Lena Rivera
Framing a painting can be a fun and creative process, allowing you to add a personal touch to your artwork and enhance its visual appeal. Whether you're working with a canvas, print, or traditional painting, the right frame can elevate your piece and protect it for years to come. In this guide, we'll explore the steps involved in placing a painting in a frame, from preparing the artwork to choosing the right materials and assembling the final product. We'll also discuss the importance of framing for preservation and offer tips for creating a professional and stylish display. By the end, you should feel empowered to tackle your framing project with confidence and a touch of artistic flair!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Framing material | Wood, metal, glass |
| Frame type | Standard, floater, custom |
| Tools | Staple gun, pliers, nails, glue, hanger wire, tape, mat cutter |
| Preparation | Clean glass, ensure art is dry, protect art from fingerprints |
| Art mounting | Use photo pockets, acid-free tape, back mount, barrier board |
| Spacing | 5mm gap between glass and artwork, spacers may be used |
| Moisture barrier | Polyester or aluminium foil sheet |
| Extras | Bumper stickers, canvas offset clips |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing the right frame
Firstly, the type of art you are framing is crucial. If you are framing an oil painting, it is recommended to avoid glazing a newly finished piece. Oil paint takes a long time to fully dry and cure, and the paint layers will dry at different rates. Framing an oil painting without glass, especially in the first few years, allows it to breathe and prevents cracking and flaking. For softer media like pencil, charcoal, or pastel drawings, a gap of about 5 mm or 1/4" between the glass and the artwork is optimal to prevent smudging.
The size and shape of your artwork should also guide your frame choice. For canvas art, ensure that your frame is at least as deep as your canvas. If you choose a wood frame with a rabbet larger than the canvas, order points with your frame at the required depth. If you opt for a metal frame with a deeper rabbet, you may need spring clips or offset clips to hold your canvas in place. Additionally, consider whether you want your canvas to be stretched over stretcher bars before framing, as this will impact the frame size and type you choose.
The colour and style of the frame are also important considerations. If your artwork is colourful, choose a frame that complements the colours in the piece and the colour scheme of the room where it will hang. You may also want to consider painting or restaining your frame to match your artwork and decor.
Lastly, if you are framing artwork for a cold and damp environment, consider adding a moisture barrier. Conservationally-aware framers use a sheet of polyester or aluminium foil between the back mount and backboard to protect the artwork from moisture.
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Preparing the painting
Choose the Right Frame
Select a frame that complements the colours in the painting and the décor of the room where it will be displayed. Consider the size of the painting and choose a frame with the appropriate dimensions. If you're framing a canvas, you can opt for a standard wood or metal picture frame, or a floater frame. Ensure the frame has a rabbet deep enough to accommodate your stretched canvas.
Prepare the Frame
If you're using an old frame, remove any existing staples, nails, or glass. Clean the glass thoroughly and consider painting or restaining the frame to match your preferences. Allow the glass and frame to dry completely before proceeding.
Stretching the Canvas
If you have a rolled canvas, it's important to stretch it before framing. Place your canvas face down on a clean surface. Measure the height and width to determine the required frame size, leaving enough canvas to fold and staple to the stretcher bar. Cut any excess canvas, leaving at least two inches to fold over and stretch. Stretching the canvas ensures it remains taut and prevents loosening over time.
Mounting the Artwork
To protect your artwork, consider using a barrier board, also known as a back mount. This creates a barrier between the artwork and the backboard, preventing acid leaching that can damage the image. Soft pencil, charcoal, or pastel drawings are particularly vulnerable to smudging and should be protected with a spacer to create a gap between the glass and the artwork. If you're framing an oil painting, it is recommended to frame it without glass initially to allow the paint to cure properly and prevent cracking or flaking.
Mat the Artwork
Before placing the artwork in the frame, you can choose to mat it. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly to avoid leaving any marks or smudges. There are two common methods: laying the art on top of the mat or cutting a hole in the mat and placing the art behind it. The former method is less restrictive and avoids the need for precise cutting.
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Attaching the painting to the frame
Preparing the Frame and the Painting
First, ensure that your frame is ready to receive the painting. If your frame has a backing, such as cardboard, foam core board, or wood, held in place with staples or tiny nails, gently remove these using pliers. You can reuse old nails if they are still in good condition. If you plan to paint or restain your frame, do so before attaching the painting. Allow any paint or stain to dry thoroughly.
Attaching the Painting
Now, it's time to attach your painting. If you are framing a canvas, ensure that it is stretched over stretcher bars. Place your canvas face down on a clean surface. If you are using a standard wood or metal frame, make sure the frame is at least as deep as your canvas. You can use canvas offset clips to hold the canvas in the frame. For a metal frame with a deep rabbet, you may need spring clips.
