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There is really no “ideal” way to frame an image, but no matter how it is done, the way the artwork is going to be perceived will be greatly affected by the frame around it. A good framing design will never make the artwork better, but it will help the way it is seen and presented. And a bad frame, even an expensive one, can ruin the way an image looks.
In short we can say that it is the correct proportions between the artwork, the matting and the moldings, in terms of dimensions and colors, that are going to make or break a framing design.
The following samples will demonstrate how different framing options
will affect the way the artwork is perceived.
In our Sample 1, the print is matted to fit into a ready-made frame. Understandably a compromise to keep the costs down, the result reflects this compromise: the matboard does not have equal sides, and it is too small, giving the impression that the artwork is trapped in the frame. That is made even worse by a molding that is wider than the mat.
The way an image is perceived will be greatly influenced by what is immediately next to it: the matboards. In this night scene, for example, a dark matboard will, by contrast, draw the attention to the lights (Sample 2). By combining a black frame with that black matboard, the emphasis on the lights is made even stronger, the lights being now the only “non-dark” parts of the design (Sample 3).
Using the same image, one can see that a white or off-white matting is more neutral and will not favor any particular parts of the image. The frame in this case plays a more important role, putting the accent more on the lights with a gold frame as in Sample 4, or on the darkness as in Sample 5. Note the wide matboards that allow the art more “breathing” space.
Double matting or the use of fillets is often a creative way to attract the eye to some colors or details of an artwork. The yellow inner mat of Sample 6 brings out the lights while the dark grey/violet outer mat, matches the color of the night sky. We also notice in this sample that by using double matting and a wider matboard, we were able to use a bigger frame without “choking” the artwork, giving the whole framing design a more important look.
Sample 7 shows another way of framing the same print, the idea being here to give a much more dramatic effect to the design. The role that a matboard usually plays has been replaced by a dark 4-inch molding and the use of stacked moldings to create more depth and definition. The close-up image 8 shows how the light cherry frame and the little gold beaded fillet provide depth and higlight the colors and details of the image.
As you can see from theses examples, there are many ways to do a good framing job. At Eastmont, we will spend as much time as necessary to come up with the framing design that will best suit the artwork, your tastes, and your budget.
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