Frame Destination

Receiving a piece of art in an ornate frame is both a blessing and a curse. At some point, you’ll have to deal with cleaning that frame with all its embellishments. The frame is beautiful, but, more often than not, it has an intricate design and a delicate finish that requires extra care when cleaning.
The method you use to clean an ornate frame will depend on the style, which can vary according to the country of origin and the material. The ornate art frames we see today are influenced by artists from centuries ago and can be classified by nationality, overall form, decoration and finish. In this post, we’ll cover how to clean ornate metal and wood picture and photo frames. If at any point during your cleaning process you have doubts, stop and seek advice from a professional conservator or a custom picture framer.

What you’ll need:

Towels
Soft clean cloths
Microfiber cloths (for metal frames)
Toothbrush
Cotton buds
Glass cleaner
Bowl of water
Orange oil
Anti-tarnish product
Silver cleaner

Set up to clean an ornate frame

Give yourself time to set up a working area by following these steps:

Choose a well-lit area.
On a table or other large, flat surface, lay down towels to cover at least 3 times the size of the picture frame. Keep another two towels handy for use later.
Carefully place the frame face down on the covered surface.
Slowly remove the photo or artwork and place it in a safe, clean, stable place for the duration of the frame cleaning process.
Cover it with a towel for extra protection. Handle the photo or art by the edges or wear protective cotton gloves to ensure no oils are transferred to the face of the art.
Remove the glass and place it on a towel. Using a soft cloth rag, gently clean the glass with glass cleaner (be careful to not get any glass cleaner on the frame body). Place the cleaned glass on the towel out of the way.
You’re now ready to clean the frame itself.

How to clean an ornate wood frame

Remove the frame from the towel.
Wipe dust and dirt off with a clean, soft cloth.
Using a dry toothbrush, gently scrub the frame to get into the crevices.
Wipe the frame with a fresh clean cloth again to get rid of any debris loosened by the scrubbing.
If there are still crevices that the toothbrush didn’t reach, use cotton buds. These may be especially useful for intricate frames with filigrees.
Conduct a patch test with orange oil on an inconspicuous spot. Apply the oil to a soft, dry cloth and test its effect on the frame. Orange oil is safe for most types of wood picture frames.
Apply orange oil to the cloth sparingly and work in small sections to scrub the frame’s surface. Work around the entire frame.

How to clean an ornate metal frame

Metal picture frames are more easily scratched than you may think, so be sure to apply gentle pressure.
Using a slightly damp, clean microfiber cloth, remove any unwanted tarnish or corrosion. You can use either water or an anti-tarnish product for this. If using an anti-tarnish product, be sure to test a small, inconspicuous patch before touching the front of the frame.
For particularly intricate frames you may need to use cotton buds to remove tarnish or discoloration in crevices. However, if you like the aged look of darker embellishments this area can simply be wiped over with a cloth for a gentle surface clean.
For solid pewter, silver plated or sterling silver picture frames, use silver cleaner and follow the directions on the packaging.
For solid pewter, silver plated or sterling silver picture frames, use silver cleaner and follow the directions on the packaging.
Know the difference between polishing and cleaning. Polishes use abrasives that cause part of the original surface to be removed. Cleaning removes dirt and dust.

Cleaners not to use on a frame

Home remedies and homemade cleaning solutions are usually too harsh for cleaning frames; they can ruin the finish on frames. Home remedies are usually meant to be a quick fix; conservation, on the other hand, requires a slow approach with regular checks on progress to ensure the process is going smoothly and not causing damage. Be sure to avoid the following when cleaning your picture or art frame:

Ammonia – Ammonium hydroxide is harsh and can cause damage to the body of the frame; it may leave a pink hue on the surface of a metal frame.

Commercial polishes – Some products have chemicals that can strip metal or wood. Be sure to check the content on the packaging, because some manufacturers use ammonia in their products.

Too much water – Water can become trapped and cause corrosion or deterioration in the long term, especially in wooden frames. When using water, use it sparingly and only enough to make your cloth damp (not wet).

For a safe bet, select a cleaning product that is labeled as “conservation” or “archival.” These classifications are intended to protect art and frames over time and shouldn’t contain harmful elements.

When you’re finished cleaning the glass and frame, wait until they’re completely dry before placing the art back in the frame because moisture can damage the picture or artwork. Air drying is best to ensure new dust doesn’t get added to the frame. Regular maintenance of your frames will keep them in good condition for years to come.

When you’re framing a piece of art or a photo and it comes time to choose which type of glass you’d like, how do you decide? Glazing, or frame glass, is an often overlooked step in the framing process because most people focus on the mat and frame. Choosing the right glazing can make a dramatic impact on how your art is displayed and preserved.

