Ways to achieve a perfect framed artwork- Candace Alicia Art

What’s the purpose of a frame?

To protect. To elevate. To position the artwork for display.

Frames: Why Quality Matters

Frames are not all equal, which I discovered only after I began working in a custom framing store. I’ve been an artist for several years and had so many questions about framing, mounting, what looks good etc etc. As an artist I make things from nothing, I’m a creative and I love the satisfaction of bringing something to life from materials and my imagination. I did entertain the idea of making my own, but now I have the experience I am so glad I didn’t.

The Role of Professionals

There are things that professionals know, experience and knowledge they have. It’s just not worth DIY-ing your way through such things, not when skilled professionals can add value, and the art needs to be valued properly. Whole industries exist around preserving and elevating art, around bringing beauty and colour and visions to life. This is no small thing.

A Design Collaboration that’s Personal

Frames might seem like a place to skimp but it really isn’t. It’s what will make the difference. All the steps are needed, like all the instruments in an orchestra. Artist, Framer, Collector…. each has a unique part to play in this story. Mass production devalues the human input, the artisanal nature of making slowly and with intentionality….the time we spend in presence, the way we spend our time…this matters most of all. And what we choose to bring into our space and surround ourselves with is worthy of some extra special care.

Practical Tips for Framing Art

Knowing what is needed to protect and elevate art is where I believe I can assist. Being presented with everyday art lovers’ questions, and the challenges that arise for them in the framing consult and as an artist myself, I feel I am in a unique position to appreciate the special challenges people might have with framing and how to steer them away from common issues that arise.

In an attempt to prepare you by demystifying the process, and to hopefully help both groups (artists & collectors alike), let me offer my suggestions and as ever, please take what you need & leave the rest.

Essential Protection for Fragile Work

Displaying paper artworks and prints in a frame is essential to regulate the micro-atmosphere, keeping away physical & atmospheric contaminants, crawling insects and the like. And there are very specific considerations to ensure the framing process provides protection AND functionality. This will vary on the art materials used, whether they will smudge (like pastels or charcoal), how well fixed and/or cleanable they are (think oil & acrylic paintings), and the type of surface they have been created upon (such as paper, wood, canvas or even cardboard). We are not here to limit artists, but it takes some creativity to find a solution sometimes!

Discuss Your Vision with a Custom Framer

Discuss your vision with your local custom framer. This is their department and they’ll be able to help you run through options & see your ideas to fruition. They will help give you options for your budget whilst taking care of the protection piece, and they’ll let you know if there’s a reason why you need to revise your vision, possibly even showing you something you had not yet considered.

The Importance of Matboards

You’ll need a matboard to mount. Matboards are the acid-free plain coloured cardboard surrounding prints inside frames.

If you’ve ever opened up an old photo frame where the photo has been placed in direct contact with glass, you may have come across an “image transfer” effect. To prevent this the matboard lifts the glass away from the artwork or picture. This also prevents naturally occurring condensation that builds on the inner surface of the glass from contacting the paper, and allows the natural expansion and contraction of paper to occur freely when hang mounted.

Conservation Mounting Minimises Damage

A hang mount or T-hinge is a conservation method of mounting art that is designed to hold the paper or photo in position whilst giving maximum freedom. It won’t be forced to bulge forward as will occur if all sides are anchored in place. Side note- if you ever are mounting your own photos please please please only hang them from the top edge, never tape all four sides down to prevent this warping effect.

Mounting Options

Aesthetically flat vs truly archival? As with all things in life we have to find a balance.

To mount paper perfectly flat requires glue or adhesives which usually have a limited lifespan and potential for discolouration over time. This means they may not last as long as they could, but maybe that’s long enough? And if there’s an issue can it be replaced? Of course an original cannot be and a limited edition print may be sold out.

Where someone really wants to avoid the visual border of a matboard but still wants to preserve the piece properly…a spacer inside the frame can serve the purpose of lifting the glass away, but dry-mounting on adhesive foamboard is needed to hold the piece flat. Certain heavyweight art papers may not be great candidates for this approach, so as always best a discussion to have with your local framer.

Choosing the Right Glass

Let’s talk glass…by now we know how important it is to keep the glass off the artwork.

Premium glass options might be worthwhile considering… If your space is well-lit, even indirectly, typical glass reflects a lot of light back and makes the image harder to see. Some excellent products cut reflections to 1%, improve clarity and will offer increased UV protection coatings (to varying levels up to 99%). These are the nearest thing to no glass, minimising the visual barrier between you and delivering an enhanced viewing experience from multiple angles.

When Ready-Made Frames Are Suitable

Ready-made frames can be great if your artwork comes already mounted with a standard sized outer dimension. This offers a cost-effective way to display or gift a unique artwork, keeping in mind the final location and degree of sunlight within the space.

If unmounted, usually the perfect sized frame needs to be a size bigger, so as to accommodate the acid-free mounting matboard that will elevate the glass away from the piece ensuring the image is perfectly safe inside.

Preparing for a Visit to the Framer

Helpful things to think about before heading to the framer, and maybe take some pictures first….

Consider your intended space and nearby frames/furniture/flooring, especially if there is a lot of wood. Do they match or are they all different?
Ideas you might want to recreate that you’ve found elsewhere or online
What style suits your taste? For example do you love ornate metallic chunky frames or is the simplicity of a rectangular profile in simple black or white more you? Or traditional wood tones and styling?
Do you want to match your other frames and interior décor or choose a frame to suit the artwork? Big and bold statement piece vs a supportive role allowing the art to take centre-stage?

Confidence in Our Product

We have available digital reproductions of my original art that bypass the headaches you might have come across when purchasing online in the past. As an artist and now also a framer, you can rest assured in the knowledge that the prints I offer are the best it is possible to deliver.

The common problems that I’ve seen in the framing consult:

expecting an item to be ready to hang but arrived without frame or hanging hardware;
the dimensions were completely wrong for the original image ending up with parts cropped off;
the quality was questionable through mass production;
no extra material was allowed for to stretch a canvas;
the artist signed too close to an edge making it impossible to keep the signature visible once mounted (nb this will vary on paper vs canvas);
oversized artworks that require oversized materials bump up the costs for framing and create logistical headaches for everyone;
frames ordered online arrive with perspex instead of glass, poor quality matboards (not acid-free) and are often made from compressed board, which lacks the durability of wood

How I help you not to run into these same problems

You can avoid all these troubles because I’ve seen these predicaments firsthand. By understanding these issues and through some extra attention to detail I can help my collectors to skip past such headaches. How do I do this?

Prints are offered with clear sizing, and only in the correct aspect ratios- you will find dimensions in metric & imperial so they make sense to you
Smaller prints are offered on paper (under 1m or 3ft), larger format prints are offered on canvas
Prints are supplied unmounted and unframed to allow YOUR expression in collaboration with your framer. You get to choose the size you want and the final style to suit your vision and budget.
Clear description if the works are mounted and framed (only applies to original art) with images of ACTUAL frames
Education through these blog articles on what not to do when it comes to displaying your art, and deciding how best to frame it.
Cost efficiency where standard sizing permits, for ease of gift giving and broader access to & appreciation of Australian Art. After all, art is for everyone.
Read about giclee printing in my article “What are giclee fine art prints?“

So I hope you enjoy bypassing all the potential dramas and start to get excited, it won’t be long now before you can enjoy your favourite artwork up close and in person. I can’t wait to hear how you’ve experienced them!