by Amber De Nardi
When framing pictures, many people get hung up on what colour mat to use, the size of the frame, whether to get a little adventurous with corner decorations and so on. Framing professional Kurt Hoelscher from Dial A Picture Frame in Caringbah, explained that the most important issue to consider when framing is the item being framed.
"While you still need to make some allowances to suit decor features, don't destroy the impact your picture or set of pictures can make for the sake of curtains, carpets or a bedspread," Mr Hoelscher said.
Here's what he recommends when you're trying to "picture" your walls:
when buying prints or original artwork, look for items which will fit in with a room in terms of colour and mood. For instance, don't select a modern picture if your home is traditionally styled. If the artwork fits well with a room, framing it is not a problem;
when you want to have family photos framed for a lengthy time, they should be held away from the glass using a plastic spacer or, better still, a matboard - this will prevent condensation damage which can cause the photo to adhere to the glass and ruin it's surface;
when using matboards, don't be afraid of trying different combinations and ideas. Using different colours on an image can change the look and feel of the picture entirely. And why not try some decorative cuts, too - don't limit yourself to simple rectangular cut-outs. Ovals, arches, diamonds, rounded corners and many more decorative shapes can give your image a mood and character of its own. V-Grooves, coloured inlays and corner decorations can also add extra impact;
for the sake of clarity and image sharpness, choose standard clear glass. However, under direct light clear glass causes reflections. Standard non-reflective glass such as Matobel can fix this problem in most cases but if it's not flat against the image, such as when using matboards or shadowboxes, it will give a greyness to the colours and diminish clarity. A better solution is ultra-fine, single-etched, non-reflective glass such as Tru-Vue Reflection Control, while Tru-Vue UV Control glass will even protect artworks exposed to direct sunlight;
when framing articles with financial or personal value choose only conservation framing which focuses on acid-free materials such as matboards, backing and mounting solutions. Acid in framing materials, including cheap cardboard matboard and spray glues, can cause brown marks known as "foxing". By using Bainbridge Alphamat Matboards and Conservation Quality Backing as well as acid-free mounting materials your framed works will be well-preserved to stand the test of time.
For details, call 9524 9911 or visit www.dialapictureframe.com.au