Framing Tips

When you have your precious artwork framed, it's important to keep preservation in mind. At Renaissance, your pieces are in skilled hands - for example, we recommend using acid-free materials and UV glass to slow fading. Here are 10 things you should know:

Why use a custom framing service?
Custom framing isn’t just for fine art. Whether you’re framing a print, a piece of child’s art, a family portrait, or that special painting, a custom frame will augment the artwork, reflect your personal taste, and protect the piece from aging and light damage.

What does a framer do?
A good framer is dedicated to providing beautiful custom design and great service. The staff at Renaissance has over 50 years of experience with preservation framing and design. We have a very large variety of materials and methods at our disposal to ensure that your special piece of art will be beautiful and unique, and we will help you with all of the decisions that go into properly framing your picture.

Before you get to framing …
Believe it or not, quite often our customers don’t race right in to have things framed as soon as pieces are acquired. If this is the case, please make sure that the artwork is placed in a folder, protective covering, or a tube; improper storage and/or shipping has ruined many a beautiful piece of art. Rolled pieces can be seriously damaged by rubber bands, tape, paperclips, or even a gentle squeeze.

Art doesn’t have to match the couch!
While the general overall style of the room is not unimportant, the frame shouldn’t match the décor at the expense of what looks good with the picture. We can help you through the process of choosing what looks best with both the artwork and the room. Remember – artwork tends to move around the house, and rooms get redecorated.

Use archival materials to protect your art.
Many materials that are commonly used for framing – paper mats and cardboard, for instance – contain acid that will gradually damage or destroy the artwork that they are touching. Archival acid-free mats and backing boards will help protect art from the damaging effects of time and from common pollutants that can cause yellowing, fading, and deterioration. Conservation glass is also used to screen out UV rays and keep colors bright and clear.

Mount the work properly.
The dry and wet mounting process bond artwork to a board to prevent it from bubbling or waving and are most appropriate for posters and photographs. Pieces of any value are generally not dry or wet mounted since these processes are irreversible and can affect resale value. Museum mounting, commonly known as hinging, attaches the art with paper hinges to the board. The art hangs freely, allowing it to expand or contract with changes in humidity. Hinging or archival photo corners are recommended for original artwork, delicate photographs, and other irreplaceable items.

Matting: form as well as function
The mat is the window-cut material placed around an image within a frame. Mats are made of a variety of materials and provide an almost unlimited range of colors and textures to complement the artwork. A mat serves as a spacer allowing the artwork to expand and contract with changes in humidity, as well as making the overall size of the finished piece larger and providing a space for the eyes to rest between the art and the frame.

At last – the frame!
We carry thousands of different frame styles and sizes in an incredible variety of stains, glazes, finishes, and textures. We will help you select the moulding that best suits your artwork and your personal taste, and we will have it made to your exact specifications.

Those special touches …
It’s all in the details. Consider adding a fillet, beveled mat treatment, creative window opening, specialty paper, or a fabric mat to add a distinctive custom look to your art. We are very experienced with all of these techniques and can help you decide if any of these options are right for your item. Sometimes a very small detail makes a huge difference in the outcome of the piece!

Glazing
Glazing refers to the glass or acrylic material covering the artwork as a means of protection. There are many variations including regular clear glass, anti-reflective (chemically-coated), non-glare (acid-etched) and conservation glass (specially formulated to help filter UV light). There are also acrylic glazing products that come in non-glare and UV filtering varieties. Acrylic is lighter in weight and is safer than glass but requires a soft cloth and nonabrasive cleanser. It is ideal for oversized pieces, frames hanging in children’s rooms or items that will be shipped. Again, we can help you decide what is right for your artwork.