Frame Destination Picture Framing

Determining the proper mat size opening for a print can be a little confusing. One simple rule is that the mat opening should not be the same size as the print or photo. They will not be exactly the same size and it is nearly impossible to get them lined up perfectly. Off the shelf picture frames usually have mat board openings 1/2 inch smaller. For example if you purchase a 16×20 inch frame for 11×14 prints the actual opening in the matboard will usually be 10 1/2 x 13 ½ inches. This results in the mat overlapping each side of the print by 1/4. Personally I consider that too much so Frame Destination mats are cut ¼” smaller which allows for just 1/8” overlap of each side except for prints larger than 18×24. When the mat overlaps the print you do not have to worry about the color of any paper border around the image or the color of the substrate the image is mounted to. The mat board will also help keep the image flat.

Although allowing the mat to overlap the image is the most common matting technique, another option is to use a mat opening that is larger than the image. This matting technique will prevent the image being masked and allows for a signature to be visible below the image. Usually the side and top borders are between 1/4 to 1/2 inch and the bottom is between 1/4 and 1 inch. The bottom will usually be equal to the top and sides unless there is a signature. For example if the signature is under 1/2 inch then you can use 1/4 or 3/8 inch top and side borders and 1/2 inch bottom border. If the signature requires 3/4 inch then you can use 1/2 top and side borders. In this case the mat opening will be 1 inch larger than the image width, and 1 1/4 inches larger than the image height. A common mistake is to forget to double the border size when calculating the opening.

Cheers,
Mark
Frame Destination, Inc.

Frame Destination has recently added several new wood picture frame mouldings. We’ve added a 3″ wide black profile to our gallery frame line and now we are happy to offer a more décor line of wood frame profiles. Our new profiles feature shades of metallic leaf, detailed etching, beveling and subtle nuances in texture and tone allowing new artistic options to traditional gallery framing! Wedding and Portrait Photographers will especially appreciate the ability of these frames to support a variety of creative and upscale designs. You can check them all out at: Wood Picture Frame Moulding

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Mark
President
Frame Destination, Inc.
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It can really be difficult to tell form internet web pictures if a particular picture frame moulding is right for your application. Even with color calibration, it is difficult to know how black a black frame is, or how a Cherry wood will look under your lightening conditions. If you house is like mine, it is not exactly the same light temperature as a typical studio strobe. To make it easier to get sample’s of the metal and wood moulding offered by Frame Destination, we have created a series of straight and corner sample pieces. The straight pieces are 6 inches long and an inexpensive way to hold and observe the actual moulding’s color and texture and shape. We also offer corner samples which are little more expensive since they involve considerably more labor on our part to create but can be invaluable when helping you or a prospective customer that may be purchasing frame photographs from you. You can see all of the samples here: Frame Corners Samples

Cheers,
Mark
http://www.framedestination.com/

I am happy to announce that Frame Destination, Inc. has finally gone social with Facebook and Twitter. I always greatly enjoy interacting with our customers via phone, email, and art events, but this allows us to take that to another level. Facebook appears to be an ideal venue to allow our customers to give us public feedback and learn more about what goes on inside Frame Destination and how me make picture frames. Our customers often tell us they love to refer their friends and this should make that easier. Feel free to become a friend, fan or follower…

Cheers,
Mark
Frame Destination, Inc.

Tom Hubbard recently posted a review article for The Portland Metro Photographic News about our new bubble bag product. You can check it out here: A Simply Elegant Solution — The GalleryPouch™. We have distributed a press release on our new art transport bags here: Frame Destination, Inc. Adds GalleryPouch™ Premium…

We have also updated the GalleryPouch™ product ordering page. Andrew Darlow who gave me the original idea for our new frame carrier bag created an introduction video. We have also started getting some great testimonial feedback. You can check out both on the updated page here: GalleryPouch™ Bubble Bag Product Overview.

Cheers,
Mark
Frame Destination, Inc.

