We make lots of frames in bare woods which are either stained, waxed, painted, or gilded. The natural woods we use are: ash, beech, cherry, maple, oak, obeche, pine, and tulip. We also occasionally use exotic woods such as kingwood, rosewood, tulipwood, and wenge. We will advise you on the most suitable treatment of your valuable and collectable art and frame it to preservation and museum level when required, to provide the maximum protection and to preserve it for future generations. We also supply bevelled mirrors made to any size, in traditional or modern frames.
From the standard framing of photos and certificates to framing football shirts and the design and crafting of unique water gilded frames for contemporary paintings. No job is too large or small and every client is important to us. We often work to tight deadlines, producing large quantities of frames for exhibitions. We are proud of our ability to take on difficult and complex jobs which some framers would turn away. Attention to detail and customer service are very important to us and we think this is part of the key to our success. We enjoy our job and we feel that this reflects in the quality of work we produce.
What is preservation framing?
Also known as conservation or archival framing, the basic premise of preservation framing is that all the techniques and materials are fully reversible and the framing creates a non-invasive environment, so that the original condition of the artwork remains unchanged.
The key principle is that the framer should encase and preserve artwork so that it can retain its original condition.
Bad framing practices can have a serious effect on artwork, particularly important is the method of hinging the art, the quality of the mountboard, and the use of a barrier layer or undermount to protect the art from potential impurities in the backing board.
What is museum framing?
As the name describes, this is considered the highest level of protection for artwork, using the best materials and most trusted techniques. Used for valuable works that are to be preserved for future generations.
Preservation and museum framing techniques will vary depending on individual artworks being framed, there are various different stages of protection and what is suitable for one job may not be right for the next job. It is the framers job to advise on the best course of action.
The following information is intended to simply give a basic idea about the materials and techniques used in my workshop.
These framing levels are based on the Fine Art Trade Guild industry standards for framing methods, and also the FACTS - Fine Art Care and Treatment Standards guidelines for preservation and museum quality framing.
What is my basic framing level?
Used for non-valuable and easily replaceable art such as posters, mass produced prints and everyday framing. Using good quality materials. While my basic framing is fine for prints, posters, and photos when an original, valuable, or collectable work is to be framed it is recommended that preservation techniques and materials are used.
Basic framing
The glazing will be float glass, ArtGlass™ anti-reflective, or diffused reflection (non glare), these have between 47% and 70% UV filter level. The mount will be cut from whitecore or more often conservation mountboard, with an undermount and Art-Bak® Conservation backing board. The artwork is either dry mounted (using Bienfang Fusion 4000® adhesive film) or hinged to the mount with pH neutral water activated adhesive tape. The glazing, mount, and undermount are sealed with P90® self adhesive tape to help keep those annoying little insects out!
Preservation framing
The glazing will have a minimum UV filter level of 92% (but ideally 99%), the mount and undermount will be a conservation (or often a museum) quality mountboard, and the artwork will be hinged to the undermount with a Japanese paper pre-coated with a water-activated adhesive or more often Japanese paper and wheat starch adhesive hinges. The backing will be Art-Bak® Conservation. The glazing, mount, and undermount are sealed with a barrier tape.
Museum framing
The glazing will have a UV filter level of 99% The mount will be 100% cotton museum quality mountboard and the undermount will be of the same quality and specification. The artwork will be hinged to the undermount using Japanese paper and wheat starch adhesive. The rebate of the frame and any wooden slip will be sealed with aluminium/paper tape; the glazing, mount, and undermount will also be sealed together with this barrier tape or an archival gummed tape. Finally the backing will be archival grade Coroplast®.
TOP