If you are framing a drawing or a more delicate artwork, you will need to take extra care. Place the artwork behind the window mount and fix it with tiny photo pockets or acid-free tape to a 'back mount' or 'barrier board', which will protect the artwork from acid leaching from the backing board. Soft pencil, charcoal, or pastel drawings are particularly vulnerable, so ensure a gap of about 5mm between the glass and the artwork. Conservationally-aware framers may also add a sheet of polyester or aluminium foil as a moisture barrier between the back mount and the backboard.
Securing the Artwork
Once your artwork is in place, carefully lay the glass back into the frame, being careful not to leave fingerprints. Then, lay in the foam or wood backing and gently tack pushpins or small nails into the frame to hold everything in place. Use more fasteners than you think you need—at least one every six inches.
Finally, if desired, cover the back with paper. Use a thin line of glue to attach kraft paper over the backside of the frame. Now, your artwork is securely attached to its frame and ready to be hung!
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Securing the painting
Prepare the Frame
First, ensure your frame is ready to receive the painting. If you are using a pre-made frame, you may need to remove any existing staples, nails, or glass. If the frame is old, carefully remove any tiny nails with pliers, reusing them later if they are still intact. You can then paint or restain the frame to your desired colour.
Prepare the Artwork
Before securing your painting, it is important to prepare it properly. If you are using a rolled canvas, stretch it over stretcher bars. Place the canvas face down on a clean surface, ensuring it is smooth and taut. If you need to cut the canvas due to excess material, leave at least two inches to fold over and stretch.
Fix the Artwork
Now, it's time to secure your painting within the frame. Place the glass back into the frame, being careful not to leave any fingerprints. Then, lay your artwork onto the glass. If your painting is on paper, use photo pockets or acid-free tape to fix it to a back mount or barrier board. This protects the artwork from any acid leaching from the backboard. For canvas paintings, ensure the frame fits snugly over the wood frame of the canvas.
Secure with Nails or Pins
Finally, use small nails or pushpins to secure the artwork in place. Gently tack these into the frame, using more than you think is necessary—at least one every six inches. If you prefer, you can use staples or a staple gun, especially for canvas paintings. For metal frames with deep rabbets, you may need to use spring clips or offset clips to hold the canvas in place.
Additional Tips
To enhance the security of your artwork, consider adding a moisture barrier, especially if your home is cold and damp. Place a sheet of polyester or aluminium foil between the back mount and backboard. Additionally, you can add 'bumper stickers', or foam pads, to the corners of the backing board. These create space between the backboard and wall, ensuring air circulation and added protection for your artwork.
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Finishing touches
Now that you've chosen your frame, it's time to put the finishing touches on your framed painting. Here are some tips to help you do this:
- If you're framing a canvas, you can place the frame directly over the wood frame of the canvas. Ensure that the frame is at least as deep as your canvas.
- If you're using a glass frame, make sure to clean it thoroughly before assembling your framed art. It is important to keep fingerprints off the glass, especially on the side that will touch your art.
- When framing an oil painting with glass, a spacer is essential. It is also strongly advised to never glaze a newly finished oil painting. Oil paint takes a long time to fully dry, and the paint layers will dry at different rates. Framing an oil painting without glass allows it to 'breathe' and prevents cracking and flaking.
- If you want to paint or restain your frame, do it before assembling the frame.
- When assembling the frame, use tiny nails or pushpins to hold the art in place. Use more than you think is necessary—at least one every six inches.
- If your frame is missing its picture wire, you can add D-ring hangers and twist picture wire through both rings.
- Finally, clean any stray fingerprints off the front of your framed art.
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Frequently asked questions
You can place a frame directly over the wood frame of the canvas. You can also buy a pre-made frame or get one custom-made. If you want to build your own frame, cut the mouldings/frame at a 45-degree angle and put them together with a staple gun.
It is strongly advised never to glaze a newly finished oil painting. This is because oil paint takes a long time to fully dry and the paint layers will dry at different rates. Framing an oil painting with glass is possible, but a spacer is essential.
You can scour thrift stores for well-made frames with glass and buy the rest of the supplies from your local art supply store.
Rolled canvas prints need to be stretched before framing. Place the canvas face down on a clean surface and measure the height and width to see what frame size you need. Make sure to leave enough canvas to fold and staple to the stretcher bar.
Soft pencil, charcoal, or pastel drawings are vulnerable to contact with glass or acrylic. The optimal gap between the glass and the artwork would be around 5 mm or 1/4 inches. This can be achieved by using a double or triple mount, or a single mount and a spacer.
