Decorative Art & Frame
Frames Explained
(The Cliff Notes Version)

For a more complete explanation regarding museum conservation framing,
click the link below, but only after reading the Cliff Notes version.

DAF Museum Conservation Framing

Moulding This is where most of your custom framing dollar is invested. There are hundreds if not thousands of manufacturers of length moulding, and in many cases similar profiles are available from a number of manufacturers. More expensive moulding usually has a nicer finish and is easier to work with, but this is not always the case. Just pick a moulding that works with the character of the image. Don't worry too much about the wall color or the furniture in the room, because that will probably change over time. The piece of art should function as a finished piece that can placed anywhere.

Matboard The matboard you choose is very important, not the brand name but the level of conservational protection it offers. Paper mats are cheap and don't belong near any art, even reproductions, as far as I am concerned. If you are paying for it to be framed, it must be of some importance to you, so invest in conservation mats; either cotton rag or 100% acid free/lignin free alpha-cellulose paper boards. These are more expensive, but the mat is in direct contact with the art, so invest in museum quality boards. Paper mats will leave an acid burn on the art as the lignin leaches from the mat to the art. I promise.

Glazing The glass you choose can be very important depending upon where you are hanging your framed piece of art. If it will be in a sunny room, conservation glass with UV protection is necessary. UV light damages art and causes color fading, I promise. The upcharge is not all that significant, but the additional protection is valuable. Plexi is used for larger pieces or in cases where the piece might encounter rough treatment and you wish to avoid glass breakage and damage to the art. UV plexi is expensive, and even regular plexi is expensive compared to regular glass. Personally, I don't care for reflection control glass; it makes the art look fuzzy. Crystal glass looks like nothing, so you don't even see the glass; it's expensive. Most things I frame using regular glass; I always include the UV glass option in my quotes, but usually people find they are paying enough for custom framing already, so they don't choose the additional upcharge. In my opinion, it's inexpensive insurance and should be the norm.

Mounts The mount is what connects the art to the backing. There are adhesive tapes that claim to be acid free, but Filmoplast is not completely reversible, and that is one of the main ideas behind any good mount. The Japanese paper hinge with wheat paste starch adhesive has been the choice of museums and fine custom framers for as long as conservation has been an issue. Wheat paste starch adhesive releases with water, Filmoplast does not. Japanese papers come in various weights and is 100% acid free. If a piece of art is dropped, a good mount is supposed to break before the art itself rips. Very few custom framers use true museum mounts, most use Filmoplast. Ask to see their supply of Japanese paper or wheat starch paste if you have doubts. Filmoplast is better than drymount/wetmount/vacuum mounts, but it's not the best mount, it's the easier mount.

Backing The backing is as important as the matboard, because it is also in contact with the art. A layer of acid free (cotton rag or 100% acid free/lignin free alpha-cellulose matboard) matboard should be placed directly behind the art itself, and the entire package should have a sheet of acid free foam core for stability.

Summary Acid free, lignin free, and UV protected materials cost more, but if you can afford them, they are well worth the investment. If the piece you are framing is meaningful and might be passed on to future generations, it's chance of survival is greatly improved with the use of better framing materials. When your framer tells you they are using acid free materials and the best conservation practices, can you be sure you are getting what you are paying for? Not always, but you need to find a framer you can trust. When your piece is opened ten or twenty years from now, and the art is in pristine condition, then you know it was done right. Driver! Take me back to the framing homepage. On the double! ©MLH WebDesign, 2003