Buying Guide
Picture Mounts

Things to Consider

Every mount we make is made to measure, so you can order a mount almost any size, big or small. This means you don't need to trim your artwork or buy a new frame, which saves you money.

Your Mount

• Value - The price of the mount will depend upon a number of factors. These can be attributed to the style of the mount, the grade of board used, the number of openings and the external size
• Style - Always consider the frame and the artwork, make sure you choose a mount which will complement both
• Openings - Typically people order mounts with just one opening. However, you may wish to display multiple photos in your frame. Grouping similar pictures together can help you to tell your story better. You can do this by choosing from our own multi mounts or design your own custom layout

Your Picture / Art

A mount does two things; it prevents the artwork from touching the glass and creates a visual space between the subject matter and the frame, helping to make your art stand out on the wall. The question of whether you will need a mount is sometimes dependent on the type of art you are framing. Please see below where and when you would need to utilise a mount

• Powder Pigment Art (charcoal, pastel and pencil drawings) - A mount must be used with all powder pigment based works of art framed behind glass. This is to stop the pigmented surface from being lifted due to the static from acrylic glazing, or smudged
• Original Paintings & Other Valuable Pictures - Conservation mounting is crucial when framing artwork of value or estimated future value behind glass. Like pastels above, mounts help to prevent the painting from touching the glass, so if your painting has thick paint, make sure you order a luxury deep bevel mount. This also allows the picture to breathe and move freely within the frame, preventing wrinkling and moisture build-up. Mounts reduce the number of times the picture is handled because you can lift the art by the mount, rather than the piece itself

Other Considerations

• The Frame - Remember, if you’ve already got a frame, the mount needs to fit both the frame and the artwork. To do this, enter the size of your artwork online and then adjust the mount borders until the external size of your mount fits the frame
• Returns - Made to measure mounts with fit protection can be returned for a replacement mount in the correct size
• Delivery Time - Express delivery is available, but if you're ordering more than 1000 custom mounts we may need more than 2 days to make them

Mount Sizes

Bespoke Sizes

Got a custom size picture? We can cut a mount to fit both the image and the frame exactly. All mounts are precision cut on Swiss engineered mount cutters and tailored to requirements; all we require is the measurements. Find out how to measure.

We don’t charge a premium for custom sizes vs. standard sizes – they’re all manufactured in the same way.

Standard Sizes

We’ve assembled a comprehensive list of standard frame sizes. These cover almost everything from little postcards, to certificates, to oversize posters.

No. of Openings

Typically, most mounts are purchased with a single aperture; however, we do provide alternatives for those wishing to get more creative.

Multi Photo Mounts

• Ready to Purchase Layouts - eFrame has a range of multi-mounts which are available for quick purchase today, these are mounts with multiple openings, in standard photo sizes and popular layouts
• Bespoke Layouts - We can also cut completely custom mount layouts with apertures in any size and orientation. If you have a vision of the design you want, please upload your mount diagram for us to give you a quick quote

Materials

Our white core & black core boards enhance your photos & art with their stylish, professional look. The mounts we use do not discolour over time and rated differently when it comes to conservation standards, but what does this mean for you and your artwork?

Fine Art Trade Guild Standards

• FATG Guild Standard: Conservation - 100% Conservation quality, these mounts, when used with conservation barrier board allow you to relax in the knowledge your art is safe and framed to a Conservation standard. Technically speaking, they're made from a chemically purified pulp, where all the potentially damaging substances have been removed. This means the acid neutral, pure white bevel remains white throughout the passage of time and won’t harm your artwork
• FATG Guild Standard: Standard - These mounts, which include black core boards and boards with bold and brightly coloured face paper, are perfect for cost-effective framing when conservation quality materials are not necessary. They're buffered with Calcium Carbonate to a pH of 7.5 to 9.5, exactly like our Conservation boards, but the decorative colours can bleed into the art over time. The white bevel will stay white indefinitely
• FATG Guild Standard: Museum - Whilst these mounts aren't stocked by us, it's worth mentioning that Museum standard board is high-end, 100% cotton fibre option that's used to frame original artwork, fine prints and precious documents by Museums.

To learn more about our mount product range and standards, visit Slater Harrison & The Fine Art Trade Guild.

Mount Colours & Styles

Face Paper

You’ve got a choice of about 50 colour options. We always default to Iced White as it tends to look great with most pictures, but we offer plenty of options for more particular and adventurous customers.

Core Colour

• White Core - The board core is white and does not discolour over time
• Black Core - The board core is solid black to provide serious visual impact when they're cut

Styles

There are currently 7 different mount styles to select from. Listed below are the options:

• Single Mount - A single mount is the most affordable way to mount your pictures, it uses a 1400 micron thick (1.4mm) board
• Double Mount - An double mount consists of 2 layers of 1.4mm thick mount board. The top mount is cut slightly larger than the bottom one to reveal a contrasting line around your art. To create a striking look, try to complement the colour seen in your artwork with the base mount colour
• Single with "V" Groove - A 'V' Groove adds a little flair to the design of your mount. A small channel is cut into the mount board creating a subtle line around the edge of the opening
• Double with "V" Groove - A combination of the two styles above. A truly beautiful mount that features exquisite "V" detailing, this is an extremely striking way of showcasing your picture
• Luxury Deep Single - Adding some depth helps to lead the eye into the picture and can dramatically enhance the overall appearance by introducing a 3D element to your design. These mounts use a 2000 micron thick (2mm) board
• Luxury Deep Double - Here we layer both a basic mount (top) and a luxury deep mount (bottom) to create a genuinely simple, yet breath-taking effect. This is a technique favoured by photographers and designers
• Luxury Deep Double with 'V' Groove - The ultimate mount for those wanting the most impressive design available. This distinctive style is guaranteed to impress

Borders

When designing a mount you may wish to tweak the widths of your borders. You can use our frame designer to truly customise the design and spacing of the mount exterior. However, to get you started, we’ve designed a few pre-designed mount combinations which have proven popular. You can select these on the individual product page when framing:

Other Boards & Mounting Methods

Barrier Board

Barrier boards are acid-free and used to prevent pollutants from damaging the picture. They separate the picture from the MDF backing board. They're Fine Art Trade Guild Conservation Grade and are suitable for archival framing.

Self-Adhesive Board

For photographs or posters that have little monetary value, our self-adhesive boards can be a cost-effective option for positioning your picture within the frame easily and quickly.

Dry Mounting

This is a framing process that involves adhering your picture to a rigid foam board in a heated vacuum machine to remove and prevent prints wrinkling over time. The process is non-reversible, so we don't recommend dry mounting valuable artwork.

Float Mounting

We suspend and centre your piece on top of an uncut mount board. It's an elegant look and works particularly well with artwork on textured paper and time-worn documents like old maps and handwritten letters. The shadows cast underneath the artwork give a wonderful 3D effect.