Frame Destination has recently started using YouTube to add videos to our website. We get a lot of questions from our new customers about the assembly of our metal and wood picture frames. Although a picture is worth 1000 words, a video can be worth even more! We have created two videos that show the complete process from receiving one of our metal or wood picture frames to mounting your image, to final assembly, and installation of the hanging kit. The picture frames used in the videos are complete picture frame kits with metal or wood moulding, foamcore backing board, 4-ply mat board and acrylic glazing. The frame assembly videos have been added to our website in the section for frame assembly instructions. You can check them out here: Wood Picture Frame Assembly Instructions and Metal Picture Frame Assembly Instructions.

Cheers,
Mark
Frame Destination, Inc.

There are a number of differences between archival and non-archival versions of foamcore and these differences will vary between different manufacturers.

A general guideline is that regular foamboard and regular matboard are considered ok for temporary and/or very inexpensive framing. I am not a conservator, but I have heard that minor decay in the artwork will start to occur within 5 years. This will vary dramatically based on the type of framing components, the environment (light, temperature, humidity) of the frame package, the chemistry of the print, and type of mounting. Although some decay may occur, it may not be very noticeable without doing an A/B comparison with the original.

Archival mat board and foam board will usually have the following characteristics:
Composed of acid free material
Composed of lignin-free material
Buffered to help maintain the alkaline pH

Bainbridge has a Micro Chamber technology called Artcare™ that goes a step further and allows their archival products to actively absorb harmful components entering the framing package. This can be especially useful in the case of foamboard. Archival foam board will have an archival mounting surface to protect the print, but the foam in the center will out gas over time. The Bainbridge product will absorb this out gassing.

Cheers,
Mark
Frame Destination, Inc.

Frame Destination Inc. has partnered with Andrew Darlow of The Imaging Buffet to bring to market our new GalleryPouch™ Gold art bubble bags to solve the problem of safely transporting framed art and canvas gallery wraps to and from art galleries and art shows. Our best version of GalleryPouch™ Gold includes a resealable Velcro® flap. GalleryPouch™ Gold is available in over 100 standard sizes or full custom. They are available in square, rectangular and even tube shapes to help protect rolled canvas. We also offer the GalleryPouch™ Gold with just a flap and no Velcro® as a cost saving alternative. We have created a bubble bag help page with calculators to help you determine the size you need.

The GalleryPouch™ Gold is a premium bubble bag composed of heavy duty laminated 3/16 polyethylene bubble. The bubbles are sandwiched between two layers of durable polyethylene sheet to help protect the. The bag can be used over and over again to protect and transport art work. Our photography customers can also use the bags to help provide additional protection to portfolios or even tri-pods with the tube shaped GalleryPouch™ Gold.

Cheers,
Mark
President
Frame Destination, Inc.
http://www.framedestination.com

Frame Destination has recently added a couple of new standard frame sizes to our selection of FDI ready-made picture frames. The FDI picture frames were originally created to offer an inexpensive framing option for inkjet prints in non-standard sizes such as 8×12, 11×17, 12×18, 13×19, 17×22, and 17×25. Many people are using them for framing all kinds of other artwork so now we have rounded out the line with standard sizes 8×10, 8.5×11, 11×14, and 16×20.
These are black metal frames (our profile 2) with a smooth white 1/8 foamcore backing, and glass.

Of course if you need a different size you can just go to the frame kit section of our website. Just select “Frames” – “Complete Kit” from the top menu bar. Select “no mat”. That will bring you to our metal frame kit page for complete frames without a mat which include free hanging kits. You can select one of over 60 different sizes or select custom and create your own size. Then just select
Moulding Style: “Profile 2”
Mount Board type: “Foamboard Regular 1/8 inch”
Glass or Acrylic: “Glass”

Of course you can select other options if you want acid free or a mat. Profile 2 is not very tall so if you do want a mat then you will want to select “Profile 117” which looks the same from the front but has a deeper rabbet.

Cheers,
Mark

Frame Destination recently announced the addition of bulk or raw sheet mat board to our website. We now sell raw uncut matboard directly from the manufacturer for increased savings. These sheets are roughly 32×40 inches. Since we are not cutting them, we can pass on the labor savings to you. If you wish to cut the inside mat opening yourself, but would like to save time by having us cut the outside you can order blank mat board sheets that are cut down to one of our 60+ sizes. We can also cut the mating to a custom size.

Cheers,
Mark