What is the best framing solution for personal art?

Should you frame your art yourself? How would you do it? 

Only a collector would know how much a piece of artwork is worth (good thing we have one here). Also, while we’re on that topic, a collector would know whether the frame that the art is in is art itself or not. Framing a piece of art is something that is typically left to a professional framer (good thing we have one here as well.) Having a frame is something that is a critical piece of viewing a piece of art. Something that should be considered when a collector is taking in a piece of work is whether they want to frame the piece themselves; occasionally they want to do that. Luckily, we have an article that talks about this directly. 

That is, if you would like to do research on this topic yourself. 

So, you have a piece of art that’s unframed, what do you do next? 

It may sound insignificant when you first read it but a piece of art that’s personally framed shows a level of dedication to the work - especially if you would be considered the first ever owner. Regardless of if you sell the piece at an online auction or if you plan to sell the piece without having a third party involved - another collector would understand the devotion involved in putting the piece together. Besides, there is a community of framers who are entirely devoted to framing and being a part of a community like this presents some fairly interesting opportunities. Before one begins exploring the framing world, one must know that you don’t have to find a professional framer. 

So, should you hire a framer?

It should be noted that this article goes over how to frame 2-D pieces of artwork. While it is the same process, essentially, box framing requires a completely different technique and approach. There are a number of reasons for deciding to frame a piece yourself. It allows complete creative control over the style and aesthetics of it, for one. Secondly, you’ll be learning a complete new skill. And, finally, you’ll be saving yourself some money, if you do it right. 

Trying framing out

Just know that if there is one important thing that should be addressed before you start it’s that you should never start the process if you don’t know if you’ll damage the work. If it gets to a point where it gets risky, you may want to stop immediately and look for assistance from a professional. If you choose to purchase a ready-made frame you want to be aware that the frame may not work well for your art piece in regard to dimensions. You don’t have to worry about it, because you can always get a frame that is a bit larger than the piece in question. You could always pick something you like and then get a custom framer to do it for you. 

How hard is doing it yourself really?

The first thing you want to know when it comes to doing it yourself is that you should always avoid self-framing a piece if you have no idea how the mediums used, or the technique employed will react to the act of framing. Next, you want to take a few things into consideration when choosing materials for framing.

You can choose glass instead of plexiglass for framing as it’s cheaper and a bit heavier. But it is reflective. 
The mounting board used should be an acid-free material because it will be in direct contact with the piece. 
You also want to choose a mat that is acid-free such as acid free paper or cotton rag
You’ll need things such as a mat knife, fitting tool, a mat cutter, and things such as a glass cutter, framing vise,  and a bone mat burnisher. 

Should you do it all yourself or get professional help?
 
Framing a piece of art can be a rewarding and exciting process. If you choose to do some of the work yourself and leave the more challenging parts to a professional, at least you learned how to do some of the basics. If you decide to do it all by yourself, just consider this; never go with dry mounting or any process that uses adhesives. Doing so would mean that you altered a piece, something that should never be done. If you pick the right tools and materials, after you frame a few pieces you would’ve accrued quite the cost-savings.

If you do decide to go with professional framing feel free to give us a call.