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Picture Frame Mats – How to Choose One

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If you want an inexpensive way to make your photographs look even better, then you should consider using a picture frame mat. Picture frame mats are commonly used by professional artists and photographers to help make their artwork stand out. Just look at the difference a mat can make with the two images below (Landscape image courtesy of Jason Lee).

In addition to making your photographs look even better, picture frame mats can also help you save money if you have a unique sized picture to frame. Often times by using a picture frame mat, you can avoid the higher cost of having a custom frame made. All you have to do is find a ready made picture frame in a bigger size than the image you want to frame and then get a mat with an opening to fit your photo or artwork. If your artwork or photo is a standard size, you can get a pre- cut mat or if it’s a unique size you can have a mat cut.

Another great benefit of picture frame mats is that they can also help protect your picture or artwork. By using a mat it prevents the picture or artwork from coming in direct contact with the glass. This is important (especially in humid climates) because moisture can get trapped inside the frame between the glass and print and damage your picture.

How to Select a Picture Frame Mat

In order to select a mat there are three things to consider: the type of mat, the size and the mat thickness.

Type of Mat

Mats really come in a couple different types: archival and standard. Archival mats (also called rag mats) do not contain any acid, chemicals or wood based materials that can degrade your pictures or artwork. They are used for pictures or artwork that you want to protect like family heirlooms, special artwork or old family photos.  Archival mats are a bit more expensive but, if you’re trying to protect something special it is certainly worth a few dollars more.

The other type of mat is the standard mat which is made from paper or wood based products. These mats are commonly found in frames and are less expensive than archival mats. The problem with these mats is that they will deteriorate your artwork or pictures over time. However, if you have a picture that you can easily replace, then using an archival mat isn’t really necessary.

For most people, the best way to tell if a mat is an archival or standard mat is to ask. However in most cases you can assume a mat is a standard mat unless it’s specifically identified as archival.

Mat Size

The other thing to consider when choosing a picture frame mat is the size. When getting a picture frame mat you want to make sure that you have two sets of dimensions: the inner opening and the exterior size of the mat. It may seem silly, but often times people get so focused on the inside dimensions of the mat that they choose a mat that won’t fit in their frame. So make sure to understand that the the inner opening is the cut out space that displays your picture or artwork while the outside dimension is the size that must fit inside your frame.

Mat Thickness or Depth

Often times, people don’t realize that you can get mats in multiple thicknesses or depths. That means that you can stack up multiple mats in one frame to give your artwork added depth or color emphasis.  Multiple mats are often referred to as double mats, triple or sometimes even shadow mats.

Single mats are usually used just to add a little emphasis to a picture or to help protect it from touching the glass, while double mats are often used to bring out extra emphasis or depth.  You can find double mats that have two single mats placed right on top of each other or you can also find mats where they have spacers in between the two mats for a shadow look. The mat on the left is a single mat whereas the mat on the right is a shadow mat.

If you really want to give your pictures or artwork a super custom look, you can choose a double mat with two different colors. As you can see from this picture below, the two frames both have a double mat with two different colors.  This can really make the picture stand out and give you a way to highlight specific colors in your picture or artwork.

However, if you already have a frame selected for your picture or artwork, make sure that the frame can accommodate the extra depth of a mat. Most frames can accommodate a single mat, but if you put two mats inside the frame, often times the frame back won’t fit in most ready made frames. So, if you want to use a double mat or thicker, find out if your frame can hold the extra thickness by checking the depth of the rabbit (the inside depth of the frame).

Now that you now know more about picture frame mats, be sure to try one out the next time you want to frame a special picture. You’ll be glad you did!

Understanding Picture Frame Sizes

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If you’re new to the world of picture taking and frames then this will give you the info you need to understand picture frame sizes.

Picture frames come in a huge selection of sizes but they are generally categorized into standard and non-standard sizes. Standard means that the sizes are more common and are typically standard photo sizes. So, anytime you hear standard frame size, you really should be thinking about the size of your picture.

Frame sizes are measured in inches in the US and centimeters in most other parts of the world. The standard way to measure picture frames is by measuring width by height.

