Sometimes I become overwhelmed with decisions – especially when there’s more than one to be made at a time. I recall standing in the store staring at frames, mats and glass wondering where in the world to start. Framing a picture well can make an inexpensive piece of art feel special, but it can also make or break a beautiful piece of art. Fortunately after a few attempts, I stumbled across someone knowledgeable and asked an abundance of questions so that I could share! Here are a few tips on how to frame a picture:
Start by selecting your frame.
Choose a mat with contrast.
Cut the mat to at least 2 times the width of the frame you select.
If you have more than one piece, provide an 1″ of mat between the two.
Invest in museum glass to reduce glare and protect your art.
Don’t be afraid to phone a friend. Seriously! Second opinions are the best!
Finally, if you’re framing at a craft store, be sure to use 40% off coupons or frame it at one of their frequent 50% off sales.
Table of Contents
How to Frame a Picture Professionally
Equipment
- Scissors
Ingredients
- 1 Frame
- 1 Mat Board
- 1 Museum glass
Instructions
- Select your frame.
- Choose a mat with contrast
- Cut the mat to at least 2 times the width of the frame you select
- If you have more than one piece, provide an 1' mat between the two.
My mother got some really nice family photos taken lately and I thought it would be nice to me to get her a nice framed print of one of them. I liked your advice about using a museum glass to reduce glare. That is great for me to know because my mother’s home has a lot of natural light coming into it.
Selecting the right frame and a mat with good contrast is good advice. Making sure to cut the mat to the proper width for your frame is a good way to make them look good together. I would imagine that finding a frame of high quality material and that was made well is also very important.
I absolutely love your choice of frame for that beautiful floral print! My mother recently got me a set of three prints as well, and now I’m trying to figure out how to frame them. When I start looking at options, I will definitely be sure that the mat and frame have a nice contrast. Hopefully that will help me narrow down my options, too!
I liked a few of your tips for framing my art in a way that looks more professional. Cutting the mat to at least two times the width of the frame I choose seems like a great tip. Sometimes I’m not sure of how thick my mat should be when I put my pictures in frames. I’ll keep this in mind to improve the way they look before hanging my art up on my wall.
I love to paint and my husband is always trying to put my work up around the house. The problem I have is that it looks tacky without a frame of some sort. I think that applying these tips will really help me be satisfied with the way my paintings hanging around the house. Now it just seems like I’ll have to find a custom made frame to fit some of the pieces my husband wants to hang.
I think that this is a great way to display a piece of art! The mat contrasts beautifully with the piece. Providing some space between two pieces of art is also a great way to bring attention to the pieces themselves.
For me, the picture frame can make or break the picture. I like your tip to choose a frame that contrasts the picture. That way, it will make the picture pop out of the frame. A picture frame that isn’t the right color can distract from the picture itself.
I like the example you gave in the picture. I agree that there should be plenty of white space in between a picture and the frame. I think this is especially a good idea when the picture is a painting.
Where is this chair from? I need it! 🙂
Restoration Hardware. I think it’s the Carlton Leather Club Chair.