we have included a few key components & ideas that you should be aware of. Treat these pages as a second opinion, that might offer up some helpful concepts. These are examples only, and you should always take your own picture framers advice into foremost consideration, as they should have the artwork in front of them.
Mat.
A thick, solid board that can surround the picture, to provide an aesthetic, as well as archival function.
AKA mount, mask or pasapatout.
By creating an area of negative space around the picture, the mat allows the picture to breathe. This is especially desirable in busy or complex pictures, that may be compromised visually, if placed directly adjacent to the frame.
Because the mat is thick, it can serve to hold the glass slightly off the picture. If glass touches a picture it can be damaged. The mat stops this happening.
When at the framer take a moment to think whether or not your picture needs a mat. Posters are one example of something that was designed and made without a mat board in mind. They are set out so as to survive quite well on their own, meaning you may decide to do them straight into a frame.
If you do use a mat, you should consider the proportions & colour carefully.
Try to choose something that tones comfortably in with the picture. If you have an A4 pencil sketch on aged paper, think about using a mat colour similar to the paper used in the picture. Although blue may be your favorite colour, it may sit at odds with the tones in the drawing. If the paper has a slight green hue, don't use a beige type mat, as they have an underlying pink tone which will clash. You may think about using a shade above or below the paper so that the mat doesn't look like it is part of the picture.
The proportions of the mat are important as well, though more difficult to get wrong. The basic rule of thumb is to make sure the mat is a different width from the frame, because if this happens the picture can seem stiff & over regimented. Most mats are cut to be larger than the thickness of the frame so that the picture doesn't look too cramped. Some people will tell you that mats need to be weighted on the bottom, though this is personal taste. Check with your framer as to their suggestion. Generally if a picture is traditional, has a very large mat, or is portrait in orientation, people tend to use larger bottoms.
Double mat.
AKA highlight or key line.
Another mat, with a different opening size, placed on top of the first mat.
This device is purely to give visual appeal. A double mat can help delineate the edge, so that it doesn't bleed into a picture. It can also be used as a highlight to enhance certain desired aspects of an artwork.
If you were to frame the pencil picture mentioned above with a mat that matched the paper colour exactly, you could avoid the problem where the mat becomes part of the picture with a double mat. Using a small charcoal or graphite coloured highlight gives the mat an essential delineation that sets the picture apart from its surroundings, without detracting from it.
If you have a large simple ink work on stark white paper, an interesting look can be to use a double white mat. This gives no real delineation between picture & frame, but the non constrictive look can let the work breath, while giving it some extra flair. Ask your framer if they think this could help your picture or if it will not achieve anything at all.
Coastal photographs can benefit from white mats with a blue highlight. If you were to pick up on the blue and use it for a regular mat, it may overwhelm the otherwise bright picture. Thus using only a small amount of blue can provide the same link with the framing, yet give a much lighter feel. Blues can be tricky colour's to match so get the framers help.
Many pictures over the years have benefited greatly from something as simple as a gold highlight. Certificates, etchings, photos and tapestries are just some of the many pictures that can work very well with the little extra attention. The good thing about gold, is that it acts much the same way as black does, by working with just about anything. A gold highlight will lift a picture by pulling out the yellows if there are any, and adding a little extra luster if there aren't.
Frame AKA moulding or profile.
The timber, metal of synthetic outer part of a framing job that hold the whole thing together.
Frames are sometimes referred to in incorrectly as "the cardboard around the picture". This board is known as the mat.
When you get to the framer, one of the first things you will see are the frame corner samples on the wall. It may look daunting, but it wont take long for you to suss out a few that you like the look of, and that may work with your picture.
The most important factors in choosing a frame are, price, size, colour, simplicity, quality, strength & depth.
There is a loose connection between the price of a frame & how good it is. This roughly means that you get what you pay for. This does not mean however that a more expensive frame will make your picture look better. It may well be the case that all your picture needs is a simple $50 job, while spending $100 would make it look daft.
The finished size of your frame is usually dictated by the size of the picture, with the mat if there is one. The size of the frame profile itself is a much more fluid decision. While it may take influence from the size of the picture, it is more heavily prejudiced by the style of the picture, & even more so by the taste of the person getting something framed.
Consider again an A4 pencil sketch. The frame size that would go with this picture would probably be quite small. Both because the sketch itself is only small, & because the fine lines within the work. If you were to use a thicker frame it could clobber the picture & take over the gentle nature of the sketch.
If you were framing up a star trek poster. The frame could be much bolder & thicker without overwhelming the vivid colours.
Sometimes it can be a good idea to match the width of the frame to the brush strokes used in a painting. For instance a large abstract painting made using a 3" brush can look quite good with a 3"frame.
