Here is some Framing information that you may find helpful.
What are environmental factors harmful to artwork?
Light: Any amount of light is damaging to artwork over time. Colours will fade by UV rays from natural and fluorescent sources alike. Paper absorbs high-energy photons, which through a chemical reaction break down the paper over time causing it to brittle.
Heat and Humidity: Warm and moist conditions invite the growth of mold and bacteria. Framed artwork should be kept away from sources of heat or water in your home.
Moisture: Moisture in the form of condensation can collect inside the framing if subjected to radical changes in temperature or humidity. Glazing should never be touching the artwork in the frame. Using a mat or a spacer will allow an area for air circulation and prevent condensation from soaking into the paper.
Dirt and Dust: Pollution in the atmosphere can combine with moisture in the air to form acids that will cause damage to works on paper.
What things need Conservation Framing?
Items of historical, resale, collectible or simply sentimental value will require conservation framing. Anything you would like preserved for the enjoyment of future generations is a candidate for conservation framing.
What are the elements of Conservation Framing?
Frame: Besides complementing your piece, the frame choice should be strong enough for the size and weight of the art and provide enough depth to allow for air circulation or any necessary reinforcements within the frame.
Glass: A glazing that filters out harmful UV rays is necessary for conservation framing. The highest quality acrylic or glass will shield your art from 97% of damaging UV light. All UV coated materials are also available with anti-reflective coatings to reduce glare and provide amazing clarity for the viewer. UV Acrylic is a good option for larger pieces or when there is any danger of glass shattering, such as in shipping or art hanging in a public space.
Matting: 100% cotton rag mat board (museum standard) with no artificial pigment is the traditional and historically proven choice for conservation matting. Alkaline buffered wood pulp based boards are a new innovation. These boards are made using MicroChamber technology. This technology protects art from aging or fading.
Backing: Any backing boards used to support the piece from behind should be stable and rigid as well as archival and acid free.
Hanging Tips for Frames
Once your art and memorabilia has been framed, it needs to be displayed. Although it is popular today to lean pictures here and there, the most common home for frames is still on the wall. The two main things to focus on will be visual placement and making sure they are hung securely, for your safety as well as the safety of the framing itself and anything it might damage if it falls.
Hang Safe
It is important to hang frames securely, using appropriate supplies and techniques. There are different methods you can use depending on the application. Read on for specific examples.
To Hold Heavy Mirrors
Avoid the use of picture wire. Hang directly from strap hangers (a loop over a flat plate that screws into the frame). Rather than traditional wall hooks, use wall anchors such as Molly Bolts, that go through the sheet rock and lock into it.
To Prevent Theft
Security Hangers are available that firmly hold all sides of the frame in place on the wall. A special key tool is needed to lock it and again to unlock it. These are generally used in public places but are also good where the frame may easily be bumped.
To Protect Kids
In a kid’s room where things are thrown around, use Security Hangers. If you don’t have access to them, try strap hangers on each side of the frame and heavy duty hooks in the wall for the hanger to sit into. Do not rely on just nails in the wall as they can fall out of the wall or the frame can jump off the nail if something is thrown at it.
To Avoid Crooked Frames on the Wall
When frames are hung from a single point, they usually shift on the wall over time. Both for safety and also to keep frames straight, always hang everything from two points. On heavier pieces this also helps distribute the weight.
To Keep Frames Flush to the Wall
Screw eyes that are often used to attach wire to the frame tend to make the frames lean out from the wall more than they need to. Also, excess slack in the wire can cause the top to lean out. By switching to strap hangers, you can overcome both problems. These hangers are flatter and give you the option of hanging directly from the hanger versus using wire.
Hang Smart
Even the most beautiful pieces of framed art can still look awkward if they are not hung logically. Some of the key considerations are:
Single Pieces
Single pieces offer a lot of flexibility, but there are still general guidelines that will help your presentations. Typically the frame should not be longer than the furniture piece below it, although this is not a firm rule. Avoid heavy frames over dainty furniture or petite framing over massive furniture to create balance. In small spaces avoid overly dramatic art that is best viewed from a distance and in a large space choose a piece that can be seen and enjoyed from across the room.
Pairs
Pairs can be hung side by side or one over the other. Consider the wall space when making your decision. In rooms with long walls and low ceilings, hang them beside each other. In a two story room to fill some of the vertical space, hang one on top of the other. Pairs do not have to be placed immediately adjacent to one another. You can hang one piece on each side of a mirror or tall piece of furniture. Pairs can also be split to become the outermost pieces of a grouping.
Matched Sets
Matched sets of framed art are usually framed identically and hung in an organized fashion on the wall. These types of groupings often end up in a grid with perfect spacing. Stairway walls are wonderful for displaying sets. Simply shift your rows so they progress up the wall at the same angle as the stairs. You can also divide sets. For example, hang half on each side of an armoire.
Random Collections
Unlike matched sets of art, this might be something like a collection of landscape paintings, family photos, etc. In this case, frame them to suit each piece of art and hang them in a less structured way. If you may want to add to your collection, this type of arrangement makes it easier to add pieces in the future. Whether you prefer symmetry or choose an asymmetrical arrangement, it pays to create a pleasing balance of colours, sizes, styles, and textures so one side doesn't overpower the other.
