There is some truth in the statement, 'the only people making money in art photography are shippers and framers'. A quality custom frame will usually cost more than the photography print going into it, unless that print is by an art photographer who can command very high prices. The purpose of this blog post is to make an argument that investing in a quality frame is worth the cost.
There are three main purposes for having a photograph or art print framed:
- Protect the art
- Showcase the art
- Hang the art
Protect Your Investment
Exposure to the elements will destroy a print. Slow degradation includes exposure to ultraviolet light that destroys color pigments, accumulation of particulates on the surface, and the effects of moist or dry air on the pigments and substrates. Faster damage can be caused by sprayed, misted, or splashed liquids, or even abrasion from solid objects bumping into the piece.
Exposure to human activity can also cause problems. Innocent (or not) touching of the surface of the print will leave behind natural skin oils or covering chemicals from lotions, medications, perfumes, or the mustard from lunch. Even breathing on the surface of a print will leave behind solid and liquid particles that can negatively affect the print.
Encapsulation is the solution, and a frame is the easiest way to enclose the art inside a space that will protect it from the elements. Not all frames are equal, however, and this is where a quality custom frame and mat can make all the difference. Custom framers will provide options for better protection, like different qualities of UV-blocking acrylic, acid-free mat material of different thicknesses, and acid free backing boards. A custom framer should also be covering the back of the frame with a barrier that will protect the back of the print, but still allow the art to breath in the frame.
Mats are also very important, because they provide space between the face of the art print and the acrylic or glass in the frame. Mats of different thicknesses or multiple mats can be used to provide more or less space. There is no way to truly prevent all humidity from entering a frame, and when combined with temperature changes that humidity will cause the print to swell or shrink on a very small scale. The space air space in front of the print provided by the mat allows the print to breath without being damaged.
Showcase the Piece to Its Best Potential
Frames help to make a photograph or art print look better in a few ways. The most obvious being that a frame, especially when combined with matting, creates depth that draws the eye from the edges of the frame into the art in the middle. A frame and mat can also have the effect of making a small print look larger. Choosing the right combination of frame and mat sizes and colors will determine how effective they are at enhancing the piece, but that is a larger topic for a future blog. A good custom framer will help make a good design decision.
A frame can also be used to blend the piece into the decor of the room. If the furniture in the room is all rustic wood, then a rustic wood frame will probably look better than a shiny metal frame. If the space that the piece will go into is much larger than the art going into the frame, then and oversized frame can help to balance the piece in the space.
Don't Neglect Hanging Hardware
The frame is going to be the structure that permits the photograph or art to be mounted on the wall. The hardware to do this is often an afterthought, but choosing the best way to hang the art is going to be an important decision. The two most important factors to take into consideration are the weight of the piece and the material that the wall is made of.
Heavy frames require stronger hardware. Most of the hanging systems that are sold in hardware stores will have a maximum weight stated on the packaging. It is best to err on the side of the hanging system being too strong than not being strong enough. The stability of the hanging system should also be given some thought. A wire on the hook may feel fine for a small piece, but might be a bit precarious for larger frames. If the piece will hang in a high-traffic area or somewhere the piece may be bumped by a person walking by, a more solid and stable hanging system should be chosen.
Drywall and plaster are weaker materials for holding art than wood or cement, especially if the drywall or plaster is old. Heavier pieces of art will need strong anchors designed or weak drywall or plaster, or choose hanging hardware that will pass through to a supporting stud in the wall. Cement, brick, and cinderblock are brittle materials that can be hard to drive a nail or screw into, so anchors designed for those types of walls should be used. Damage to the wall by the hanging hardware should also be a concern, especially in cement, brick or cinderblock that are much harder to repair that drywall or wood.
In Conclusion
There are many good reasons to display art and photography prints inside quality frames. In general, the larger and/or more valuable the print, the more important a good frame will be. Inexpensive off the shelf frames may be fine for smaller prints in standard dimensions, but larger or non-standard pieces will need a custom frame. There are many sources, but a local framer who can help choose the best style, finish, matting and hanging hardware is worth the extra cost.
Quality frames and custom framing services are not cheap, but neither is that art or photography print that you want to last forever.