Custom Framing

Our experienced staff have won national awards for their custom framing. Three of them are conservators who specialize in paper, canvas, sculpture and china restorations.

We offer a wide variety of styles and creative applications for artwork, cross-stitch, memorabilia or anything else you may wish to conserve. All framing is done to Library of Congress conservation standards and include conservation glass. With over three thousand moulding choices available you can be assured of finding the appropriate frame to enhance your item while remaining within your budget.

Our work is unconditionally guaranteed!

Please read our FAQ bellow on archival framing and at home tips to maintain the beauty and quality of your recently framed masterpiece!

How to Hang your newly framed piece

Why Archival framing is the choice for persevering your treasures

Tips to maintain a stable environment for your framed artwork

How to Hang your newly framed piece
Beautiful artwork or family photos look fantastic on your walls. Get it right the first time with these easy to follow instructions.
Step 1
Use a stud finder if you are trying to locate a stud behind a plaster wall. When you have found it, drive a thin nail through the plaster to make sure the stud is there before driving the hook through.

Step 2
Decide height to be hung - most things look best at adult eye level. The safest system includes drilling two small holes and inserting metal or plastic plugs and screws. You might even want to stick a small piece of celluloid tape over spot where nail is to go to prevent plaster chipping or cracking. Two hooks placed 100 to 150mm apart will prevent seesawing out of position.

Step 3
Use a level or a plumb line to adjust the picture as necessary to ensure the picture is hanging horizontally
 

Why Archival framing is the choice for persevering your treasures

Matting material should be 100% cotton rag. We use only 100% cotton rag mat board when framing an item for display and sale in our gallery. Cotton fibre is 99% acid-free and it is buffered to a pH 8.2 with an alkaline reserve of 2-3% to counteract environmental acids and air pollution that may be exposed to the art. The most misleadingly named boards are some "acid-free" mat boards made from wood pulp. While the acid content of these boards has been reduced from the raw pulp, it has not been eliminated. The buffering agents used on the surfaces are only effective against airborne compounds and do not protect against heat and light activation of acidic elements remaining in the board.

If there is no mat between the glass and the artwork, a spacer is used. The spacer is used to keep the paper surface away from the glass. This procedure is important because high or changing humidity can cause condensation to form on the interior of the glass surface. Without the air space between the art and the glass material, this condensation will be in contact with the artwork. This may lead to mold and mildew and moisture will cause the artwork to stick to the glazing.

 We recommend the use of conservation quality glass. Manufactured to filter out 97 to 99% of ultraviolet rays, conservation quality glass will protect your artwork from fading due to sunlight and bright fluorescent or incandescent light.

All frames have a paper dustcover stretched across the back. This prevents dust particles and tiny insects from gaining access to your artwork. At the same time, the porous quality of the paper will allow the art work to breathe within the frame.

Tips to maintain a stable environment for your framed artwork

Consistent 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% humidity are optimal. Some slow variation in these factors is acceptable over a period of months or years, but any sudden change can be harmful. It is advisable not to hang or store artwork on a damp wall, a wall that has been recently plastered, over a working fireplace, or in any area subject to excessive sunlight, heat or dampness.

 

When cleaning the glass, great care should be taken.

Be sure to take the frame off the wall. In order to prevent the moisture of the cleaner from seeping into the frame and onto your artwork, it is best to clean the glass in a horizontal position. Use a non-abrasive cleaning product, spraying onto a soft, lint-free cloth, rather than directly onto glass. While the frame is off the wall, check the dustcover on the back of the frame. If it is missing or has been ruptured in some way, the frame should be taken to a frame shop to determine whether any damage has occurred and to replace the cover.