It is often difficult to shop online, especially if you’re depending on the color selection — and with picture frames, which must complement the artwork or photograph inside them, it can be even more difficult to tell if it’s the right fit.
Even with the right color calibration, you may not know exactly how black that black picture frame is, or what the cherry wood picture frame will look like in your home or office’s lighting. Many homes do not have the exactly the same light temperature as a typical studio strobe, which is the lighting often used to take photographs of picture frame mouldings. In addition, sometimes customers really need to see what a photograph or painting will look like next to the frame.
To make it easier to truly see and feel the metal and wood picture mouldings we offer at Frame Destination, we have created a series of straight and corner sample pieces. The straight pieces, measuring six inches long, are an inexpensive way to really observe the actual moulding’s color, texture and shape. Our corner samples, which are just slightly more expensive as they involve considerably more labor to create, can be invaluable in helping you or your prospective customer select the perfect picture frame.
We carry a wide variety of sample sets specifically made to cater to your needs: our metal picture frame sample sets can be purchased in groups of simple black and white or colored picture frames, including silver and chocolate. Our sample sets also include stretcher bar sample sets, floater frame samples and wood picture frame samples in various natural finishes and colors.
Just like our picture frames, you can customize your picture frame moulding sample sets — simply check off the frames you’d like to see in person, and you’ll receive only those mouldings in your picture frame sample set to help you make your decision.
View our wood and metal moulding samples.
It is often difficult to shop online, especially if you’re depending on the color selection — and with picture frames, which must complement the artwork or photograph inside them, it can be even more difficult to tell if it’s the right fit. Even with the right color calibration, you may not know exactly how black […]
Mount board gives custom framed photos stability and is an essential part of picture framing. Mount boards, often also referred to as foamcore, come in a variety of thicknesses, your choice of black or white, and support different mounting techniques (such as self-adhesive mount boards versus heat activated board). There’s also the option of archival versus non-archival quality. There are a number of differences between archival and non-archival mount boards, and these differences will vary between different manufacturers. However, there are a few fundamental things to understand in order to choose the correct mount board for your custom framing project.
When Non-Archival is OK
Non archival mount board means that the foamboard is not certified acid-free. Acid is harmful to pictures and artwork and can cause yellowing, discoloration and other damage over time.
A general guideline is that regular mounting boards are considered ok for temporary and/or very inexpensive framing. When framing original artwork, documents or precious photos that can’t be replaced (such as old prints that can’t easily be reproduced) non-archival mount boards are highly discouraged. However, framing things like posters and general home décor on this type of board is fine.
Before you make the decision, it’s important to understand what will happen to your art over time. When using this type of mount board, minor decay in the artwork can start occurring within 5 years. This will vary dramatically based on the type of framing components, the environment (light, temperature, humidity) of the frame package, the chemistry of the print, and the type of mounting. Although some decay may occur, it may not be very noticeable without doing a comparison with the original.
When to use Archival-Quality Mount Board
Archival, or conservation quality, mount board will better protect your picture over time. Archival quality board usually has the following characteristics:
- Composed of acid free material
- Composed of lignin-free material
- Buffered to help maintain the alkaline pH
These measures help ensure the mount board doesn’t contain any properties that will produce harmful acid over time. This style will be advertised as acid-free, archival quality, museum quality, conservation quality, or may have the term “rag” which denotes a cotton base, in the product title.
Bainbridge also produces a mount board with Micro Chamber technology, called Artcare™, that goes a step further and allows their archival products to actively absorb harmful components entering the framing package. This can be especially useful in the case of foamboard. Archival foamboard will have an archival mounting surface to protect the print, but the foam in the center will out gas over time. The Bainbridge product will absorb this out gassing.
Now that you understand the differences in archival versus non-archival mount board, you can decide which is best for your DIY picture framing project.
Mount board gives custom framed photos stability and is an essential part of picture framing. Mount boards, often also referred to as foamcore, come in a variety of thicknesses, your choice of black or white, and support different mounting techniques (such as self-adhesive mount boards versus heat activated board). There’s also the option of archival […]
Frame Destination Inc. has partnered with Andrew Darlow of The Imaging Buffet to bring to market our new GalleryPouch™ Gold art bubble bags to solve the problem of safely transporting framed art and canvas gallery wraps to and from art galleries and art shows. Our best version of GalleryPouch™ Gold includes a resealable Velcro® flap. GalleryPouch™ Gold is available in over 100 standard sizes or full custom. They are available in square, rectangular and even tube shapes to help protect rolled canvas. We also offer the GalleryPouch™ Gold with just a flap and no Velcro® as a cost saving alternative. We have created a bubble bag help page with calculators to help you determine the size you need.
