Frequently Asked Questions About Framing
- Why custom framing?
- What is Conservation Framing?
- Why use Conservation Glass?
- Why use Conservation Quality Mat Board?
- What is the purpose of a mat?
- How should I Properly Hang Artwork?
Why custom framing?
There are certain rules of custom framing, which lead to optimal designs. When followed, these guidelines, well known to the experienced framers at Framed, produce a well-balanced presentation that enhances the work of art without overpowering it. For example, did you know that the width of the mat border should never match the width of the frame? This tends to draw the eye away from the art they surround.
Good design based on well established framing principles is one of the many reasons to use custom frames. Perhaps the best reason to custom frame your personal and well-loved works of art is that a professional picture framer has the skills and materials necessary to preserve and protect them as closely as possib le to their original condition. Acid and lignin-free mat and mount boards contain no impurities that could damage the art they surround. Special UV-filtering glass can be used to protect art from the irreversible damage caused by light exposure.
Framed has the training and skills required to use these materials to beautifully present your treasured items in a way that will not only enhance their appearance, but protect them for your enjoyment for years to come.
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What is Conservation Framing?
Put simply, conservation framing employs the use of materials that have been proven to protect and maintain art in as close to its original condition as possible.
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Why use Conservation Glass?
Untra-violet light is one of the most dangerous elements that your artwork can encounter. It will not only cause colors to fade, but can cause the materials themselves to begin to break down in the frame. By specifying conservation glass, you are insuring that over 97% of these most damaging light rays are filtered out before ever coming into contact with your valuables.
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Why use Conservation Quality Mat Board?
Ordinary pulp-based matboard contains acids and lignins which, over a period of time, can damage the artwork with which they come in contact. At Framed, we use only conservation quality art board.
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What is the purpose of a mat?
Matting is the border that surrounds your art within the frame. One of the reasons we use mat boards to encase art is to bring out the colors in an image while drawing in the eye. Visually, the mat boards provide "breathing room" from any distractions on the surrounding wall.
Mat board, as a graphic element, can serve to highlight a colour, accent a shape, or increase the overall size of the framed piece. Color plays an important role in this transformation process. For example, using a black mat board has the effect of "lightening" and enlarging the artwork, while using a white mat board serves to "darken" and "shrink" the image.
Matting also keeps the cover glass from coming into contact with the framed subject matter while also providing an area where air can circulate. Differences in temperature between the outside and inside of the frame can cause moisture to condensate behind the glass. This moisture may damage the inks and colours and can serve as a breeding ground for mold, mildew and fungi. Placing material directly against the glass can result in buckles, wrinkles, mild formations and "sticking" to the glass.
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How should I Properly Hang Artwork?
Hang your artwork at the eye-level of the "average" person in the room. If you are hanging the art in a room where more time is spent seated than standing "eye-level" should be lower.
Hang smaller, more detailed pieces in small spaces such as hallways and corridors, where impact is less important than content, and the art can be enjoyed up close and personal. Larger, "atmospheric" pieces require more room for the viewer to stand back and enjoy - hang these pieces opposite the entrance to a room or at the end of a corridor.