Remember:)
Light: Any amount of light is damaging to artwork over time. Colours will fade by UV rays from natural and fluorescent sources alike. Paper absorbs high-energy photons, which through a chemical reaction break down the paper over time causing it to brittle.
Heat and Humidity: Warm and moist conditions invite the growth of mold and bacteria. Framed artwork should be kept away from sources of heat or water in your home.
Moisture: Moisture in the form of condensation can collect inside the framing if subjected to radical changes in temperature or humidity. Glazing should never be touching the artwork in the frame. Using a mat or a spacer will allow an area for air circulation and prevent condensation from soaking into the paper.
Dirt and Dust: Pollution in the atmosphere can combine with moisture in the air to form acids that will cause damage to works on paper.
What things need Conservation Framing?
Items of historical, resale, collectible or simply sentimental value will require conservation framing. Anything you would like preserved for the enjoyment of future generations is a candidate for conservation framing.
What are the elements of Conservation Framing?
Frame: Besides complementing your piece, the frame choice should be strong enough for the size and weight of the art and provide enough depth to allow for air circulation or any necessary reinforcements within the frame.
Glass: A glazing that filters out harmful UV rays is necessary for conservation framing. The highest quality acrylic or glass will shield your art from 97% of damaging UV light. All UV coated materials are also available with anti-reflective coatings to reduce glare and provide amazing clarity for the viewer. UV Acrylic is a good option for larger pieces or when there is any danger of glass shattering, such as in shipping or art hanging in a public space.
Matting: 100% cotton rag mat board (museum standard) with no artificial pigment is the traditional and historically proven choice for conservation matting. Alkaline buffered wood pulp based boards are a new innovation. These boards are made using MicroChamber technology. This technology protects art from aging or fading.
Backing: Any backing boards used to support the piece from behind should be stable and rigid as well as archival and acid free.
Hanging Tips for Frames
Once your art and memorabilia has been framed, it needs to be displayed. Although it is popular today to lean pictures here and there, the most common home for frames is still on the wall. The two main things to focus on will be visual placement and making sure they are hung securely, for your safety as well as the safety of the framing itself and anything it might damage if it falls.
Hang Safe
It is important to hang frames securely, using appropriate supplies and techniques. There are different methods you can use depending on the application. Read on for specific examples.
To Hold Heavy Mirrors
Avoid the use of picture wire. Hang directly from strap hangers (a loop over a flat plate that screws into the frame). Rather than traditional wall hooks, use wall anchors such as Molly Bolts, that go through the sheet rock and lock into it.
To Prevent Theft
Security Hangers are available that firmly hold all sides of the frame in place on the wall. A special key tool is needed to lock it and again to unlock it. These are generally used in public places but are also good where the frame may easily be bumped.
To Protect Kids
In a kid’s room where things are thrown around, use Security Hangers. If you don’t have access to them, try strap hangers on each side of the frame and heavy duty hooks in the wall for the hanger to sit into. Do not rely on just nails in the wall as they can fall out of the wall or the frame can jump off the nail if something is thrown at it.
To Avoid Crooked Frames on the Wall
When frames are hung from a single point, they usually shift on the wall over time. Both for safety and also to keep frames straight, always hang everything from two points. On heavier pieces this also helps distribute the weight.
To Keep Frames Flush to the Wall
Screw eyes that are often used to attach wire to the frame tend to make the frames lean out from the wall more than they need to. Also, excess slack in the wire can cause the top to lean out. By switching to strap hangers, you can overcome both problems. These hangers are flatter and give you the option of hanging directly from the hanger versus using wire.
Hang Smart
Even the most beautiful pieces of framed art can still look awkward if they are not hung logically. Some of the key considerations are:
- Choosing framed art that fits the space where it will hang
- Hang frames in reasonably close proximity to the furniture below it to create unison
- Hang frames at eye level for maximum viewing pleasure, keeping in mind people stand in foyers and halls and sit in many other spaces so that height can vary
Single Pieces
Single pieces offer a lot of flexibility, but there are still general guidelines that will help your presentations. Typically the frame should not be longer than the furniture piece below it, although this is not a firm rule. Avoid heavy frames over dainty furniture or petite framing over massive furniture to create balance. In small spaces avoid overly dramatic art that is best viewed from a distance and in a large space choose a piece that can be seen and enjoyed from across the room.
Pairs
Pairs can be hung side by side or one over the other. Consider the wall space when making your decision. In rooms with long walls and low ceilings, hang them beside each other. In a two story room to fill some of the vertical space, hang one on top of the other. Pairs do not have to be placed immediately adjacent to one another. You can hang one piece on each side of a mirror or tall piece of furniture. Pairs can also be split to become the outermost pieces of a grouping.
Matched Sets
Matched sets of framed art are usually framed identically and hung in an organized fashion on the wall. These types of groupings often end up in a grid with perfect spacing. Stairway walls are wonderful for displaying sets. Simply shift your rows so they progress up the wall at the same angle as the stairs. You can also divide sets. For example, hang half on each side of an armoire.
Random Collections
Unlike matched sets of art, this might be something like a collection of landscape paintings, family photos, etc. In this case, frame them to suit each piece of art and hang them in a less structured way. If you may want to add to your collection, this type of arrangement makes it easier to add pieces in the future. Whether you prefer symmetry or choose an asymmetrical arrangement, it pays to create a pleasing balance of colours, sizes, styles, and textures so one side doesn't overpower the other.
Remember:)