The GalleryPouch™ Gold is a premium bubble bag composed of heavy duty laminated 3/16 polyethylene bubble. The bubbles are sandwiched between two layers of durable polyethylene sheet to help protect the. The bag can be used over and over again to protect and transport art work. Our photography customers can also use the bags to help provide additional protection to portfolios or even tripods with the tube shaped GalleryPouch™ Gold.
Frame Destination Inc. has partnered with Andrew Darlow of The Imaging Buffet to bring to market our new GalleryPouch™ Gold art bubble bags to solve the problem of safely transporting framed art and canvas gallery wraps to and from art galleries and art shows. Our best version of GalleryPouch™ Gold includes a resealable Velcro® flap. […]
Mounting a photo or art to a firm backing or mount board helps stabilize the print and gives it extra protection from tears, creases, and other damage. While typically you’d mount a photo before framing, mounting a photo, document, print, or paper-based original artwork that you plan to transport or temporarily display without a frame gives it the same protections.
In these situations, you’ll want to opt for a more temporary mounting technique to ensure the photo can safely and easily be removed from the board as needed. To afford the best protections, opt for acid-free, archival-quality mount board and photo mounting supplies, even for temporary mounting.
Best Supplies for Temporary Mounting
When selecting a backing board for temporary mounting, it’s tempting to choose for the cheapest option. While it’s generally considered ok to use non-archival quality mount boards for temporary use, it’s important to remember that exposure to the naturally occurring acid in paper-based products can damage your photo, art, or print. To truly protect your photo, choose an acid-free or “rag” mounting board. The mounting board should be a little bigger than your print (this extra room makes it easier to mount the photo and helps protect the edges of your print.)
Since this is only a temporary need, you’ll want to use less invasive mounting supplies. Hinging Tape and Tissue is more permanent and requires more contact with your photo. Instead, opt for photo corners, which don’t adhere directly to your print.
Finally, since your photo won’t be in a frame with protective glazing it will be susceptible to scratching and fingerprints. The mount board stabilizes the print, but doesn’t protect the photo’s surface. To protect the surface, place the entire mounted piece in a protective case, such as shrink wrap or clear bags for temporary display needs, or an extra protective GalleryPouch™ during transport.
Temporary Mounting Technique
If possible, leave about a 1-inch empty border around the image or artwork. This will afford your print further protection from the mounting supplies.
Adhere the photo corners (sometimes called mounting corners) to your backing board. Remember to use an acid-free backing board and photo corners to avoid harmful acid contact with your art. The corners of your print should slide neatly into the photo corners, keeping the image centered on the mount board.
If you’re concerned about the photo bowing out, which can be an issue when using photo corners, shrink wrapping the piece is your best bet. This tight seal protects your photo and keeps it flat. If bowing is less of a concern, a simple sealable clear bag will protect the print just fine.
Transporting art can be a major source of stress, as a lot of damage can be caused during the move. Once your print is temporarily mounted for stability, place the entire thing in a GalleryPouch™ Bubble Bag. The inside of the bag are flat and smooth so it won’t scratch your print (and you can always put it in a clear bag before using the GalleryPouch™ if you’re still concerned) and the tough exterior of the GalleryPouch™ protects the print from scratches and penetrating damage.
With these easy techniques, you can protect your photo, art, print, or document when you only need a temporary solution instead of a full picture frame.
Mounting a photo or art to a firm backing or mount board helps stabilize the print and gives it extra protection from tears, creases, and other damage. While typically you’d mount a photo before framing, mounting a photo, document, print, or paper-based original artwork that you plan to transport or temporarily display without a frame […]
It is critical that you have an established account with some time and 100%
positive feedback. If you don't your bids are limited to scammers, and people
that are ignorant about how eBay works. For products like used camera gear, the
law of supply and demand is as reliable as the law of gravity so I don't use any
reserve and I set the starting bid at 1 cent. If it is a common item you can watch
it sell a few times and see the price window of where it sells. In general, the
poor quality ads will fetch less money. I always sell at the top of the window.
For my ads, I take lots of high quality pictures. If there is a defect, then I
will take a good picture of the defect, and I will point it out so people can
see what they are getting and feel more comfortable that I am not hiding things.