Glass, as opposed to plastic or acrylic, has the benefit of being scratch-resistant although it’s heavier and more fragile. There are different finishes on framing glass that result in different clarity and visibility levels. The purpose of glazing is to protect the art from humidity, heat, and damage. Glazing materials also prevent abrasion from dust and protect art from both artificial and UV light.

The least visible glazing best displays the artwork, with the goal to achieve “invisibility” with the glass. Glazing with additional protective coatings help preserve the art but result in a less clear view. In this post, we’ll cover some of the options available for framing glass and their pros and cons.

Plain glass

Plain glass, which is the least expensive option for framing, is usually between 2mm and 3mm in thickness. It’s sometimes called standard, float glass, or basic glass and you can find it in ready-made frames. This is the lowest grade offered and suitable for many types of framing work. Frame Destination’s clear glass is high-quality, 2mm thick clear glass.

Pros: Inexpensive, protects against dust, can see the art clearly
Cons: Slight green tint, reflects overhead lights and sunlight, which can obscure your view of the picture

Non-Glare Glass

Non-glare glass has an etched surface that helps to disperse the light and reduce reflections. The etched sureface has the drawback of slightly reducing the sharpness. For instance, it imight be more difficult to make out individual hairs on a portrait of a person for example. For this type of glass to work properly it has to be close to the artwork so it can’t be used in picture frames with large spacers or in a shadow box frame.

Pros: Least expensive reflection control glass
Cons: Slight loss of sharpness, cant be used in a shadow box frame

Anti-Reflective Glass

This type of glass has a special type of coating to greatly reduce reflections very similar to that used on glasses and sun-glasses you wear.

Pros: Virtually eliminates reflections
Cons: Most expensive type of refection control glass

Water White Glass

Standard glass is composed of iron which gives the glass a slight green tint. Normally it is not real noticable, however if you take a piece of framing glass and lay it over half of a blank sheet of white printer paper you will notice the section under the glass has a slight green tint and is not as bright as the paper not covered by the glass.

Pros: Increased visibility of the artwork, virtually no color distortion of the artwork
Cons: Increased cost

Ultraviolet (UV)-protected glass

UV can damage your art as it’s transmitted through the glass, to guard against this some glass coating reflects or absorbs the UV spectrum. Some use organic UV absorbers, which are added to a silica-based coating to create an absorbing layer on one side of the glass.This coating can will block anywhere from 92% to 99% of the UV radiation. The drawback to these filters is they create a slight warming effect on the color of artwork. This will be especially true with coatings that block 98% or more UV radiation. .

Pros: Protects against fading
Cons: Increased cost, slight warming effect of the artwork’s color

If you primary goal is protection then you want to ensure you go with a glass that includes 98% or 99% UV-filter such as Frame Destination’s UV-Filter ArtGlass 99.

When your primary goal is clarity you will want to go with a glass that is both water white and includes an anti-reflective coating such as as Frame Destination’s Anti-Reflective Water White ArtGlass AR70.

When you want the best of both clarity and protection, then you can look for a water white glass with both the UV filter and anti-refleciotn coating such as our UV Anti-Reflective Water-White ArtGlass AR92.

Preservation framing is an important process to maintain the life of your photos and artwork. Choosing the right glazing is a critical step and framing professionals can advise you on which type to choose. Ultimately, though, it is up to you to protect your art and make sure it doesn’t become discolored or faded over time. At Frame Destination, we have the perfect options for all of your framing needs with a range of glazing options for all projects. Educate yourself on quality framing materials, obtain advice and help from a professional framer, and keep your art away from heat and sunlight so you can maintain it for as long as possible.

For quick primers on picture frame glazing see our infographics on Glass vs. Acrylic and How Does Light Affect Artwork.

I confess…I am an absolute quote junkie. Quotes have been a source of enlightenment, comfort, and inspiration for me since I learned to read, and I have amassed a large, diverse collection of them over the years. One of the cool things about having a picture frame business is that I get to share my favorite ones related to art, creativity, and inspiration with a larger audience. Each week I choose a new quote for the sales receipts we send out to our customers and then create an image based on it for our social media. These are a few of my favorite art-related quotes with images. Feel free to share them.

“Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul – and you answer. “
- Terri Guillemets

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
- Thomas Merton

“An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one.”
- Charles Horton Cooley

“The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.”
- David Bayles

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
- Pablo Picasso

Improper framing can make your print look yellow and faded if you are using inkjet paper that contains Optical Brightener Agents (OBAs). The latest, brightest white inkjet papers such as Epson’s Exhibition Fiber paper use OBAs. Optical Brighteners are additives used to make paper look whiter. They may also be called artificial whiteners. These brightener agents take in ultraviolet (UV) radiation and re-emit it in the blue spectrum, which is visible to our eyes. UV radiation is one of the main contributors to prints fading and discoloring over time, so if you are framing for preservation, you want to use glass with a UV filter. Guess what happens if you block UV radiation on a paper with optical brighteners? The print will instantly look yellow and faded since the OBAs have no UV radiation to transform.

