5 Tips On Framing Art
Placing your new artwork or print in a suitable frame will protect the piece and make it last longer, and it can make the art look even better in your house.
You can choose to do this by yourself, or bring the art piece to a professional frame maker. You can look for one locally, and if you are unsure, you can look up a local art gallery and ask if they provide this service. If you use a professional service for framing, they will measure it and fit it for you. Just bring the art piece along to their shop, describe what you want and where you are planning on placing it (wall space), and they will sort it out for you.
If you choose to frame the artwork yourself, this guide can be helpful. (Illustrations are coming soon!)
Framed art print with a white matte.
Start by getting the measurements
Make sure you are using the correct measuring unit if you are purchasing a frame before you have the actual print in your hands. Read the description of the product to see if it is listed in centimeters, millimeters or inches. If you are buying in person, ask the seller if they have the measurements. I always prefer to bring out a tape measure or ruler and measure it myself. You’ll want to measure the width and height of the paper.
2. Decide where you want to display it
Do you want it to hang on a wall? Which wall? How tall is it? Should it rest on a picture shelf, or maybe on top of a hallways table, leaning against the wall? Do you want it to take up more space with an extra large frame?
3. Where can I get a frame?
Bring your measurements to a store that sells frames. This can be a picture frame maker, furniture store, interior decoration store, a photography shop, a hardware store, IKEA, or sometimes even your supermarket. A frame with actual glass will be kinder to your print over time than a plastic one.
4. Do I need a matte / passepartout?
I recommend using a matte, and getting a larger frame size that fits the matte.
A matte (or passepartout, as I call it) is an additional cardboard border that is placed between the artwork and the frame. It is important to choose a matte that is acid free, so that it doesn’t degrade the artwork. It is normal to use a white, off-white or black matte, depending on the colours of the artwork and your taste. The matte will cover the edges of the art piece and allow visual space between the art and the frame. This will generally bring more focus to the artwork, and it will feel less busy than having no space between the edge of the artwork and the frame.
5. How to mount an art print
Now that you have your art print, frame and matte in correct sizes, it’s time to mount the piece (which means putting the print in the frame). You need a clean, dry work surface, and clean hands without any lotion on. Suitable gloves are great if you have any. I like to remove the glass from the frame first, and give it a rinse in lukewarm water before drying it off with a paper towel or a cloth that doesn’t leave lint on the glass. I then let it air dry for an hour or two. You do not want to mount it while the frame glass has any trace of water on it.
While the glass dries, you can get out your matte, the art print and some acid-free, art grade paper tape. place the art print face down on the matte like you want it to sit, and then carefully put a small piece of tape on the top and bottom. Now your art print won’t fall down inside the frame, but sit nicely attached to the matte.
When your frame is clean and dry, you place the frame face down on the table, then put the glass back in, and then you place your matte with the art print attached. Then you can replace the back board of the frame, and fasten the little metal wires/hooks. You’re done!
Sometimes you don’t need a matte, for example if the poster already has a wide border.
Thanks a bunch for reading, I hope it clears up some questions for you! If you still have any questions, you are welcome to contact me via email, and I will do my best to answer.
Future dream projects!
As I have been working on building this new website, I have been thinking about what I want my portfolio to include. And there are loads of projects I want to do that I haven’t gotten around to yet, so now I’m making a list!
I’ve seen other illustrators do this as well, for example Sha’an (Furrylittlepeach) had a list like this on her website at one point, and I think it is a very fun idea.
So if you need a design project like these done, please send an email my way:
Visual identity for a diner /café
Food packaging
Anything Aurora Borealis themed (northern lights)
Drink label design
Editorial illustration for a food related story /recipe
More book covers
Illustrations for a mental health related campaign
Music festival poster + more concert posters!
Those are some of the future projects on my mind right now. :-)
— OM x
A New Beginning
Welcome to my new portfolio website! It isn’t hugely different from the old one, but I know that it will run smoother and it will be easier for me to maintain. And as a side-effect of doing all this website makeover work, I’ve really become excited about having a website again!
And as you are witnessing by being here right now and reading this, I am coming back to my blogging roots. It has been on my mind for a while now. I miss writing things like this. I first started blogging back when blogs were huge and everywhere. The photos I shared on that blog weren’t seen by many people at all, but in a way it was where my internet journey started. After a while, I also started sharing my drawings online. And here we are today.
There will be a newsletter on here as well when I’ve figured things out, as well as an online store where you can buy my art again. Some things to get sorted, but I’m having a great time with it!
Oh, and I made this new favicon! I quite like it at the moment. A cute, quirky, colourful version of my little house.