Important Things To Know About Conservation Framing

Conservation framing refers to the presentation of photos, art and other type of memorabilia to protect them with the use of methods and materials to prevent damage. Custom framing services in NYC perform this process which makes use of techniques which are reversible for the photograph, artwork or object to remain unharmed if these need to be removed from their frames.
Damage to photographs, art and memorabilia can always happen without your  knowledge. UV bleaching and acidic materials are two of the common slow processes that can lead to damage. Acid damage can make your photos and artworks brittle, causing the white papers to turn yellow. When the paper has a lower quality, there is a higher chance that it will discolor.


If you have seen old newspapers, you will note that they discolor quickly since these are meant to be disposable. UV bleaching can alter the color of your photos, artworks or other objects. The ink and dye used often bleach out at various rates which depend on their chemical nature. For instance, there are photos that fade to blue while others fade to red.

Effects of Improper Affordable Picture Framing on Photos and Artworks
There is simply no room for experimentation when it comes to proper framing. Less is always more as well as time honored matting, fitting and mounting techniques, together with the use of acid-free and archival or conservation materials, create the foundation of a safely and carefully housed work. The use of conservation methods and use of the right materials can evade potential damages caused by incorrect framing and extend the piece’s lifespan.

Some of these common issues include the following:
  1. Direct contact between art and glazing where glass can stick to the art and lead to injury to the piece once removed.   
  2. Improper mounting which causes slippage with the art becoming     compromised.
  3. Use  of acidic matting materials in the housing. Framing materials’ acid can be transferred through contact to the art which can cause     brittleness and discoloration.   
  4. Inappropriate glazing as old glass is not UV protected and light causes discoloration on the artwork.
  5. Improper wiring causes an art piece to fall from the wall.   
  6. Unstable fitting, framing or wiring as structural instabilities cause damage to the art if it is transported or shipped.
Conservation Framing Basics

It doesn’t matter if you will be framing something that you got through Photoshop at less price for cheap printing because the basics of conservation framing render all these issues to mute. To guarantee that your pieces can last for many generations, see to it that your framer will make use of high quality conservation materials which will not cause any negative effect on your art pieces. These include the following;
  1. Fine  quality of Asian hanging papers.
  2. Acid  free backboards and mats.   
  3. Neutral and reversible conservation adhesives.   
  4. Dustcovers applied at the rear of the frame as protection from environmental damage.   
  5. Use spacers or mats to separate your artwork from the acrylic glazing or glass.

List of Questions Which You Should Ask from a Professional Custom Framer

Before you seek custom framing services in NYC, you have to remember that not all ideas on frames you are imagining can be achieved. When you want your cheap printing of the Photoshop at less price to transform into a true work of art, make sure that you raise the following questions at your chosen provider of affordable picture framing.

What is the most ideal way to frame a photo or artwork?
Well, this is pretty much a personal choice. Custom framing is a reflection of your personality and this is the very essence of having something custom made just for you. A professional custom framer will work hand in hand with you to find the most suitable solutions to your needs and requirements. They will also follow museum like archival standards to ensure that your art is protected and not degraded.



Will it be safe for my art to stay at your shop during the framing process?
Yes, because professional custom framers use different storage techniques in their shops. They have secure locations for paintings and bigger items. Custom framing services in NYC often have climate controlled shops with 24 hour security. They carry insurance which covers all artwork in their shops, including historic and rare works. Aside from the obvious precautions, you can also put your trust in their business tenure and professionalism.

How will you attach the art in the frame?
Professional custom framers take a minimalist approach when mounting the art work. While others just glue everything to the cardboard, experts specialize in quality archival mounting of your pieces and follow extra care to ensure that no damages will be incurred. As every piece of art from each customer is unique and exceptional, custom framers also come up with equally one of a kind mounting strategy to secure and preserve the art in the frame.

How much will a custom frame cost?
This is among the most common questions asked by those who want to get custom frames. As there are different ways of framing an art, the price will also vary greatly and depend on your personal choice. There are often different frame packages to suit all budgets.

