Why Use Custom Picture Framing?

Framing Ideas

Wedding Invitations ~ Collages ~ Certificates & Medals ~ Signed Mats ~ Flags ~ Kids' Art ~ Jerseys ~ More Ideas

Elements of a Frame Job

Moulding ~ Matting ~ Glass ~ Other Materials ~ Mounting ~ Fitting

 

 

Why Use Custom Picture Framing?

Custom picture framing serves two purposes: to protect the artwork and present it in the best possible way. The right frame does not distract from the art; it complements the colors and style of the piece so as to enhance its visual impact. Many artists remark that their work didn't really look finished until it was properly matted and framed. And without acid-free, archival-quality framing, exposure to the elements will damage and even destroy artwork over time.


Compare these two images. Notice how the luxurious blue suede mat and vibrant orange liner bring out the rich tones of the ocean and the sunset, while the stark white mat and black frame seems harsh and sterile.

Not too good with color? Don't worry! Our trained designers will help you find the perfect frame and mat for your artwork.

 

Framing Ideas

Custom framing can do a lot more than just enhance a picture-it can be a unique and wonderful gift, for you or someone special in your life! If you have an idea for a framing project but aren't sure how to go about it, please come in! Bring all the elements you'd like to use, and we'll help you arrange them and choose the right framing options. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Wedding Invitations

We stock a great variety of silk, linen, and white and ivory embossed mats to enhance the distinctive look of many wedding invitations.

Collages

Want a really unique way to remember a special event? A shadowbox collage can commemorate a graduation, a wedding, an athletic career, a life of military service, or any other important event or period in your life. Bring the elements you want to include, and our trained designers will help you arrange them in a pleasing and balanced composition. For example, this athletic collage includes the jersey, varsity letter, award certificates, roster, and photos.

Certificates & Medals

We have gold and silver matboards to match the shine of a medal or the seal on a certificate, and they look great framed together. Honor a military career with a collage of medals, service bars, photos, and certificates.

 

Signed Mats

We'll cut a mat for you to go with a photo, certificate, drawing, etc. and give it to you. You and as many other people as you have room for sign the mat and bring it back to the shop, where we finish framing it. This makes a great "from the whole gang" gift for a friend, family member, or co-worker, especially for special events like weddings, graduations, promotions, retirement, and similar occasions.

Flags

Don't let that flag hide away in the drawer! We can order triangular cases to fit a properly folded American flag, or we can fold the flag specially to fit in a regular rectangular frame. We've framed several flags flown over the Capitol building on behalf of an individual, along with their accompanying certificates as shown.

We can also frame pennants, banners, and other kinds of flags.

Kids' Art

Come on, it can't stay on the refrigerator forever! We have a great selection of inexpensive metal frames in all the colors of the rainbow, as well as some fun wood ones, both of which complement kids' brilliant compositions. Great gift for parents, grandparents, and godparents!

Jerseys

We can build a custom shadow box or order a special display case with a hinged cover. With hundreds of matboards to choose from, chances are we have your team's colors!

 

More Ideas:

Sand Dollar Collage

Silver Pin With Fillet

African Grass Painting

Graduation Collage

Newspaper Articles

Tae Kwon Do Certificate

High School Play Photos & Flyer

Poetry Awards & Photos

9-11 Commemorative Stamp

 

Elements of a Frame Job

Many kinds of materials are available for custom picture framing. The average frame job includes a frame, glass, matting, foam core backing, and hanging wire. Here is an overview:

 

Moulding

"Moulding" is the actual wood or metal frame. We have hundreds of mouldings, from simple and contemporary to ornate and traditional. In addition to gold, silver, black, and wood tones, we have a number of colored mouldings that look great with vibrant posters and artwork. We also offer a variety of unusual frames with lacquered, rustic, tribal, and woven textured surfaces to complement unusual works of art. We cut our wood frames in the shop, and we can order oval or circular frames.

Paintings on canvas or board typically don't use matting or glass, so you may want to use a liner instead. A liner is a thin wood moulding that fits between the art and the regular frame, to give the work a little visual breathing space, especially if the frame is heavy or ornate. Liners are covered with canvas in white, beige, or black. For a very clean, simple look, use a floater - a thin frame which rests under the canvas.