Exibition Fiber Display

Most inkjet papers have optical brighteners except for those marketed with something called “natural white”. Find out more about how they are used in paper here.

OBAs are one of the main reasons for the slight warming effect that occurs when you place glass or acrylic with a 99% UV filter over a print. If you cover a piece of Epson Exhibition Fiber paper, which contains high levels of OBAs, with UV filter glass and view it in daylight the warming effect will be exaggerated with an obvious color shift.

Not only are OBAs neutralized by conservation framing with UV-filtered glazing, they are dye-based instead of pigment-based, which means they are more prone to fading over time. OBAs also impact other colors on the print, so this combined with UV glazing and the normal fading of OBAs over the long term will cause even more color shifts in the print. Aardenburg Imaging Archives has more details on OBAs and print longevity here.

Test: What glazing discolors paper containing high levels of OBAs the least?

For this test, I placed 8 different types of glazing (glass and acrylic) on a sheet of Epson Exhibition paper containing some of the highest levels of OBAs, and photographed them in bright midday sunlight.

Results

Glass or acrylic with a 98% or greater UV filter has the most discoloration. Glass and acrylic without a UV filter will still block 40-60% of the UV light. Reflections and iron in the glass will also discolor or reduce brightness.

Artglass WW AR offers the brightest image, but there is more going on here than just the UV filter. WW stands for water white; it has reduced iron content which decreases the normal color shift and diming that regular glass causes. It is also anti-reflective (AR), meaning more of the light is passing through the glass to the image instead of being bounced away, resulting in the paper being brighter.

The Artglass UV/WW/AR is the same glass with the addition of a UV filter; however, it only blocks 90% of the UV spectrum. This is why it is brighter than the Museum Glass.

Artglass Preservation clear also has a 90% UV filter, but it is not water white or anti-reflective making it the least brightest of the ArtGlass products.

Regular glass does not block significant amounts of UV radiation; however, its iron content causes a blue green filtering effect reducing brightness more than standard acrylic.

Standard acrylic is optically pure, but has more natural UV blocking capability than regular glass. It also has more reflections than AR glass. My guess is reflections are the primary cause of regular acrylic not being as bright as anti-reflective glass with no UV filtering.

The Tru Vue conservation clear glass is not bright at all due to a 99% UV filter and no anti-reflective coating. It is also not water white. The Tru Vue Museum glass demonstrates the strongest evidence of how UV-filters impact papers with high levels of optical brighteners because Museum glass is optically pure and anti-reflective. Still, the warm color cast over the print is obvious, just like it is with the Acrylite OP3. Although OP3 acrylic is also optically pure, it is not anti-reflective like the Museum glass.

Recommendation

If you are concerned about print longevity, avoid using inkjet papers with optical brighteners. If you are mostly concerned with bright whites then frame without any glazing or use a glazing that is optically pure and has no additional UV filter such as regular acrylic or water white glass.

YUPO paper is a popular option for artists who want to paint on translucent paper. A 100% recyclable, waterproof, tree-free synthetic paper made from polypropylene, YUPO was first developed in Japan during the 1970s. It is used extensively in the packaging and labeling industry. However, many artists, especially watercolorists, are embracing it as well. Because of artist demand for this renewable paper source, artist pads of YUPO paper are available in translucent and white.

The see-through nature of translucent YUPO coupled with the delicate color saturation of watercolors makes mounting finished works without a mat board difficult. A Frame Destination customer recently reached out seeking a solution for this obstacle.

Frame Destination set out to help the customer find a suitable mounting method. We mounted a piece of 9” x 12” translucent YUPO paper, but this method will work for any size and type of paper with a little bit of modification.

The Materials

After examining the paper, we decided that a hinge-mounting method using self-adhesive hinging tissue by Lineco would give us the best results. This pressure-sensitive, lightweight tissue is specifically designed for hanging translucent art. When properly applied, it becomes almost translucent itself.

Lineco’s hinging tissue provides a permanent bond that will remain stable over time and is strong enough to support lightweight, mid-sized art. This archival-quality product has a neutral pH and is acid and lignin free, meaning the tissue itself will not yellow or damage your art.

The Mounting Process

We mounted the 9” x 12” YUPO paper to foam board using two T-hinges. To preserve and protect your art, be sure to choose an acid-free foam board.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to the mounting process we used.

