| Blog series by kewald | updated 339 days ago | 7 parts | 1168 reads | 6 comments total |
Part 1: Glazing
When framing anything using glass or acrylic as the glazing, there should be an air gap of at least 1/8” between the art or object being framed and the inside surface of the glass. This is to prevent moisture, from the condensation that will almost certainly occur, from transferring to the framed item. A common way to accomplish this is to use two layers of matting between the glass and the artwork. Other ways include special plastic spacers or to use a secondary rabbet in the frame ...
Part 2: Preservation
There are many books about preservation of framed art, documents, photos and objects. This is in no way a comprehensive treatment. In general, the contents of the framing package (backer board, mounting board, mats, etc.) should be acid free. Even if the art or item being framed is acidic this is generally the rule to prevent the package contents from degrading over time. If the art, document or photo is on an acid free substrate (paper) this is especially true as the acid from non-acid...
Part 3: Dust Cover
A picture frame typically has a dust cover on the back. As it’s name implies, this cover is designed to keep dust out of the frame package. However, it is really more important than that. Properly covering the obverse of a frame keeps out dust, insects and airborne pollutants that could cause harm to the frame contents. Kraft paper has historically been the covering material of choice, although truly not the best. In my opinion, the best covering material is Tyvek. You know, the s...
Part 4: Placing art on walls
This article is not about the artistic placement of art but rather about the physical placement. Any framed art or item that you value should never be hung on an exterior wall or above an active fireplace. Exterior walls go thorough drastic temperature changes during the days and seasons. These changes can set up conditions that cause cycles of dryness and condensation inside a frame package which, in turn, can cause damage to the contents. Active fireplaces, whether buring wood or natu...
Part 5: Spacing around frame components
All parts of the frame package (backing board, mounting board, mats, art, glazing) need to be spaced away from the edge of the frame so that natural expansion/contraction of each part does not cause bowing or cracking. In general, there should be 1/16” space on each side and 1/8” space at the top, more for large frames.
Part 6: Hanging
For best viewing, the center of the framed image should be approximately 63” above the floor. Any picture frame larger than 8” X 10” should be hung using two hooks. This reduces the torque on the frame and also prevents movement of the picture on the wall. If the wire on the frame is too tight to use two hooks then the frame should be re-wired. When wiring a frame, the wire should be long enough so that the angle between the wire attaching point and the nearest hooking position is app...
Part 7: Matting Design
This article discusses the visual, but not decorative, aspects of mat design. There are many books written about this subject, so this is far from a complete treatise. Generally, the total width of the mats (between the image edge and the frame sight edge) should be wider than the width of the frame. The purpose is to provide a visual break between the frame and the image so the image becomes the center of attention instead of having to compete visually with the frame. Of course, this...
Insights into design and preservation.
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