Frame Destination

Minimalistic, natural, and even distressed are the hallmarks of today's contemporary picture frames. The lack of detail and understated appearance of contemporary picture frames puts your artwork front and center, as the frame lacks the ornate detailing that can sometimes detract from paintings or photos. The growing appeal of modern Scandinavian design has been a major influence on today's preferences, particularly the increasing popularity of minimalist furniture.

While there are no hard and fast rules on framing, most framers choose contemporary frames for similarly styled minimalistic artwork. Framers of antique work often use wood picture frames with intricate detailing which complement that style of art.

Of course, you, as the framer, are the final arbiter of what you would like in your contemporary frame. Our job at Frame Destination is to make sure you have access to the materials you need to create the contemporary picture frames that match your unique vision for interior décor.

Contemporary Wood Frames

Clear, satiny finishes that feature the natural beauty of the wood are becoming a favorite with interior decorators in everything from tables to picture frames. Contemporary wood picture frames that highlight the wood grain are often available in a variety of colors, including natural honey maple and cherry.

Some contemporary wood frames are made with salvaged wood that highlights the “distressed” look. Shades of brown and gray are popular with contemporary framing, lending even more to the natural look.

Contemporary Metal Frames

Contemporary can also mean the use of metal for its simplicity — frames in silver shades have become popular for framing photographs, especially black and white photos. In gallery shows and other art presentations, the picture frame of choice is generally metal, often with slim, flat profiles.

Though contemporary picture frames can be sleek, the “distressed” look is also popular in metal frames. Many feature surfaces that have been hammered slightly for a “pebbled” appearance.

Completing the Contemporary Frame

Whether you are an experienced expert framer or a novice just learning the art, you'll find a wide variety of framing kits and supplies, from acid-free mount board and mat board to your choice of glass or acrylic glazing.

Find the style to match your contemporary home décor by playing with a variety of ideas and contrasts. We offer many picture frame options in wood tones in a variety of contemporary styles, including wide profiles for a bold look and slim profiles for a subtle, natural effect. Alternatively, accent your photographs with one of the many clean and modern metal frames in our extensive line.

Minimalistic, natural, and even distressed are the hallmarks of today’s contemporary picture frames. The lack of detail and understated appearance of contemporary picture frames puts your artwork front and center, as the frame lacks the ornate detailing that can sometimes detract from paintings or photos. The growing appeal of modern Scandinavian design has been a […]

If you have wide photographs of sweeping landscapes or large groups of people such as a class or team picture, panoramic picture frames are the ideal choice to show them off. Panoramic frames have an aspect ratio that is very wide but with a limited height, allowing you to frame these exceptional photos without cropping anything out.

panoramic frames Because every panoramic image is unique, it is virtually impossible to find ready-to-use panoramic picture frames right off the shelf or out of the box. However, at Frame Destination, customers can find all the supplies they need to create their own custom panoramic picture frames—as well as full support from framing experts and educational resources about framing.

Frame Your Panoramic Photo

The first step to framing a panoramic image is, of course, to select the size. Many of our preset picture frame sizes are ideal for panoramic photos, ranging from 8” x 16” to 24” x 40”, but we are able to customize our picture frames to fit a panoramic photo of any size. Simply enter the size of the artwork and the panoramic picture frame size will be calculated automatically.

Panoramic photos, when framed, often feature mat boards in order to enhance the drama of the photo. Not only do they provide visual appeal, acid-free mat boards protect the photograph from damage by preventing it from coming into contact with the glazing. Temporary mat boards may actually be harmfully acidic, which will interact with the photographic chemicals and cause unsightly yellowing — and because panoramic photos aren’t as easily printed as standard sizes, it may be prudent to be proactive in preventing damage.

Underneath it all is the mount board, which is the base on which the panoramic photo will rest. It is important that the photo is able to move, and it is not permanently attached to the mountboard; otherwise, buckling may occur as the mountboard expands and contracts with the ambient temperature of the room. Photo corners or hinging tissue will keep your panoramic photo in place while allowing some subtle flexibility. There are a few techniques to mount photos, including the T-hinge and the V-hinge, so it’s important to learn how to mount photographs before getting started.

Ordering a Custom Panoramic Picture Frame

Frame Destination makes it easy for you to order the right panoramic picture frame. We recommend that you first visit our guide to ordering a custom picture frame, especially if you are new to the art of framing. If you have questions, you can call us at 972-479-1188 to speak to one of our framing experts, who will be happy to advise you and suggest resources that can be of help in your endeavor to perfectly frame your panoramic photo.

