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
One of our expert custom framers
Taking care of the details
Making sure custom framing is flawless
Custom cut glass for a museum exhibition
Piecing together a custom framing corner
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