What are the advantages of framing a photo or artwork?
When done properly, a well designed and crafted frame can add protection, beauty and longevity to your artwork. Framing itself is already an art. This is the marriage of artwork and architecture. An appropriate frame will perfectly blend with the image and not draw people’s attention away from it. The correct frame also reflects you and your living space. This can be wild and create a special place or be more subdued and modestly showcase a captivating image.

Keep in mind that when framing a photo or piece of art, you are telling your own visual story. You are as unique as those images adorning your walls. So, let the expert custom framing services in NYC reflect someone special and that is none other than you.  

How Can Picture Frame Spacers Can Add or Ruin The Beauty of Your Artwork?

When framing pictures under glass, it’s a good idea that the picture won’t touch the glazing material. That is why picture frame spacers may come in handy. For those who don’t know picture frame spacers, these are basically little pieces of plastic, which are placed around the glazing’s edge and sit between the art and the glazing. Their sizes may differ and every size allows different air cushion levels. They are also available in several colors, mainly black and clear, so they blend in with your frame and art for unobtrusive effect.
Picture Frame Spacers and Their Importance
Picture frame spacers are used for art framing and custom art framing. These add some space within the frames and prevent glazing from contact with the photo, painting or any kind of visual arts, providing protection from damages.



If there are no picture frame spacers, the image might get stuck or buckle to the glazing, which could cause damage. This might also cause some problems once you reframe your art or photo in the future. Picture frame spacers enable air circulation, which prevents the formation of destructive mildew and mold.
Picture frame spacers are also important for the reason that these offer a smooth surface between the framing material and edge of the glass. It doesn’t only protect you from any possible injury when installing glazing into the rabbet of the frame, but also it will keep rough edges from digging into the materials of the frame, shedding paint particles onto the art.
How to Choose Picture Frame Spacers
Some of the best picture frame spacers to choose from include fillets, timber slip frames, and synthetic extruded sections that often come with double-sided adhesive coated to a surface.
If you like to determine the picture frame space to use for your picture or art framing project, these are the different factors that you should take into consideration
  • Ease of use
  • Picture frame spacer’s color
  • Depth of the spacer required
  • The material used
It is important to know the material used for a picture frame spacer, especially if you need something acid-free and archival. Most of the commercially available spacers are an extruded rectangular hollow tube or solid plastic strip. Such plastic spacers frequently have double-sided adhesive applied to a surface. The adhesive that was used for picture frame spacers is to make them in position to the glazing material’s surface. You can make a picture frame spacer from metal, timber, foam boards, and cardboard. The timer picture frame spacers can be just simple square edge profile that’s functional.
Usually, plastic spacers are available in different thicknesses. For deeper applications where colored liners are required, you may glue the mat board to the foam board and cut into the required widths. The strips can be glued to the frame that molds between the art work and glass. It’s an advantageous method if you like the picture frame spacer as well as the backing material to match, especially if you want an art work floating on the mat backing.
You may combine picture frame spacers with matting and framing using stepped frames to make an interesting depth in your photos while adding extra benefits of increased air gap from the acrylic front or glass.

What Are Picture Frame Spacers & What Is Their Relevance?

Everybody loves clicking pictures; they are the best form of visual representations of a captured moment and to cherish them lifelong, framing is practiced. They not only form a protective layer around your picture but also beautify it in the process. Picture framing is an intricate task that involves assembling of several components. If you've ever taken a closer look to a frame, you must have noticed there is a thin space between the picture and the glazing. That space is created with the help of a frame spacer. Talking about picture framing, most of the people have heard of terms like matboards and glazing. Frame spacer is something not many people are aware about even though they play an important role in the framing process. This blog focusses on the use and importance of the component.



As the name implies, frame spacers are used to create a definite space between the glazing material and your artwork. It is a tool you'll find in every picture framer's store. If you are going for custom picture framing, then frame spacer is something you should definitely know about. There are a variety of models available in the component, and the generic ones are described below.

