J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art: How to Choose the Right Custom Framing for Your Art

Framing Your Art

-Gabriel Diego Delgado

San Antonio

When choosing to frame your treasured piece of art, there are so many choices to choose from. Do you go with a mat or a double mat, do you go with a large or small frame, and do you include fillets or “lips”? (And what are those!). Do you include acid-free backers, acid free mat board; or conservation glass, museum glass, conservation non-glare, Plexi-glass®, UV coated glass, or regular glass? All these questions and more can be answered by your local framing shop experts. But, let’s begin to answer some of these questions to get you started.

First and foremost, a frame should always compliment the artwork as well as protect it.

Although the type of frame is a personal choice, framing design consultants are valuable assistants in deciding how to frame; offering suggestions on color schemes, color theory, and differences in backers, mats and frames.

Although traditionally, picture frames are primarily made out of wood, but there are many alternatives in today’s market that include silver, bronze, aluminum, and plastics; while older frames commonly are a combination of wood with 3-D plaster appliqués.

The first thing that might be asked when framing your artwork is: “How do you want to mat the art?” A mat is a piece of malleable and flexible board; typically of cotton fiber- whether it is paper, rag board or a combination of paper and cloth. This mat is ideally a neutral based accent that has one cut opening or “aperture” that acts as a window to the artwork- drawing the viewer’s eye into the image. It is not unusual to see a double or triple mat when dealing with photographs and thicker works of art. A fillet, a decorative liner or cloth covered wood moulding that is used in-between or underneath mats, can be used for added aesthetic, increasing the space between the framing glass and the art.

The space behind the glass is very important in framing. If space does not exist between the surfaces, the natural occurrence of environmental water condensation can inadvertently be absorbed into the artwork. If the water has no room to evaporate, it can cause mold and damage the art.

Then there is the question of the glass itself, and what kind and why. Will the art be in indirect or direct sunlight? What are the types of lights being used to accent the work of art- fluorescents, natural, or combination? Will the art be in a museum, gallery, or private viewing? All these answers will play a role in the glass selection. However, with each quality grade of glass, the price point always increases. Single-pane glass is the cheapest choice with Museum Grade glass being the most expensive. Museum Glass attains an antiglare quality with all the archival qualities of UV protection, while single-pane only adds a physical barrier. Keep in mind there are many choices in-between these two extremes like conservation glass, conservation non-glare, acrylic blends like Plexi-glass®, and others. Be sure to discuss all the options with your local expert framing designer.

Now that you have decided which mat to use and how many; which frame, and what kind of glass, we need to think about the back of the frame. The backer can vary widely; ranging from no support- if you’re framing a stretched canvas to a use of foam-core boards, to simple paper liners. Dustcovers are often used to close off the internal space as well as cover any cardboard or foam core backing, keeping dust, bugs, and other harmful elements out.

Remember, the more questions you ask to your local framing expert, the happier you will be with the final product.

Contact:
Gabriel Diego Delgado
Art Consultant
J. R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art / 8302 Broadway / San Antonio, TX. 78209 / 210.828.8214