Custom Framing Basics
If you’re new to custom framing, you may not be familiar with all of the terminology, available options, or even what goes into a “framing package”. There’s a bit more to it than putting together four sticks of wood and a piece of glass! This primer will help you understand the basics so that your first custom framing experience is more familiar and enjoyable.
Anatomy of a Frame
When you get something custom framed, the framer puts together a “framing package” consisting of six basic parts, plus your artwork. The materials and methods used to create your framing package will determine it’s complexity, cost, and preservation level. While not every piece of art requires full preservation/ conservation framing, if it is important enough to frame and display, it should have a minimum level of protection, as all artwork will degrade over time. Just because something may be purely decorative doesn’t mean it shouldn’t last! As the client, your main focus will be on selecting the moulding, glazing, and matting for your art.
The Frame
First, we have the frame itself - also called the moulding, which is typically made from wood, metal, or acrylic. The frame creates a protective boundary between the wall and the artwork, while drawing the focus to the art.
There are thousands of frames to choose from to suit every decor and budget; from traditional to modern, rustic to gold-leafed, budget to lavish. Moulding is priced by the foot, and is the largest contributor to the overall price of your framing project.
As a mobile business, we will work with you to understand your style preferences and will curate a variety of samples to bring to your appointment so you have plenty of choices without feeling overwhelmed.
Glazing
The first “layer” of the framing package is the glazing. Glazing is a clear pane of either glass or acrylic, used to protect artwork against environmental factors such as sunlight, moisture, temperature, humidity, airborne pollutants, dust, insects, etc, all of which will accelerate deterioration and reduce the lifespan of the art. Please note: all light causes degradation, with sunlight being the worst. While UV filtering glazing reduces potential damage, it cannot eliminate it entirely.
Glazing is priced by the type and size, with larger pieces and museum grade being more expensive. In general, glass costs less than acrylic, but may not be suitable for large works (due to weight/safety concerns). Acrylic is inappropriate for certain materials, such as pastels. This is because acrylic can retain a static charge, and the materials can be attracted to the acrylic, though there are some acrylics that are treated so that they are anti-static.
Tru Vue comparison of conservation vs museum glass
Matting / Glass Spacer
Next, we have the matting. Matboards are a paper or cotton-based material that goes around the art to provide protection and support, while also enhancing the appearance of the artwork. It protects the artwork by keeping the glazing off of the art. When glazing is in direct contact with artwork, changes in temperature and humidity can cause moisture to accumulate between them, encouraging mold growth, or causing the glazing to fuse with the art. If no matboard is selected, a glass spacer, which is a thin strip of a neutral-pH plastic, is used to separate the art from the glazing, allowing airflow.
A note about “acid-free” mats. While the matboards we use are acid-free, it is largely a marketing term. In the past, mats were made of paper which would yellow and fade in a relatively short time (just like old newspapers). This still happens today with low quality framing materials. Acid and lignins (from wood pulp) in the paper degrade and cause acid burn on the artwork. Modern professional matboards differ in how the acids are neutralized or avoided. Decorative mats are buffered to temporarily keep the pH neutral for a time. Conservation matboard is purified to remove acid and lignins and buffered with calcium carbonate to remain pH neutral. Museum grade matboards are made of 100% cotton, which are naturally acid and lignin free so they start and stay pH neutral. Another option to consider is fabric mats. There are a wide variety of colors and textures available to coordinate with any art, including custom hand-wrapped mats, many of which are pH neutral.
Your framer will discuss any material limitations with you at the time of your design appointment, as not all “acid-free” matboards are appropriate for all artwork. For example, you would not want to use a buffered matboard with an antique silver plated photograph, as the silver and the buffering agent can cause a reaction that may damage the art. In this case, it would be best to use a pH-neutral matboard, such as the 100% cotton, or a hand-wrapped pH-neutral mat.
Matting is priced by the type and size. We carry conservation and museum quality matboards, with museum grade being the highest quality and priced accordingly. Adding additional mats or embellishments to your frame design will increase the visual interest as well as the cost.
With hundreds of mat options and thousands of possible combinations, custom matting is an excellent way to create a one-of-a-kind design. But don't worry about getting overwhelmed! We will work with you to select the perfect color, style, and size to complement the artwork without overpowering it. To learn more about custom matting and to see examples of 12 different mat design elements, check out our custom mats page.
Artwork
The central focus of the framing package is, of course, the artwork! This can be whatever your heart desires, from fine art and photographs, to family photos and heirlooms, to concert tickets or 3D objects. The art you are framing, and where you plan to display it, will guide your selections regarding framing, glazing, and matting.
Mounting Board
The next layer is the mounting board, which is the underlying support to which artwork is secured. Mounting helps protect paper art from wrinkling, warping, and buckling by controlling for the effects of gravity, moisture, and pressure.
A note about the mounting process:
There are many mounting techniques available, such as dry mounting, hinging, polyester corners/straps, sink mounts, direct contact overlay (DCO), etc. Fabric art such as jerseys or cross-stitch require different mounting techniques such as pinning or stitching, and 3D objects might use acrylic holders or formed rods.
It is important to work with an experienced professional framer to ensure the appropriate techniques are used for any artwork of sentimental or investment value. Framers that are not up-to-date on the proper techniques may unintentionally cause damage to the art.
For example, dry mounting uses heat-activated adhesives in a heat press to adhere artwork to the mounting board. It is great for decorative, reproducible art such as posters or photographs as it gives a nice, flat look. However, it should not be used on anything of value, such as limited editions or irreplaceable photographs as there is a slight risk the item may be damaged during the mounting process, and may require a conservator to safely unmount the item.
At Frame Synergy, unless the item is purely decorative, we use appropriate conservation based mounting techniques that are fully reversible and do not permanently alter the artwork.
Inside cross-section of a framing package