PICTURE FRAMING EXPLAINED
The Frame & Art Factory hopes to demystify all the various terminology used by Galleries and Picture Framing consultants worldwide.
We hope this page provides an informative platform enabling you to make the right choices when choosing to frame your artwork and simplify the process of framing.
Archival Framing vs Décor Framing
Archival Framing, also known as conservation framing, is aimed at preserving a wide variety of Artworks, Documents or anything with sentimental or intrinsic commercial value.
With that in mind, Archival framing uses museum-quality framing materials. This comprises acid-free matboards, special tapes and framing techniques, aimed at preserving the items being framed.
This Framing Style is best suited for Museums, Art Galleries or anyone looking at preserving treasured artworks or documents,
Décor Framing is a cost-effective method of framing, which uses regular matboards and usually involves pasting the images to various substrates.
This framing style is perfect for décor items, kiddie’s art and general poster or print framing and forms the bulk of our framing workflow.
Picture Frame Mouldings
Picture Frame Mouldings come in all shapes and sizes. We have 2 distinct types, namely wooden and synthetic.
Wooden Picture Frame mouldings are made from sustainably harvested timber. All our timber mouldings are kiln dried and stained or finished to the various colour profiles we offer. The natural grain and texture of our wooden frames are perfect when balancing delicate works of art.
We also stock hardwood picture framing mouldings such as Kiaat, American Ash and Maple Wood frame profiles which offer deep rich natural colour profiles. Especially when oiled with our in-house developed wood oil, bringing out the natural colours and depth of the timber.
Synthetic Wooden Picture Frame mouldings are made from recycled PS, which is a great sustainable product. It’s available in a wide variety of finishes and designs. This offers a greater amount of decorative design options and colour profiles, making it best suited for a wide variety of framing applications.
It’s also more cost-effective, making it a great option for bulk and general framing
Matboards
The Purpose of matboards is two-fold. One to protect the image from touching the glass and secondly to visually enhance the picture by bringing elements of complementary colour and design harmony within the artwork.
Our extensive variety of colour mount-boards empowers us to bring the imagination to life by balancing both the picture and frame.
Clear Glass VS Non-Reflective Art Glass
Non-Reflective Art Glass is a 70 % Anti-glare product, which is perfect for areas that receive lots of natural or unnatural light hindering the visibility of the artwork. In addition, Art Glass reveals the true colours and texture of art with no green tint or optical distortions.
Regular clear float glass is the most commonly used type of glazing in picture framing due to its cost-effectiveness. It’s a great option that works well with décor framing, offering a protective glazing solution at a great price point.