The colour of the frame should loosely match the colour of the picture. This rule can be successfully broken, though it is one of the most fundamental of all picture framing guidelines.
Lets have a look at the pencil sketch again. The frame used here should be chosen with sympathy for the tones of the drawing. Try using a charcoal frame. While black or grey might be tempting choices, they can often clash ever so slightly with the graphite, making the whole thing look like a mistake. Silver is another excellent choice with pencil works. Some are available with black undercoats that show through the silver to pick up on the pencil, without over powering it in the way a solid black frame could. This is not to say that black can not work with pencils. Sometimes a specific look or environment is in mind, meaning the black can work better. And the good thing with black frames is that they can match better with a range of decorating styles than any other choice.
A stark white picture could look great in a stark white frame or a silver. The reason for this is that neither colour would bring too much attention to its self, and detract from the work. As something very white has an intrinsic lack of strength, it is very important to let the picture be heard over the noise of a loud frame.
Coastal photos can work in a very wide range of colours. Some people would put them into blue, or turquoise frames to match the water. Some would use silver or gold to match the sun or shimmering sea. Some may use a beech wood or a drift wood look to echo the organic nature of the natural environment. And some would use a white clean look to match the clean look of their lounge room. Even simple blacks & dark timbers can work on such a photo, providing they suit the particular work.
In terms of simplicity, you should use something that is also in keeping with the style of the picture.
The pencil sketch or the white works can work very well with very simple square shaped profiles. Depending on the era they were made in they could also be framed nicely in a clean lined classic frames to make them a little less bland. For instance a steel plate etching may look very similar to a pencil sketch, though if it was made in the 1800s it would more likely suit a busier profile, possibly even with a bit of fine plaster work.
On a large antique tapestry the choice of frame could again go very simple, or quite ornate. If you were to frame it in a very simple frame, you would be treating it rather more like an object in a museum. If you were to frame it in an elaborate gold, then you would be treating it as a piece of decoration. While no choice is better than the other, one will suit you more than the other.
The quality of the frame is not too important with most frames, as the problems low quality mouldings create, are usually tackled by the framer before being passed on to the end consumer. Sometimes however, these extra steps that need to be taken with inferior materials can end up costing more.
The 3 main areas that quality impacts on a frame are, synthetic extrusion strength, gilding leaf &
timber density
Some frames are made from synthetic polymer mixes that can be superior in cost, environmental sustainability & quality over timber. Some however are not, & can fail when subjected to heat, pressure or slight bumps. We are aware of one occasion where a synthetic moulding was left in a car. The car heated up in the sun & the frame bucked in every direction. When the customer returned to their car, the glass had shattered & the picture was crumpled.
Check with your framer that the synthetics they carry (if any) are of good quality.
Many "gold" frames don't use gold leaf at all. They use high impact sprayed on metal flakes & foils. These metals rust & tarnish in ways that gold does not, & can lead to very dull looking frames in less than a decade. This doesn't matter in a lot of frames as they are aged & purposely darkened anyway. Though if you intend on keeping your picture in the same brightly guilt frame for a long period of time. You should ask if has been properly gilded, or has been foiled.
As some timbers used for framing have become scarce. Moulding manufacturers have had to source alternatives. Some of these substitutes are softer woods & therefore the resulting frames are weaker. In small frames with small profiles this is not a problem. In large or deep frames it can lead to the frame coming apart as it does not have the structural strength to support its self. Ask your framer if they think you will have any problems such as these with your chosen frame.
When choosing a frame it is important to note that boxed frames & canvas works need frames with a good deal of depth. Frames that don't have this depth can be converted, though the results can be sketchy, and they may cost more. You should firstly seek out profiles that already have the depth you require. If none can be found, then you should consider modifying a shallower one.
These few examples are but the tip of the iceberg. As there is an infinite combination of both customers, tastes, pictures & environments influencing the final choice.
Mounting AKA Sticking down, wet mounting or dry mounting.
A process where a picture is stuck to a board to keep it flat.
Boards that are often used are masonite, MDF, foamcore, coreflute & aluminium. The picture can be stuck down with contact adhesive, PVA, EVA or Specialised films.
Mounting has certain drawbacks, in that there is always a risk that the picture will get wrecked during the process ( remember how tricky contacting text books was?). It can also be an irreversible process, although many glues claim to be semi permanent.
Mounting pictures is one of the most difficult & skillful things a picture framer will ever encounter at work.
There are various types of mounting, including dry mounting, block mounting, wet mounting & linen backing. Each one has advantages & draw backs that can ultimately change a great deal about how your frame will look on the wall.
