Framing artwork is an art in itself. This section could expand to become an entire website, but I intend to mainly focus on the practical aspects of framing.
Archival Framing and Preserving Methods
This is definitely a technical subject, which I will not get into very deeply. Suffice to say that various art materials can have a tendency to decay more rapidly than others, because of the presence of acids, etc. This is certainly true of picture framing materials. Nowadays, you can rather easily find archival mat board, backing board, etc., to protect your artwork. Of course, depending upon how rare and important the artwork, the less sense it makes for you to be framing it yourself. But in many cases, if you wear the special gloves, and use the archival papers all around, you will be in good shape. DO MORE RESEARCH THAN THIS PARAGRAPH!!!
Mounting Paintings
Logan Fitting Tool. This tool is a great addition for an artist who frames her art. Retailing at about $35, the Logan can use 4 different styles of points to finish the framing job. You can purchase this tool at
Cheap Joe's Art Stuff.
If you don't think you need such a tool because you only frame artworks less frequently, consider "glazier push points".
A Google search on them will find a source, if you are unable to locate them at a local hardware store or home improvement center. But they are rather common. In case they are a total mystery to you, glaziers (window glass installers) use glazier's points to hold glass in place. They are little metal diamond shaped pieces of flat metal. Push points have the metal point on one side to push into the wood. The other side is shaped to fit the flat of a screwdriver. I think they work rather well for framing applications, if you aren't having to do all that many framing jobs. Otherwise, a tool such as the Logan fitting tool is certainly worth its low cost, if only in terms of reducing frustration.
Another possibility is using small brads. Hold them in a pair of pliers, and drive them flat against the work of art and into the back edge of the art frame. Be sure to bring plenty of patience with you to the job! Of course this is a necessary part of art framing in general! Everything needs to be clean and neat. The frame must be on a surface that won't scratch its surface, either. The pros have compressed air to blow little pieces of lint, paper, etc., out of the inside of the frame. These inevitable get stuck inside the mat, and are tough to get out. A blast of air is very helpful.
As long as we are on the subject of framing...ha ha...the Logan mat cutters are good, in my opinion. When I worked for Texas Art Supply in Houston, back in the age of Dinosaurs...ok I'm not ancient, of course, it was the 80's...I would always recommend the Logan. It had a very good design compared to the other brands sold. I was not instructed to sell it instead of other types. I just spent so much time selling mat cutters, I actually looked at the various types, and became familiar with each one. And later I worked at a frame shop in Venice, CA. We used professional mat cutters which had a design quite similar to the Logan. They were Logans, as I recall!