Just remember that the frame size is intended to represent the size of the picture NOT the exterior size of the frame. So, if you ever wanted to measure a frame to see if it was the right size measure the inside dimension of the opening not the outside dimensions of the frame. Keep in mind that the frame will always be a little smaller than your actual image. For example a 4×6 frame will often have an opening that’s 3 3/4 by 5 3/4.  Keep in mind that there has to be a ledge that keeps the glass and picture in place so there will always be a thin border around your picture that you won’t see in the frame. The only way to measure the opening exactly is by opening up the frame and removing the back so you can measure the size of the glass.

So before you buy a frame always pay attention to whether the frame can be used both vertically or horizontally. Often times, you will find a frame that can only be used in one direction. Usually these easel back stands have a flat edge like shown in the picture. You can spot these frames a couple of different ways.  One way is because of the frame shape. For example a heart shaped frame can’t be turned on its side. Another way is to look for any decorations on the frame that imply the frame has to sit in one direction.  And the last thing to look at is the back of the frame. If you plan to use the frame on a table instead of a wall, you’ll need to check if the easel on the back can be used as both a vertical and horizontal frame. You can spot these easel back stands because they will have a “pointed” stand like shown in the picture (on the bottom right).

Now that you know that frames are always measured in width by height, here are the most common frame sizes that you’ll generally find:

Standard Frame Sizes

  • 2 ½ x 3 ½  (wallet size)
  • 3 ½ x 5
  • 4×6 (vertical or horizontal)
  • 3 1/2 x 5, 4×10 or 4×12 (panoramic frames)
  • 6×4 (a 4×6 standing horizontal)
  • 5×5
  • 5×7
  • 7×5 (a 5×7 standing horizontal)
  • 8×10
  • 10×8 (8×10 standing horizontal)
  • 8×8, 10×10, 12×12 (scrapbook frames)
  • 8 ½ x 11 (certificate size)
  • 8×12
  • 11×14
  • 16×20
  • 20×24

Now, just because a size isn’t on this list doesn’t mean it’s not available- it’s just not as common as other sizes. However, if you have a unusual size, it’s likely that you may need to have a custom frame made.

There are also other sizes or types of frames that have multiple “openings” or “windows.”  These frames are very common and are often called doubles, triples, multi or collage picture frames.

Double picture frames have two identical openings  that normally fit two 2.5×3.5, 4×6, 5×7 or 8×10 pictures and are often used for portraits.  Triple picture frames, on the other hand, have three openings and normally fit three 2.5×3.5, 4×6 or 5×7 pictures (8×10 triple frames are hard to find due to the large size of the frame).

And lastly there is the multi picture frame or collage picture frame.  Collage picture frames have multiple openings or windows in them and can hold as few as 3 different sized photos up to a dozen or more pictures. They normally are hung as wall frames because of their size and allow for a wide selection of different pictures sizes to be displayed. If you have a lot of smaller pictures and want them to all fit in one large picture frame then you definitely want a collage frame.

Hopefully, you’ll now be better informed the next time you shop for a frame.

Scrapbook Picture Frames -Fun for Any Occasion

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If you want to personalize a gift or put together a page full of memories for all to see then scrapbook picture frames are the way to go.  Scrapbook frames let you proudly display all kinds of fun keepsakes safely in a frame instead of hidden away in a scrapbook. But in order to select the right scrapbook frame for your special pages and keepsakes, there are two things you need to consider first before choosing a scrapbook frame.

1) Thickness of Your Scrapbook Page

Before you start looking for a scrapbook page, you need to consider the thickness of your scrapbook page. All you need to do is measure the thickness of the page you want to display (or the thickness of any future scrapbook pages you’ll want to display).

If your scrapbook page is rather thin (about 1/8″ or less) and only has pictures and  paper mementos on it then a standard scrapbook page frame should be fine.

However, if you want to display anything thicker than several sheets of thick paper then you need to consider the frame depth as part of your scrapbook frame buying criteria. Scrapbook frames that have a depth thicker than 1/2″ are generally called shadow box frames because they can hold small objects behind the glass of the frame.  However, not all shadow box frames can be used as scrapbook frames due to the size of the opening so always double check. To eliminate confusion, we’ll refer to them as scrapbook frames with specific depths.

Here are a couple of examples of scrapbook picture frames that have an opening width of 1/2″ and 1 3/4″ between the glass and frame backing. When buying a scrapbook frame with a specific depth,  always make sure that the frame depth you want is the measurement between the glass and the backing. Often times, the overall frame molding depth is used instead of the space between the glass and backing. If you’re not sure, ask your quality frame retailer for clarification.

