Show Me How! Framing Archival Prints
One of the most asked questions on my Etsy shop is, “How should I frame my archival prints?”
There are many options:
Take your prints to a professional framer:
This is the easiest and (of course) the most expensive choice. You can go places like Michael’s craft store, the local art store or just look in the yellow pages for an independent framer near you. They will have tons and tons of choices for you to make: frame designs from contemporary to ornate and myriad mat colors and textures.
The choices can be a little overwhelming, and you may want to start by asking the person working there for suggestions. But keep in mind, they may want to sell you way more than you need to jack up the price. I usually feel that simple is best; cream or light-gray mat with a contemporary wood frame.
Frame it yourself:
This is the much cheaper route to go, and I think it’s not all that much more difficult to do. This is how I handle most of my framing.
- Go to an art store or someplace like Michael’s (even Target has cute frames!) Go to the section where they have “ready-made” frames. (A ready-made frame is a frame that is all ready for you to drop your art or photo into.)
- Take your prints with you. It’s much easier to lay the print over the frame to get an idea of what size you’ll need.
- Here’s where you’ll have some choices. I’ll go though a few options:
Here we have an 8 x 10 frame, with one of my prints that is on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. You would need to trim the paper down to fit into the smaller frame. This option doesn’t leave any room for a mat. Not my favorite choice.
Here we have the same 8 1/2 x 11 inch print, but we’re using a larger frame with a mat. This is a beautiful Nielsen-Bainbridge* frame called “Tribeca” — that I found on Dick Blick’s online store for $26.99. It’s 11 x 14 inches and comes with a pre-cut, archival mat that with an 8 x 10 opening. All you need to do is open the back; slip the print behind the mat’s opening; use a little tape to secure it into place (you can get archival tape at the art store); and put the pieces back together. You’re ready to go.
If you’ve ordered the larger prints, you can do the same type of thing, but on a larger scale. Above is one of my 12 x 18 inch print (it comes printed on a 13 x 19 piece of paper.)
This 12-x-12-inch print looks great in the Nielsen-Bainbridge Poster frame. This frame doesn’t come with a mat, so I had one cut to size. (See the questions and answers below for more on the subject of mat boards.)
* I like the quality of the Nielsen-Bainbridge frames: They have a wide selection of finishes, colors and styles, and they use all archival materials.
Common Questions
Should I show the edges of the print or should I cover them with the mat?
My prints are all intended to have the art “float” inside the mat. This is the traditional way to display prints. This way you can see the variations around the edges of the art, and and also show the artist’s signature. If you’d prefer to have the art come to the edges of your mat, please just let me know and I’ll adjust the size of your print.
Why are mats usually wider at the bottom?
Weighting, or giving more space to the bottom of the mat, gives the piece a feeling of solidity (almost like a pedestal for your art to sit on.)
What if the frame doesn’t come with a mat?
This is where I think spending a few bucks on a custom cut mat is an excellent value. Just take your frame and your print over to the framer and ask them to cut a mat to fit! The Nielsen-Bainbridge, Tribeca Poster frame in the image above didn’t come with a mat. The frame is 20 x 24 inches, but my print’s image was 12 x 12 inches, so I had the framer cut me a mat to fill in the space between. The price for this was under $10 — well worth it for a professional look!
What if the frame comes with a mat, but it doesn’t fit my image?
Same answer as the question above!
I don’t like the cheap-looking acrylic that came with my frame.
Some lower priced frames have very flimsy “glazing.” (Glazing is the term used for the clear stuff that goes over your artwork to protect it — it’s usually glass or Plexiglas.) Here is another situation where the framer is your friend. Ask herto cut a piece for you to fit — it shouldn’t be more than a few bucks.
Glass or Plexiglas — what’s better?
Glass is heavy, and breakable. I usually choose Plexiglas for all my pieces. You can even get it with a UV coating — to add an extra layer of protection from sun damage.
Ready to dive in? Here are some great resources online to get you started:
Dick Blick: They have a huge selection at all price points.
American Frame: Here you can order all your framing components in the exact sizes you want, and they send everything ready for you to put together. Not as cheap as the ready-made frames but still cheaper than having a framer do the whole thing for you.
Jerry’s Artarama Another art store, similar to Dick Blick.
Or…
Forget all the framing fuss and get one of my Posh Panel Prints instead. They’re ready to hang right out of the box!