1. Cut four, two-inch long strips of adhesive tissue. If your art paper is larger, you can make longer hinges or add a third hinge. When the process is finished these hinges will be barely visible, so don’t worry about cutting perfectly even strips.Most picture frames cover about ¼” inch of the image, so if you keep the width of the tissue between 3/16” and 1/4” it should be covered by the frame.
2. Peel the paper backing off of the tissue to expose the adhesive side. Separating the paper from the tissue can be tricky, but be gentle so you don’t tear or damage your strips.
3. Place one strip of tissue horizontally across the top of your image an inch or two from the board’s corner. Remember to only put about ¼” of the strip on the front side of the mounting board so the hinge is not noticeable in the finished product.

1. Wrap the remaining tissue over the foam board’s edge and adhere it to the back side of the board.

Repeat this process for the hinge near the other top corner of the board. If you are working with larger paper and opt to add a third hinge, place it in the middle for added stability.
When both hinges are in place, flip the mount board over so that the back is facing upward. Take another strip of tissue and place it vertically over the top of the first strip, creating a “T.” Adding this vertical strip makes the hinge more stable. Don’t forget to stabilize all your hinges.[Image – Live photo of the T hinge]
When you’re done, you should see two T’s on the back top of the mounting board.

Your mounted YUPO paper is now ready. Flip it back over and start creating! Even without framing your completed work, the hinges are barely visible.

When you use a traditional frame, the hinges will be completely hidden.

This process will let you create beautiful works on YUPO’s translucent paper and frame them cleanly without a mat board to achieve the look you envisioned. The same process can be used with YUPO’s lightweight white paper.

When you picture a traditional picture frame, you likely imagine a wood or metal frame with a solid glass cover. It’s been used by our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers and it surrounds us to this day. Glass certainly has some great characteristics when it comes to displaying and protecting our favorite photos and works of art, but modern technology has produced an alternative that better fits our needs: Acrylic glass.

What is Acrylic Glass for Picture Frames?

Acrylic is a glass alternative that has gained popularity as a framing material. You may know it as Acrylite® or Plexiglas®, which are brands of the same thermoplastic scientifically known as Polymethyl Methacrylate (aka PMMA). It’s hard, flexible, lightweight, and even recyclable. Acrylic glass does a great job of providing clarity as well as protection, and that makes it especially beneficial when it comes to showcasing and preserving photographs and artwork.

Downfalls of Glass

Acrylic glass is a popular framing option for many photographers and artists. Traditional glass, though still a popular option for framing, can be incredibly heavy, which makes larger display pieces a risk. Big or small, all glass comes with the same risks should the art fall. Glass shards can cause damage that can’t be repaired, and this is a big cause for concern when it comes to displaying and preserving original pieces. Many museums and galleries will not use traditional glass in expensive or irreplaceable artwork due to the risk of glass slicing the artwork if the frame is dropped or hit.

While picture frame glass is a good option for some projects, it can affect picture quality. Though many people don’t realize it, glass isn’t truly clear—it has a green tint from iron content. This affects the clarity and color perception of art framed behind glass. Unless treated, glass used in frames also allows fading over time caused by damaging UV rays passing through the glass. UV protecting treatments on glass are available but can fade over time since they are applied to the surface of the glass. If preservation and protection is a concern, glass may not be the best option.

Benefits of Acrylic vs Glass for Picture Frames

Acrylic glass is lightweight and shatter resistant, eliminating the potential for damage during transportation or surprise falls. It’s a great insulator too, decreasing the risk of damage from condensation beneath the frame.

Acrylic is optically superior, naturally without tinting commonly seen in glass. This optical purity makes it a great option for displaying and protecting framed photos and art. Since it is an artificially created glass alternative, special treatment options can be applied to protect against common glass issues, such as light glare and UV penetration. Acrylic glass from framing is available in Standard, UV-filtered, Non-Glare, and UV-Non-Glare, allowing for a full range of aesthetic and protective qualities. Unlike exterior treatments found on glass, these protective features are incorporated into the acrylic product, making it less prone to breakdown over time.

Important Considerations

Since acrylic is more lightweight and flexible than glass, it can bow over time. It’s also much more vulnerable to scratching than glass, so it’s imperative that acrylic only be cleaned with gentle microfiber clothes. Because of the risk of scratching, this framing option is best used in minimal contact situations. Acrylic glass is also more prone to issues with static, making this the wrong option for charcoal-based art.

While acrylic glass has greater clarity than traditional framing glass, reduced-iron glass takes optical purity to a higher, albeit more costly, level. Purity can also be affected by a slight yellow tint in UV filter protection and the loss of sharpness in Non-Glare Acrylic Glass.

When It Works Best

Acrylic glass is a great option for framing original art pieces because there’s no fear of tears or punctures from broken glass. Larger artwork and photos do especially well with acrylic framing because of the reduced weight risk. Keepsake photos from wedding albums, professional shoots, and special events are also well-paired with acrylic glass as you can opt for UV protection to allow for clarity while reducing the penetration of the sun’s rays.