WHAT DOES THE FRAMING PROCESS INCLUDE?

By now you know that a framing job generally includes a frame, mat and glass. If it’s canvas there’s a stretcher bar around which the canvas is wrapped and attached. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Let’s go back to the initial stages of designing the framing job.

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The Design - first of all, good custom framing depends on the type of art to be framed, and the degree to which it must be protected. For example, the process known as “conservation framing” for important works of art is designed to be 100% reversible. This mean the art is not glued or taped or stuck to any of the other materials used in the framing process. This ensures that if you wish to remove it from the frame later on it will be available exactly as it was when it was first framed.

 

Once this decision has been made, the design of the framing components is a blend of your personal tastes, your home décor requirements, and the craftsmanship we bring to the work. It’s also your chance to to choose whatever frame you feel will work, as well the background mats, and glass. So the sky is pretty much the limit when you custom frame. You can have a single image, or multiple images to form a collage. You can have a single mat, or double mats to give the art even more character. If the art is a three dimensional object like a baseball or a hockey stick, we can build a “shadowbox” tailored exactly to your needs.

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The Big Reveal - when you work together with the framer you bring in your art, lay it on our framing desk, and then go through a brief trial and error process of trying to match frame, mat and picture. As previously noted, if you’re working with a good framer there is almost always that “aha moment” where the combination reveals itself or becomes self-evident. And then you and the framer say “oh, that looks good, I like that”. And if everyone agrees you usually have your selections made.

 

When choosing a mat during this process the general rule of thumb is that the mat should have one of the primary colours in the picture in order to match well. If the picture has multiple colours you can also go with a double mat. This is a thin inner mat that captures one colour, and a wider out mat that captures another colour. When you’re in our shop just ask to see an example and it will be clearer. We can also add features like a V-groove which runs around the outside of the picture giving it even more context. Easy for us to do, and they look great.

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The Final Product – when it’s done the frame should also have some element of the same colour as the picture, but the real trick is to create a smooth and pleasing (to the eye) transition between the image, the mat and the frame. If all you can see is the mat or the frame then the image will get lost and you will not be happy. It’s our job to help you achieve that “wow” factor. And we’re always amazed when customer come in with a print, or a canvas, or a signed jersey that they’ve had in a box or their basement for ten years just waiting to be brought to live with a great framing job. Same thing if you have digital files on your camera waiting to be framed. Bring them to us and we’ll use our Print-On-Demand service to make the files whatever size you desire, and then carry out the framing process for them as well.

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Timing – how long does the framing job take. It can depend on a few things like the frame you choose. Sometimes we have it in stock, and sometimes we have to order it in. But in general the entire process never takes much more than a week, and possibly two if components have to be back ordered.