Picture framing is both art and science, and unless you go with pre-made framing kits or other ready-made frames, tackling this skill requires an understanding of the framing components and a fair amount of experience.
You’ll soon find there are many different components that go into a frame, and you’ve likely heard of the more talked-about ones, like mat board and glazing. These big elements aren’t the only parts and pieces you need to pay attention to though. Often the smaller components, such as frame spacers, are less discussed. These small elements can play a big role in your DIY framing project.

What is a Picture Frame Spacer?

Picture frame spacers are small pieces of plastic that are placed around the edge of the glazing and sit between the glazing and the art. They come in a variety of sizes to allow for different levels of air cushion. They’re also available in different colors, mainly clear and black, so they blend in with your art and frame for an unobtrusive effect.

Why are Picture Frame Spacers Important?

Picture frame spacers do just as their name suggests – add space within the frame. Spacers prevent the frame glazing from coming in contact with your painting, photo, or other visual artifact, protecting it from potential damage.
Without framing spacers, the image can buckle or get stuck to the glazing, causing damage and making it difficult to reframe your art in the future. If, heaven forbid, moisture should sneak its way under the glazing, frame spacers allow air circulation, thus preventing the formation of destructive mold and mildew.
Another reason to use picture frame spacers is that they provide a smooth surface between the edge of the glass and the framing material itself. This not only protects you by preventing possible injury when installing the glazing into the frame rabbet, it also keeps those otherwise rough edges from digging into the frame materials, shedding particles of paint or other substances into the artwork.

FrameTek Frame Spacers

At Frame Destination, we are pleased to offer FS-1 frame spacer (providing a 3/16” air gap) and FS-6 frame spacers (providing a 1/8” air gap) from FrameTek Inc., a well-known company specializing in innovative framing solutions. This company's FrameSpace product is extremely easy to use, allowing you to prepare a piece of glazing in under two minutes. You simply slip the “S” shaped spacer over the edge of the glazing, no messy adhesives are required
It is made from a pH neutral material, so there is no worry about acids or alkaline substances leaching into your artwork. They’re available in clear and black and can be used with both metal and traditional wood frame. You can order your spacers to size, or order a larger length and easily cut the spacer yourself. This feature gives you the flexibility to easily add spacers to your custom framing projects.
Frame spacers may not be the final frontier when it comes to framing; however, this small but mighty framing component will keep your art safe over time and has simplified the framing process, making it much easier to achieve professional-looking framing results in a very short amount of time.

Last Updated May 7, 2021

You’ll soon find there are many different components that go into a frame, and you’ve likely heard of the more talked-about ones, like mat board and glazing. These big elements aren’t the only parts and pieces you need to pay attention to though. Often the smaller components, such as frame spacers, are less discussed. These small elements can play a big role in your DIY framing project.

What is a Picture Frame Spacer?

Why are Picture Frame Spacers Important?

Without framing spacers, the image can buckle or get stuck to the glazing, causing damage and making it difficult to reframe your art in the future. If, heaven forbid, moisture should sneak its way under the glazing, frame spacers allow air circulation, thus preventing the formation of destructive mold and mildew.

Another reason to use picture frame spacers is that they provide a smooth surface between the edge of the glass and the framing material itself. This not only protects you by preventing possible injury when installing the glazing into the frame rabbet, it also keeps those otherwise rough edges from digging into the frame materials, shedding particles of paint or other substances into the artwork.

FrameTek Frame Spacers

At Frame Destination, we are pleased to offer FS-1 frame spacer (providing a 1/8” air gap) and FS-6 frame spacers (providing a 3/16” air gap) from FrameTek Inc., a well-known company specializing in innovative framing solutions. This company's FrameSpace product is extremely easy to use, allowing you to prepare a piece of glazing in under two minutes. You simply slip the “S” shaped spacer over the edge of the glazing, no messy adhesives are required

It is made from a pH neutral material, so there is no worry about acids or alkaline substances leaching into your artwork. They’re available in clear and black and can be used with both metal and traditional wood frame. You can order your spacers to size, or order a larger length and easily cut the spacer yourself. This feature gives you the flexibility to easily add spacers to your custom framing projects.

Frame spacers may not be the final frontier when it comes to framing; however, this small but mighty framing component will keep your art safe over time and has simplified the framing process, making it much easier to achieve professional-looking framing results in a very short amount of time.

Clear Bags is a descriptive term used to describe the clear poly bags that are designed for storing photos and paintings when they're not hanging up on your wall – but it's also a trademark. Clear Bags^TM are some of the finest print protectors we've found for archival storage of artifacts.

