THE ART OF FRAMING.
From fine art to antique photography to the crayon drawings your child made – we will guide you through our various framing materials and techniques that will show off and preserve your keepsakes for a lifetime. We stock the quality materials and work with you to help you determine what will work best for your lifestyle and meet your budget.
MATERIALS
HINGING
“Hinging” is a technique used to mount art in a way that prevents long-term damage to the artwork. By creating a hinge, the artwork hangs freely and is allowed to change in size with changes in temperature and humidity. Through use of an acid-free, ph neutral tape, the finest or most fragile artwork can be properly preserved.
PHOTO CORNERS
“PhotoCorners” are sometimes used to provide a more “dressy” and classic look for photographic images. They are acid free and can add stability to the mounting process.
BARRIER PAPERS
Barrier papers are another device used to protect art from the damaging effects of lignin and acid. By insulating the artwork from any possible source of damage, the life of the piece is further enhanced.
TECHNIQUES
MOUNTING
Certain types of artwork should be mounted to a rigid substrate to preserve their life and improve appearance. This practice prevents cockling, the rippling effect due to the absorption of moisture. We offer acid-reduced foam core that eliminates 97% of the acids that can damage art.
MATTING
Matting is often a great choice for photography, watercolors and other light-sensitive material. Matting also helps to “frame” the image and offset artwork from the glazing. All of our products are of the highest quality and range from basic acid-free mats to rag mats which are absent of the damaging effects of lignin and the acid it produces.
GLASS
One of the most important choices you will have when you choose to have custom framing done, is the selection of glass. We’ll help determine what option is best suited for your piece based off of 3 considerations: the value of the piece, how much glare you are willing to tolerate, and the need to preserve the piece from ultra-violet rays that can harm your artwork.
MORE OPTIONS
MULTIPLE MATTING
One of the most common ways to add dimension and depth to a piece is to use more than one mat. This provides greater “float” space between the art and the glazing material and another edge to help offset the piece. Double matting can use mats of the same color and texture but can also be used to create special accents by varying the color or texture of the mat.
STACKED MOULDINGS
By using more than one moulding, frames can be built up to increase frame height and width. Stacked mouldings create more mass for larger pieces. But that isn’t the only reason to stack a moulding; sometimes complementary designs are joined to simply create more interest or a more exotic look.
FILLETS
Fillets are shallow, narrow mouldings designed to be used along the inside edge of a mat or frame. They add dimension and interest to your piece and can often be used to accent a color and compliment the frame.