Buying Guide
Picture Frames

Things to Consider

Every frame we make is made to fit your picture, so you can order a frame in just about any size… big or small. This means there’s no need to shoehorn your artwork into an off-the-shelf-frame that’s not the right size or (worse) trim your picture unnecessarily.

Your Picture / Art

• Value - Your choice of frame materials can vary depending on both the monetary and sentimental value of your piece
• Size - Framing something big? It's good to consider certain things like the strength of the moulding and the weight of the finished frame on your wall
• Medium & Substrate - Depending on the artwork type, digital photo, oil painting etc... your choice of frame and its component parts may change

The Frame

• Style - Within reason, there’s no need to match the frame with other elements of your room as long as it looks good with the picture you're framing. This way, if you redecorate or move home your framed picture will still look good.
• Purpose & Function - What do you want your frame to do? Is it purely decorative or does it need to protect your picture?
• Mount - Mounts can really set your art apart from an aesthetic point of view, but they're also used to protect valuable art

Other Considerations

• Safety - You may be hanging frames in a school or a child’s bedroom
• Budget - Frames can vary drastically in price - usually the moulding and size have the biggest impact on price
• Delivery Time - Express delivery is available. If you're ordering more than 100 custom frames we may need more than 2 days to make them.
• Returns - Made to measure frames with fit protection can be returned for a replacement frame in the correct size. All ready made frames can be returned.

Size & Orientation

An important step when ordering a custom frame is to provide us with the size of your picture. Our framers will make sure it fits inside the frame perfectly. Correct measurements are vital, so it's important that you enter your dimensions accurately.

Custom Sizes

Every frame we make is made to fit your picture, so you can order a frame in just about any size… big or small. This means there’s no need to shoehorn your artwork into an off-the-shelf-frame that’s not the right size or (worse) trim your picture unnecessarily.

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.

Measuring Conversions

When you enter your picture size into our Frame Studio™, product detail page or product listing page you'll need to provide the exact dimensions of your artwork in millimetres.

If you need to convert your size from inches to mm or from cm to mm, please follow the below instructions:

Internal Sizes & Visible Area

It’s important to note that we make frames to fit your picture. The sizes you enter do not represent the total width and height of the frame on the wall (a.k.a. the external frame dimensions). If you need a frame made to fit an area on the wall, please state this in the comments box at checkout.

Size Limitations

Whilst we can manufacture frames up to 2.8m in length, our couriers can't accept parcels this large. As such, we've been forced to limit the size of frame you can order online.

The Item You're Framing

Paper & Canvas

Any artwork on paper such as prints, paintings, photos and drawings are particularly sensitive to their surroundings. Changes in temperature and humidity, exposure to light and restriction of movement can all cause lasting damage. Normally this can be seen through wrinkling and fading.

Paintings

Generally speaking, we recommend framing a painting with a mount and glazing. 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. Mounts also allow air to circulate, preventing condensation from building, which can lead to mildew and wrinkling over time. Also note that if your painting is on paper or thin card, adding glass and barrier board will help to support the paper.

If you’ve got an oil or acrylic piece that’s been painted onto a rigid surface, like a stretched canvas or board, you don’t need to frame your painting with glass. Whilst oil and acrylic paints are fairly robust (when dry), they should still be varnished in a way that protects the art from UV rays, rendering the glass unnecessary.

You may have noticed that museums and galleries frame their oil paintings behind glass. This is done to protect the paintings from vandalism and inquisitive fingers and isn’t necessary for paintings hung around your home.

Drawings

Most drawings are completed on delicate paper or thin card; as such, we’d recommend ordering glazing and barrier board to help support the drawing itself.

Drawings with a sensitive surface have special requirements:

1. It’s essential that powdered drawings are framed with a mount; it stops the image touching the glass by adding a space between the two, preventing smudging.
2. Clarity+ glazing is not suitable for framing art with a powdery pigment surface. This is due to the way it can build and hold a static charge. Instead, we’d recommend ordering 2mm float glass.

Digital Prints & Photos

Glossy and semi-gloss Giclee and inkjet prints can release gas (a process called outgassing) for some time after printing, causing deposits to build up on the back of the glazing. To limit these effects we recommend leaving newly printed images for a week before framing.

Limited edition prints can be expensive to buy. They often represent a good investment, rising in price over time. As such, it’s important to frame them using conservation grade materials like barrier board and acid-free mounts.

Frame Choice

Colour

When it comes to frame colour you have to take into account lots of different variables:

• Which colour will complement your existing décor? Choosing a frame that blends with your existing furniture and wall colour is a safe bet.
• Which colours will bring out the best in your print? Striking effects can be achieved by matching colours in your print to the design of your frame and mount.
• Do you want to make a feature of your artwork or do you want the finished effect to be more subdued?
• What’s on trend?

Using Mount Colours

Looking for a more reserved look, but still want to use bold colours? Try experimenting with mount colours. By default, we select iced white. It’s an unobtrusive colour that allows your eyes to settle on the picture without distraction.

Style & Finish

You will be surprised by how many finishes frames are available in. Frames that are ornate, painted, stained, natural lacquered, distressed, brushed, foiled. For some art the choice is obvious… Typically, if you are framing classical or reproduction art, go ornate. Got an Art Deco piece? Go with a lacquered frame as it will complement the art.

You can also match the moulding finish to the room you plan to hang your art in; a distressed driftwood moulding might look great in your bathroom but be aware this might limit you if you decide to move your art around!

If you are framing a poster or piece of word art, we recommend using a simple painted or stained wood frame in black, white or bare oak. These simple but classy frames with a simple mount tend to be very popular.

Mounts

Our white core, black core, conservation and luxury deep bevel mounts both protect your picture and enhance your photos & art with their stylish, professional look. Our mounts won't discolour over time and can be ordered in any size to fit your picture and frame.

Reasons to Mount

Presentation

Mounts can really help an image pop and lends that extra wow factor to your piece by introducing ‘breathing space’ for your image.

Protection

In a Frame

When used in a frame, the mount keeps the picture from touching the glazing. This allows the picture to breathe and move freely within the frame preventing wrinkling and moisture build up.

Outside a Frame

If your picture is handled outside of the frame you can hold the mount rather than the picture. This helps to reduce the risk of damage.

Try using extra wide mount borders or a double mount to draw eyes into the picture at the heart of the frame.

Glass & Clarity+ Acrylic

Glazing is used to protect the artwork from damage by creating a barrier. It helps to prevent the artwork from touching, UV light, bugs, liquids as well as dust and general air pollution.

Don't assume that glass is the better product. Advancements in the way plastics are manufactured have meant that generally speaking, our Clarity+ Acrylic is now a much better choice for the purposes of framing.

Clarity+ Acrylic

Also known as Perspex™, Plexiglass© or Acrylite© our Clarity+ Acrylic glazing is often preferred by major Galleries like the Tate due to its ultraviolet protection, ease of handling and purity. It's also found in high-end OLED tvs and commercial aquariums. Find out below why this form of frame glazing is proving ever more popular:

Glass

Whilst we offer 2mm float glass in frames up to a maximum of 60cm, we usually recommend Acrylic. With that said, glass has a few key benefits: