Framing Works on Paper

Matting and framing can be a costly addition to the price of a piece of art but it does not have to be so. Using high-end frame shops is a luxury for most of us. There are many options and resources available for people who love art but are also on a budget. The more you can do yourself, the more money you will save in framing. There are also many on-line sites and printed reference materials that make it easy for you to frame art pieces yourself. If you can afford professional framing by all means go for it, but if you are on a budget, keep reading.

Matting:

Many craft and art supply stores others offer pre-cut mats at reasonable prices. The mat should be made of acid free paper. Rag paper is nice too if you can pay a bit extra. If your art piece is large or is not a standard size you may have to have a mat cut, but this again is a fairly inexpensive part of the framing process. I mat my watercolors with an off white rag acid free mat. I choose one with a nice tooth to it - that’s it (although a nice complementary 1/8" mat liner does look nice on many pieces).
If you do not have mat experience or access to a good mat cutter !!!DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CUT YOUR OWN MAT!!!   A badly cut mat jumps out at the viewer and detracts from the artwork. You will need two pieces of matt the same size, one for the backing of the art piece, and one for the framing mat.

Frames:

Many craft stores and on-line stores offer standard and custom frames at very reasonable prices. Wood frames can be ordered preassembled. Metal frames can be ordered in kits of two same-sized sections. Two kits make one frame. These are the easiest frames to assemble. Make sure you order the hardware package if it is not included in the price.

Glass or Acrylic:

Glass or acrylic sheets can be ordered from your local glass dealer or craft store or frame shop. Plexiglass and certain specialty glass offers UV protection as well. Plexiglass has the added convenience of being light weight and unbreakable (but sensitive to scratching).

My matting and framing prices :

Many of my paintings are pre-framed for studio and gallery display (see individual paintings) and price listed is for the framed piece.. For framing requested for unframed pieces, I use Nielsen  brushed metal frames from their Florentine Collection. Smaller pieces are glazed with 1/8" picture frame glass, larger pieces are glazed with plexiglass. Single mats are cut from off white acid free rag mat board. Mat borders are 2" to 5" depending on the size of the piece. Prices for mat, backing, frame and glazing in my studio range from $30.00 for smaller pieces to $75.00 for larger (30X38 framed) pieces.

Shipping

I ship UPS or USPS ground unless otherwise requested. Insurance for replacement value is included in the shipping price.

 

 

 

 

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