 

 

 

Matting

Matting provides some visual "breathing room" between the artwork and the frame, helps enhance the artwork, and prevents the piece from touching or sticking to the glass. Matting comes in every color of the rainbow and several categories: regular, black or color core, specialty, and fabric. Regular matboard has a white core with a white or uniformly colored surface layer. Some regular matboards are also available with black or colored cores. Specialty matboard has an unusual pattern or texture on the surface layer. Fabric matboard has a surface layer of woven linen, silk, or plant fibers. Suede and leather matboards provide an especially rich feel.

Matboard has to overlap the artwork by at least 1/8" to keep the paper from popping out. Most mats have rectangular openings, but we can also cut ovals.

 

Glass & Acrylic

Most artwork will need either glass or acrylic (collectively known as "glazing") to protect it from the elements. There are several types to choose from:

Regular: This is plain old glass, and works fine for many everyday pieces like posters, photos, certificates, inexpensive prints, etc.

The difference Museum Glass makes!

UV-Filtering: This type of glass is coated on one side to filter out ultraviolet (UV) rays that will fade artwork over time. We recommend using UV glazing with original art, high-quality prints, work of stronger monetary and/or sentimental value, and any work that has already sustained sun damage and needs to be better protected. UV glass is not much more expensive than regular glass.

Museum Glass: This glass is the top-of-the-line in glazing. It combines UV filtering with a special coating on both sides that makes the work appear as if it had no glass at all. Museum Glass is the most expensive glass option, but it's well worth it for original artwork and valuable prints that can be preserved and enjoyed at their best for many years.

Non-Glare: This glass diffuses light and reduces reflection. It has a slightly frosted look, but it's not that noticeable when placed against the art. Non-glare glazing is slightly more expensive than UV, and it's good for work that will be hung in a brightly lit room.

UV/Non-Glare: This glazing is exactly what it sounds like: non-glare glazing that filters UV rays.

Acrylic (Plexiglas): Unlike glass, acrylic glazing is flexible and won't break (although it can scratch). This is a good option for kids' rooms or any area that sees a lot of physical activity, and for pieces that need to be shipped. Because it tends to yellow over time, it's not recommended for more valuable works. Acrylic is more expensive than glass, and is available in UV-Filtering, Non-Glare, and Museum options, just like glass.

Other Materials

Foam core is the acid-free backing board we use for nearly all our frame jobs. It comes in black and white.

Fillets (see above) are thin, decorative strips of wood that line the mat opening. Some mouldings have matching fillets; others we can find matches for. Fillets work well for very formal or traditional-looking pieces that need that extra touch.

Spacers are thin strips of plastic that adhere to the underside of the glass and prevent the glass from touching the artwork. If you don't want to use matting on a valuable artwork or print, we recommend using spacers. They will not be visible in the framed piece.

Mounting

Museum Mount is the standard procedure for mounting works on paper, using special acid-free mounting tape. We attach the matboard to the foam core with a tape hinge along one edge , then use similar hinges to attach the artwork to the foam core. Using hinges allows the artwork a bit of room within the frame to expand and shrink with climate changes. If the artwork is taped on every edge (as many artists do), it will eventually buckle within the frame.
Floating involves attaching a piece of artwork to a matboard or foam core backing so that it appears to float on the background (we use acid-free tape on the back of the artwork). Decorative cards, fiber arts, mixed-media works with a bit of depth to them, and anything with an intentionally ragged or deckled edge looks great when floated.

Drymounting adheres the art to foam core. It's good for posters and may be necessary for anything that has been so tightly rolled it won't lie flat. We can also drymount art to flatten it out if it has buckled or creased, although it may not remove every last trace of the crease. We use ArtCare Restore foam core, so the art can be removed from the foamcore at a later date.

Sew mounting is used for needlework and other cloth pieces that can't use tape hinges. We use tiny stitches that don't show up in the artwork. We also use a sew mount (with either thread or fishing line) with 3D items that are part of a collage.

Canvas Stretching wraps a loose canvas tightly over stretcher bars.

Shadow boxes are for 3D objects that need deep frames. A shadow box gets lined with mat board and may or may not have another mat on top. Shadow boxes are great for commemorating special events or displaying memorabilia-see "Collages" above for more details.

Fitting

Once all the materials are cut and laid out, the final step is "fitting" or "closing" the frame package, which includes backing paper, hanging wire, and a hook.