Mounting pictures is especially useful if the picture such as a poster has been printed onto thin & glossy paper. This is because the paper will expand & contract with environmental changes such as humidity & heat. Over a period of time, if the picture is not stuck down, it can buckle & ripple under the glass & look terrible. If you are having a movie poster framed, you should ask your framer if they can mount it for you.
Heavily textured pictures are inadvisable to dry mount, as the glues used have trouble getting a firm hold of the back of the print. Imagine that the surface of the paper would look something like the Himalayas when examined under a microscope. Now imagine you tried to stick a large flat board on top of the mountains. You can appreciate that only the snowy peaks are going to be in contact with the large board, while the valleys would not. This means that the surface contact area is small & the bond will be weak. People that work with ceramics will be familiar with this phenomenon as they kneed the clay on top of upside down masonite so that it does not stick.
Boxing AKA shadow boxing, 3D framing or spacing.
Some frames can have certain things done to them so the glass can be kept a distance from the object to be framed. Often employed with jerseys and other 3D objects, boxing creates a cavity within the frame and can allow the omission of a mat if desired in some cases.
The point of boxing is to allow some free movement of an object or picture to be framed. Whether because it needs to be framed this way because of it is a thick item such as a sword or mask. Or for purely aesthetic reasons. Boxing brings a frame out of the second dimension & into the third.
Essentially boxing creates this cavity within the frame between the backing & the glass by holding the two components apart by way of a spacer. The spacer might be made from wood, foamcore, mat , perspex, plastic, aluminium or by a combinations of these materials. Some frames have a step or groove built into them removing the need for a spacer. These frames are few in number & are very limited in available styles.
There are 3 main categories that spacers fit into. Where the spacer is made from a similar material to the frame, so that the frame appears to continue in under the glass, Where the spacer is made from similar material to the backing or mat, so that the border appears to creep up the inside of the frame. And where the spacer is hidden, usually by a mat.
When the spacer looks like the frame, it is often made from timber. This is very useful if you want to disassemble the frame or change the picture at a later date. This method is usually quicker to make than using mat & generally gives a more robust product
Mat or foamcore can be used so that they appear to blend into the backing. This is usually a more time consuming practice & is permanent in the way that the material needs to be glued into the inside of the frame. This method is usually used when a specific aesthetic is required.
The third category of spacer is primarily hidden from view. Because this can be made from sturdier material than the previous 2, it is the strongest method. Easily removable & being able to be constructed from cheaper materials, this can also be your best value option. It is however limited in use as it can only work on frames that have a mat up the front, on the glass, & another mat positioned at the rear. This type of framing is usually associated with more formal jobs, such as, tapestries, paper toles & older style football jerseys.
If you are having a jersey framed it is well worth asking if you can have it boxed. Jewries can look a little shabby if pressed tightly against the glass as the pressure involved can cause fabric puckering, which is unsightly. There are many different ways in which to box a jersey, and each one is as dependent on what type of jersey you have, as well as how you want to present it.
Some teams such as the wallabies use thick cotton fabrics that sit flat & comfortable requiring little stretching. Some teams, such as the Canterbury Bulldogs, use lycra. And are consequently a great deal more difficult to work with & would require a different approach to their boxing.
Stretching.
The act of making a material taught so that it sits well within a frame or by its self.
In respect to canvas, it usually refers to pulling the fabric tight & then stapling it onto a timber strainer.
In respect to softer materials such as silks, tapestries or jerseys, it refers to
tensioning the material, then adhering it to a board by either stapling, gluing, sewing or taping.
When dealing with a canvas work, your picture framer should have extensive knowledge & experience in working with such materials. This means that there is not much for you to worry about, & your framer will be able to successfully complete this task every time.
The few things to look out for are that they use a sloped strainer bar so that the canvas does not touch anywhere apart from the edge. Use corner or cross braces when necessary. Use wide crown staples (not a compulsory but a good idea). And staple on the back of the strainer in every possible case
Silks & Tapestries need special attention to get them sitting right within the frame. You should ask your framer how they are planning to do this.
Some framers will glue the fabric completely down. This is the most permanent way of getting your material to sit exactly where you want it. There can be problems with glue seeping onto the front of the work. And if something goes wrong, it is difficult to reverse the process.
Stretching & then gluing around the sides of the work is one way of holding the tapestry in place without having the problem with glue seepage. This makes the fabric sit permanently where you want it, although is also an almost irreversible process
Stapling cloth to backings is a quick & flexible method that can be easily reversed. The backing must be strong enough to hold the staples. And the fabric strong enough so that it does not tare. Very fine materials, such as silk don't like staples going through them, as they will run much like a stocking.
