A Glossary of Framing Terms

Terms related to preservation:

Acid-free –  The materials we use for your framing projects in order to protect your art.   We use only 100% cotton rag mat board, and Japanese paper hinges for float-mounting.  Standard paper made from wood pulp is acidic due to the natural deterioration of lignin (complex organic polymers that are part of most plant materials), and become more so over time. 

Archival -  Our methods and the materials we use to frame your art in a way that preserves it, with as little degradation as possible. 

Conservation – Understanding the material, fabrication and construction, strengths and weaknesses, history, and significance of items to advance their preservation.

Preservation - Preservation encompasses all efforts - including conservation - to keep and maintain or improve the condition of an artwork or object to counter manmade damage or the natural effects of time.

For more (extremely detailed) information about preservation, archival methods and conservation, please see the brochure from the Library of Congress.  https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/deterioratebrochure.html

Terms related to frame type and finishing:

Closed Corner Frame – Sometimes called finished corner frames.  Any frame that starts as unfinished moulding with reinforcement added to the joinery.  This provides reinforcement for the corners and also adds visual interest.  The contrast you see isn’t always because a different species of wood is used.  Many times, it’s the contrast between the end grain and the side grain. 

Rounded Corners – These are exactly what they sound like, frames with rounded corners.  They add another element of customization, but they are also quite strong, as the angled grain runs perpendicular to the frame lengths.  These pieces create more joined surface area between the side grains in the glue joint, which allows for a much stronger bond than with end grain joinery alone.  As with a top spline, they also cover the miter joint in an elegant way.

Shadowbox – A type of frame used when an item is too thick or deep to fit into a “standard” frame, which only allows for ¼” thickness internally.  Sometimes a customer just prefers a shadowbox for aesthetic reasons rather than functional.

Top Spline – An aesthetically pleasing and functional reinforcement for the corners of your frame.

Terms related to glass/plexiglass:

Glazing – The barrier, either glass or Plexiglass, which protects your art from the outside environment.

Museum Glass – We use Tru Vue’s museum glass, which offers 99% UV protection. 

Optium – Tru Vue’s plexiglass.  It virtually eliminates reflections, and offers UV protection as well as protection from static electricity.