Types of Frame spacers
S-Shaped
The spacer holds the artwork and glazing material together forming "S" shape. The closed curve is what holds the backing (art or picture) in its place. An important thing to consider while going for this spacer is thickness of the glass and depth of the rabbet.

Tube-Shaped
Tube-shaped spacer have shape of a rectangular hollow tube. These type of spacers have adhesive on one side which is stuck to either the glazed layer or backing board. The other side, that is the visible portion, can have glossy or matte finish depending on the frame and artwork chosen.

Custom shape
Custom shapes are preferred when any of the above mentioned spacer doesn't fit perfectly for a frame. The best application of a custom frame spacer is in deep shadow box. Popular material prefered for designing this spacer model is foam board.

Importance of Frame Spacers

Prevents wave formation across the paper
With continuous variation in the temperature and humidity of environment around the frame, the glass expands and contracts accordingly. However, there are other sections in the frame which stay unaffected. Due to this imbalance, buckling or waves are formed across the paper. Using a spacer ensures uniform distribution of heat in your picture frame, thus, avoiding creation of bucklings.

Protects artwork from moisture
Frame spacer makes sure the artwork doesn't come in contact with the moisture that is condensed on the glass. Normally, this condensation is observed under extreme temperature changes or when the ink of the artwork is not given sufficient time for drying.

You can design your memories in your own way with the online picture framer like PaintBox Soho. We have years of experience and expertise in the field of picture framing. This is a one-stop solution for all your needs pertaining to custom designed frames, hand-crafted frames, floating frames. Come add color to your artwork with utmost care and precision.

Preserve The Beauty Of Your Artworks: Professional Picture Framing

Everybody needs a little memory trip down the lane once in a while. When you come to think of it, pictures are the most effective way to time travel in a jiffy. Picture frames have been used by people since the ages to protect and preserve their memories. Innovative picture frames are used not only to protect your artwork but also to enhance their look and feel. These picture frames build a protective layer around your captured memories. Sometimes these frames cherish the master-piece you had created during your golden days, other times they just reflect your old-self caught up in a moment.



Professional picture framing has always held considerable importance in our lives, after all people never cease to perfecting their collectibles. Even in this era of digitization, people still prefer conventional wooden/metal frames for decorative purposes. There are countless picture framing stores available to get your work done. However, you must be familiar with the generic frame anatomy and picture framing process. Here are a few must-follow steps that you must implement when opting for professional picture framing.
 
Selecting right frame

The very first question that you must ask yourself is whether you want a wooden frame or a metal one. Wooden frames usually go with traditional looking background. They add warmer and natural touch to your pictures. On the other hand, metal frames reflect more of a contemporary look. They are usually preferred for artwork with a tinge of dullness (maybe even pictures with shades of black and white) in them.

Deciding about matboard

Whether to use a matboard or not is completely dependent on the look of your artwork which is to be framed. Matboard is the material which is to be kept amidst your frame and artwork to create space in between. However, you need to ensure that it enhances the overall look of your frame. While choosing a matboard, select the one with appropriate grade, that is, how well it can preserve the quality of your artwork in the picture frame. Also, select a mat color that enriches the overall look of your picture frame. Take care that the matboard doesn't outshine your picture.

Opting for durable foam board

Foam board is the support system of your picture frame. It forms the back-end of a frame; your picture is attached to it. An ideal foam board(or mounting board) should be impermeable to water, and must prevent yellowing of the artwork.

Quality glass protection

Glass or glazing is a process that consists of covering your picture frame. It is not mandatory to glaze your artwork; however, it protects your artwork from wearing off due to external factors. Picture framing stores provide a variety of glazes, inquire about each one of them and choose the appropriate one.

You can design your memories in your own way with the online picture framer like PaintBox Soho. We have years of experience and expertise in the field of picture framing. This is a one-stop solution for all your needs pertaining to custom designed frames, hand-crafted frames, floating frames. Come add color to your artwork with utmost care and precision.

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