There are a few acid free tapes on the market that claim to be strong enough to hold onto tapestries. These double sided tapes are designed to be very tacky, yet yielding if you would want to remove your fabric. They are most of use when attaching weak or thin materials that have little structural strength or weight.
Sewing is
the most archival way of keeping your cloth straight & flat. There are several methods of doing this. Though each is essentially as good as each other & will not be delved into here. One of the problems with sewing anything down, is that the object to be stretched will struggle to be positioned as well as could be done with another method. Also once down the fabric has a higher chance of moving.
Which ever of these methods is used (often more than one) it is important to decide what angle you are going to be coming from when choosing one. More importantly it is a good idea to ask your framer what they will be doing, & to see if that is what you want, as many framers don't discuss it with you before they do it.
Bevel AKA chamfer.
A graduated edge giving visual appeal.
Mirrors can be beveled so that the outer edge creates a sharp refraction effect. This can make a mirror seem more finished than without one, & also gives a more formal look.
Mirrors can look much better if they have a bevel. While most framers don't bevel mirrors on the premises, they can organise them without too much fuss. If you want a mirror with a bevel, be sure to ask for one.
When having any mats cut, you should ensure the framer is able to cut the inside hole with a bevel. Businesses that can't are few & far between, Though if your framer is one of them, you should consider finding another.
A bevel helps in the cutting, as the blade can ease in & out of the mat. It also has the effect of drawing the eye into the picture.
Bevels are sometimes referred to in incorrectly as fillets, slips or double mats. These are 3 very different parts of a frame.
Floating Sitting a picture or object on top of a mat, instead of the more conventional way of placing it beneath.
| Floated |
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| Conventional mat |
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Floating is usually used to great effect when the paper of a picture has something of interest about it. Hand made paper with deckled edges can look good done in this fashion, as can heavily warped works that could never work underneath a mat.
Pictures that are floated can be placed up on chocks so that they appear to hang in mid air. This works well with thicker papers, as sometimes the underlying structure can show through thin stock.
Floating has several issues pertaining to conservation, as floating pictures need to be more heavily affixed. As there is no mat to pinch the edges down, the work is free to move about unless carefully restrained. This is even more evident it the frame is to be hung from picture rails or a gallery hanging system, because it will tend to lean forward. If the paper is not properly attached, it will sag away from the backing and look amateurish.
Check with your framer if they think your work should be floated. And more importantly, ask if they think it should not.
Non reflective AKA museum glass.
Non reflective is a term that refers to glass or plastic that has been treated to give off low or diffused reflections. There are many different types on the market, ranging from simple acid etched glass, to state of the art museum glazing. People should be careful when using some types of non reflective glass in very sunny conditions, as it can damage your picture faster than normal framers glass.
Generally the need for non reflective glass is customer specific. If you have had a problem with reflections in the past, you should make the decision yourself, as the framer can never solve such an individual problem. They can only really advise technically what pictures will best suit this treatment, such as very dark pictures which cause greater reflection.
Ask for a price comparison between non reflective & normal glazing. At more than double the cost of standard glass, you must be sure you want non reflective before you commit.
Over size AKA B size.
Oversize is just a term to describe anything that requires the use of larger than usual framing materials. All mats, backings & glazings come in standard sizes that are cut down to custom measurements for the customer. If you step outside these standard sizes by even 1mm, you may be greeted with an enormous jump in cost.
Ask your framer if this will effect your job, as each business works out their pricing differently. Some may charge more loosely than others, meaning this size threshold is not important.
Acid free
There is much conjecture on what constitutes acid free framing, as different "experts" work for different companies, usually with different products to sell.
There is even more confusion about archival or museum framing. Because of this, we have omitted said topic until we can get an official definition from a number of reliable sources.
Essentially the term acid free, refers to materials that are PH neutral. The reason that these materials are considered beneficial for the longevity of a picture, is because they lack the acid that may harm your picture over an extended period of time.
There are several ways to check if the materials being used are going to be acid free.
- Ask your framer.
If you are leaving valuable pictures with your framer, you should trust them anyway. So asking them this question should give you a trustworthy and conclusive answer.
- Look at the mat bevel.
Unless you have had something framed with museum rag, the bevel of the mat
should not be brown or yellow. If it is, the materials used are very likely not acid free.
- Check the back.
In many cases if the back of the frame has MDF or masonite on it, the job has not been acid free. This is not always the case, as some businesses use additional mats or barrier papers within the frame to protect the picture. Even if this is done it is not as good as using foamcore, which has acid free varieties & as such is a cleaner solution.
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