A Buyer’s Guide To Framing
FRAME London were invited to speak at the 34th The London Original Print Fair, held at the Royal Academy in Spring 2019.
London’s longest running art fair, the LOPF ‘brings together international print specialists representing 500 years of print, and presenting the very best opportunity to buy prints from all the ages – from old masters through to the latest editions by leading contemporary artists.’
For the presentation, we advised print buyers and collectors the best way to frame their prints to conservation standards. Here are a few key elements from our presentation.
Framing Is About Style AND Artwork Protection
When considering a frame for your newly acquired artwork - you must consider, not only the overall look and style of framing, but also how it can be protected best from deterioration. The choice of how to mount a work on paper is a very important decision and, as a framer, we will advise on the best way to do this based on the suitability for the artwork. A more detailed account of the specific things to consider can be found on our conservation mounting blog post.
A Great Frame Can Transform An Artwork
Perhaps you want a simple style to make the artwork really shine, or maybe you want to pick out an element of the print - a colour, texture or shape to reflect in the frame. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right frame for your artwork. If it’s an older piece, you may also want to consider it’s history and how it could be framed to suit the period it was made in. The artist may have also suggested a frame specification for you to consider - ultimately though, as the owner, it is your decision!
Framing Can Be Fun!
Of course it’s all about the art - but frames don’t have to blend in or be your standard white box. Sometimes thinking of an alternative solution can do wonders for the art too. Consider different custom colours, shapes, and sizes. We mill our design range in-house for specifically this reason - to allow a variety of customisations you wouldn’t see elsewhere - a unique framing solution for your artwork. We also custom spray-colour frames to match or compliment artwork to make them really stand out.
At FRAME we also love to create new, bespoke solutions for framing an artwork. We are happy to have a history in collaborating with artists to create frames that sometimes not only highlight the artwork, but become an intrinsic part of it too.
What Glazing Should You Choose?
Glazing is an intrinsic part of conservation framing - not only essential to make sure the artwork is presented at it’s best, but also for maximum protection.
Firstly, the most important thing to consider is UV protection. Light can cause a lot of damage to artworks over time and UV filter glazing is made to protect the artwork from fading. Anti-reflective glass can also come with differing level of UV protection, and it allows the artwork to be seen with much more clarity. This specialist glazing is reflected in cost, so it is ultimately up to the priorities of the client.
If shipping the art or framing a very large work, we’d recommend using acrylic for safety and weight. The products we use are extremely high quality and can also come with UV and anti-reflective qualities.
If you’d like to discuss your framing needs in more detail, we’d love to help. Book in a consultation at the studio here.