F.A.Q.s: Framing & Matting

• What frames will work for stretched canvas?
  
• Why is “acid free” matting important?
  
• When do I need to frame under glass? Is plexiglas ok, or should I use real glass?
  
• What makes a frame “closed corner”?
  

Q: What frames will work for stretched canvas?
A: Not all frame profiles will completely accommodate a stretched canvas, and fewer still will fit heavy-duty stretchers. Utrecht carries several styles of framing that will accept standard stretchers. However, frames of sufficiently wide profile can be used for canvases even if the rabbet is shallow. Brackets shaped like a small stair step, sold at hardware stores for mounting mirrors, can be used to fix deep profile canvases to shallow frames, as long as the width of the frame hides the sides of the canvas.

Q: Why is “acid free” matting important?
A: Some papers and boards may contain acids which can migrate to materials in contact with them and cause them to degrade, becoming yellow and brittle. For this reason, valuable works of art and documents on paper and cloth should be matted only with boards known to be acid free. Utrecht carries a full assortment of acid-free matte boards in a wide range of colors, as well as 100% rag museum boards.

Q: When do I need to frame under glass? Is plexiglas ok, or should I use real glass?
A: Works on paper should almost always be framed under some type of glazing, as should any material too delicate to be touched or dusted. This includes paintings with permanently soft surfaces such as oil pastel mixed media (even on board or canvas) and any medium that remains permanently water soluble such as gouache or watercolor. Plexiglas is a good option to avoid breakage during shipping, but is not the best choice for pastel or chalk, which may be lifted by static charge onto the underside of the glazing. Back to Top.

Q: What makes a frame “closed corner”?
A: Closed corner or museum frames are finished individually after construction in an elaborate, traditional method involving hide glue gesso, pigmented clay, gold leaf and special tinted varnishes. Closed corner frames are usually quite a bit more expensive than other varieties. Chopped and joined frames, cut from pre-finished molding, are the most common style in use in studios and galleries, and are what most artists are accustomed to using. While some galleries require closed corner presentation, the majority of collectors and galleries happily accept chopped and joined frames, which are available in a huge assortment of profiles and finishes. Supplies for touching up and disguising joints can be used with very good results. Back to Top.

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