Here's the thing to remember: unless your photos are properly archived in acid-free plastic bags, chances are good that they will become discolored within a very short amount of time. Storage bags by Clear Bags^TMwill insure that that your paintings and photos are protected – and they will allow you to examine them at any time without removing them.

The two deadliest enemies of your fine art photography are moisture and acidity. Water is particularly insidious; even the tiniest bit of dampness can sneak into cheap storage bags, come into contact with the surface of the photos and interact with the photographic chemicals, wreaking nine kinds of havoc on the surface of the picture, causing staining, discoloring and worse. Have you ever seen old photos that look as if they've been stained yellow or bleached? That's what happens when photos are improperly archived.

Here's a bit of irony: while light is what makes photography possible, it's also the thing that can destroy them. Clear poly bags are not enough; you need a proper storage box as well in order to protect your prints from the sun's ultra-violet rays.

A little more about these fine print protectors from Clear Bags^TM: the bags themselves are make of a state-of-the-art form of plastic known as biaxially oriented polypropylene, or BOPP for short. The plastic material is extruded and stretched in two directions during the manufacturing process, which increases both tensile strength and clarity – in fact, it's so clear, it's almost invisible.

Archival bags are available in dozens of sizes, and can be used not only for photos and paintings, but virtually any other type of important documents you wish to preserve and archive.

Whenever you have art images or other documents, a small investment in high-quality print protectors such as Clear Bags^TM will go a long ways toward making certain that your valuable images are protected from sunlight, moisture, dampness and environmental toxins that can lead to their destruction. Just keep in mind that quality costs extra. Always purchase the best archival materials you can afford in order to give your art and documents the best protection possible.

Clear Bags is a descriptive term used to describe the clear poly bags that are designed for storing photos and paintings when they’re not hanging up on your wall – but it’s also a trademark. Clear BagsTM are some of the finest print protectors we’ve found for archival storage of artifacts. Here’s the thing to […]

You’ve matted and mounted your artwork, positioned it on the wall and finally hung it proudly. But when you step back to take a look at your handiwork, you notice something: your reflection. It’s a common problem in framing and hanging artwork, diploma frames or photos, one that the museums have overcome thanks to precise lighting and high-quality glazing. We’ll look at three ways to reduce reflections on framed artwork — from the simplest option to the go-to solutions used by the pros.

Option 1: Eliminate the Glazing

The simplest option to eliminate reflection is to avoid the use of any glass or acrylic glazing in picture frames. The obvious advantage of this is a lower overall cost, as you are omitting a major part of the framing package. And with no glazing, there is little chance of reflection.

Unfortunately, this option has serious drawbacks. Because the artwork has no defense against curious fingers and atmospheric pollutants, dust and grime gather on the artwork itself, which can prove more difficult or impossible to clean. You also have less protection from UV radiation, which can more quickly fade and damage artwork.

Additionally, if the artwork itself is glossy, you still may see reflections with improper lighting.

Option 2: Adjust the Lighting

Assuming you are going to use glazing, the second least expensive option is to combine regular glazing — i.e. glazing without any built-in reflection control — with proper lighting. Gallery lighting is accomplished by positioning lighting directly above the artwork and fairly close to it, forcing the light to hit the artwork at a steep angle. This angle allows you to only see reflections if you are looking up toward the art from beneath it. Your options here are to purchase picture frame lights, which can be attached to the wall behind picture frames. Or if you have appropriate lighting already in place, you can simply adjust where you hang the frames.

Option 3: Choose Non-Glare Glazing

Not many people will undergo lighting renovation just to avoid reflections in picture frames. An alternative is to purchase specialty non-glare acrylic or anti-reflective glass glazing. The non-glare acrylic glazing features an etched surface on one side that helps reduce the reflection. However, the etching results in a loss of sharpness that is proportional to the distance between the artwork and the glazing; it is most apparent when using double mats. Because of this loss of sharpness, non-glare acrylic glazing is not suitable for shadow box framing.

Anti-reflective glass, on the other hand, uses a special type of coating to reduce reflection — but without the loss of sharpness seen in non-glare acrylic. ArtGlass Water White Anti-Reflective glass provides the full protection of glazing while making the glazing look practically invisible. Because it combines the best of both worlds — no reflection and superior clarity — it has a price point to match.

How you choose to reduce the glare on your picture frames depends on your budget and the importance of protecting the artwork itself. Whichever way you choose, you won’t have to worry about all that glare.

Updated March 10, 2022