2) Ease of Use

With scrapbook frames, you need to have a frame that is easy to change the scrapbook page so you can change it regularly.  Some scrapbook frames have backs that are hard to remove which means you will be less likely to switch different scrapbook pages regularly. What you want to find, is a frame that can have the backing removed in just a few seconds. The most common type of backing has clips that slide out of the way like shown (on the picture on the top right). Another easy to use backing is this patented system on this metal scrapbook frame where the top easily slides off (as shown in the picture on the middle right).  Both of these are easy to use and make changing out pages a snap.

Another thing that needs to be easy to use is how the frame is displayed. You want a frame that comes with everything you need so you can display it how you want.  Most good quality scrapbook frames (with depths up to 1/2″) usually have easel back stands and hanging hardware already installed on the back of the frame (like the one shown here on the bottom right). However, frames with extra thick depths like 1 3/4″ usually only have hanging hardware as they can stand upright on their own.

So, the next time you shop for a scrapbook frame you’ll be sure to find one that you’ll love for years to come!

Gallery Picture Frames – How to Choose the Right One

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With the addition of some new gallery picture frames to our website, we thought we should review some of the key things you should know when choosing a gallery frame.

The first thing you should consider is the photo or artwork you want to frame. Is the photo or artwork old and irreplaceable? Can it be easily replaced? The reason you need to ask yourself these questions is to decide if you want to protect your photos or artwork with archival products.  Archival products help protect your photos and artwork from degrading because they’re made from materials that are acid free.  You can minimize this damage by using archival mats or other forms of conservation by using metal picture frames, UV glass and archival mats and backing.  It all depends upon the importance of the item you’re framing. For most people, it’s not necessary to have their photos protected. However, if you do need to protect your artwork or photo, the most economical choice is to use metal picture frames with an archival mat.

So the next thing to consider is the style of frame you want.  Wood frames can give the photo a more casual and warm look and offer a larger selection of frame styles and colors.  Here are just a few examples of wood frames that can add a sense of warmth to your photo. The first one is a Dennis Daniels Dark Walnut Picture Frame that has a nice rich brown color.  The second frame, is a simple natural wood picture frame with white mat and a 1/2″ wood molding.  This thin wood molding complements almost any photo and is available with or without a mat in various sizes and colors.  The third wood gallery frame is a wide wood step molding that adds some extra dimension to this frame. It’s available in four other colors and comes in a wide selection of sizes.

Metal frames, on the other hand, look more modern and contemporary and often come in fewer styles and colors than wood.  One of the advantages of metal frames, is that you can have a very narrow frame molding so all you notice is the photo or artwork. Metal photo frames are also a lot less expensive than wood in larger sizes so they make great gallery frames.

If you want to do a comparison between wood and metal gallery frames here is a black wood frame (in the picture on the left) and a black metal frame (on the right). The frame molding on the wood frame is much wider and has a more dominant look compared to the metal frame on the right. With the metal frame, it just provides a black highlight around the photo but doesn’t distract from the picture. Both have a nice look but it just depends upon the look you want for your gallery frame.

The last thing to consider is whether you want to use a mat. Using a mat is highly dependent upon your personal preference, but, in my opinion,  almost every gallery style photo or piece of artwork is better displayed in a mat.  A mat adds depth to your image and helps to draw the eye towards the photo.  Here is just one example of the difference between using a mat and not using one.  As you can see, there is a very different look when you compare the frame with a mat vs the frame without a mat. That’s why professional photographers and artists commonly use mats because it beautifully sets off the image. Now, I’m not trying to convince you to use a mat but if you do have an important photo or piece of artwork, a mat makes a big difference.

Despite how nice mats look in gallery frames,  people often don’t use mats because they can be difficult to find in the size you want. Most people think that if they want a mat they have to use a custom framer but that’s not true if you need a standard photo size. We offer a variety of gallery frames with mats like our Fineline Metal Picture Frames that come in both standard and custom photo sizes and our Modern Matted Wood Picture Frames that come in 5 different colors and a variety of sizes.  Or, if you would like to see our entire selection of gallery picture frames visit our website or give us a call with your questions at 1-800-780-0699.

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