In addition to the specs I will provide some personal commentary on how I used
the equipment and what I liked about it. This helps people see that I am an
individual selling my own gear, as opposed to a thief selling stolen gear,
someone running a junk sale out of their garage, or a scammer that actually
isn't selling anything at all. Thief's and scammers are lazy and do not take
time to create personal ads. I have no need for hidden reserve prices and think
many just use them to try to sell to fools. I also have no need for a high
starting bid, it just cost more money. Since I have no reserve, and a 1 cent
starting bid I will usually have several bids in the first couple days which
helps it stand out in the listings. I have used this method on a dSLR that
ultimately sold for over $1,000. I have also used it for iPods, other
electronics, and tools with no problem. Do not try it with art or framing
products, it won't work for those types of items.
Cheers,
Mark
It is critical that you have an established account with some time and 100% positive feedback. If you don’t your bids are limited to scammers, and people that are ignorant about how eBay works. For products like used camera gear, the law of supply and demand is as reliable as the law of gravity so […]
Making a decision about what type of glazing to use in a framed item causes a surprising amount of consternation. The most common question is whether to use glass or acrylic for the picture frame glazing. However, the decision really goes far beyond just glass vs. acrylic. Even seasoned framers need to evaluate the best option for every job.
First, understand the purpose of glazing. It is often the last choice made in the framing process, and some even choose to forego it. However, glazing covers and protects everything within the frame. Without it, artwork risks deterioration due to exposure to temperature changes, humidity levels, UV radiation, and even dirt and spills.
Here we examine a variety of aspects and benefits of glass and acrylic, and we lay out some pointers on making the best decision for which type of frame glazing you need.
- Picture Frame Glass is most commonly used for inexpensive, off the shelf, ready-made frames because it is inexpensive. It often has a greenish tint though, which can affect quality when viewing the framed image.
- The green tint seen in inexpensive glass comes from the material’s higher iron content. Perfectly clear glass is available as a “high end” material that is sometimes referred to as water white or museum glass.
- Acrylic is used almost exclusively by mail order or Internet framing companies, because it usually will not break during shipping. It perfectly serves the needs of most normal framing applications.
- Most acrylic glazing is about 1/10” thick, while extra clear and regular glass are about 1/16” thick.
- At Frame Destination, we sell both glass and acrylic, but we limit the size of the glass we ship to 24×28 inches to help reduce the chance of shipping damage.
- Acrylic is also lighter than glass, which reduces the shipping cost.
- Acrylic glazing comes in several forms, standard (no coatings, tint, or matte finish), UV filter acrylic (blocks up to 98% of Ultraviolet radiation, which helps reduce picture fading), and non-glare (a matte finish that reduces reflection and glare, making images more easily visible in poor light).
- Reduced ultra-violet glazing has a component that blocks UV rays from reaching art or photos, thus prolonging their life.
- Custom frame shops mostly use glass unless the frame is larger than 32×40.
- For larger works, many custom frame shops use acrylic glazing because glass is very heavy when cut to large dimensions. Beyond that, you have to make sure the frame can handle the weight of the glass.
- When hanging large pieces of art, especially those with glass glazing, you must ensure the wall behind the piece is capable of supporting it. Along the same lines, the wall hanging hardware also has to be able to handle the extra weight of the chosen glazing.
- Many museums prefer acrylic to glass, because if the glass breaks, it can slice and destroy rare artwork. This may be a consideration for galleries as well causing them, to choose acrylic over glass because of reduced liability issues. Even some home installations warrant consideration of acrylic glazing, such as for pieces hung in children’s rooms or where vibrations from closing doors or breezes from open windows may create issues.
- Anti-glare glazing optimizes viewing of pieces under bright light conditions.
- One drawback of acrylic glazing is cost: it is more expensive than standard glass.
- Acrylic scratches easily, and requires some special care when cleaning and handling it. The wood pulp in paper towels is enough to scratch the surface of acrylic glazing, so cleaning should be done only using microfiber cloths.
- Acrylic is flexible, which means it is less likely to break than glass, but this also means it may bow or bend within a frame over time.
Making the correct glazing choice for a frame requires research and an understanding of both materials. Take the time to consider the best option for each framed piece by considering size, location, and budget. For a comprehensive break down of the pros and cons of both acrylic and glass:
- Consult the extensive review of acrylic glazing information on our website.
- Read more about the benefits of acrylic glazing on one of our other blog posts.
- In 2013, we expanded our line of framing glass sizes to up to 24×28 sizes. To learn more about our wide array of available glass sizes, please see the new larger framing glass sizes post.
- Make sure you understand the importance of how to properly clean acrylic.
Making a decision about what type of glazing to use in a framed item causes a surprising amount of consternation. The most common question is whether to use glass or acrylic for the picture frame glazing. However, the decision really goes far beyond just glass vs. acrylic. Even seasoned framers need to evaluate the best […]