Framing Services
Frames
Not all frames are created equal. Visual appeal and decorative design aside, a frame is only as good as its weakest point, the corner joints. At Mo’s Gallery & Fine Framing we hand vice, glue and v-nail all of our frames. And because we cut and join our frames by hand, our corners are not only stronger they match perfectly too. Some other things to consider:
- Design vs Function. If a frame looks great, but cannot support the size or weight of the art, reconsider. This is especially true for framed mirrors. The larger and heavier the object is, the more substantial the frame needs to be to go around it.
- Closed Corners vs Joined Corners. A joined corner frame is assembled from 4 separate pieces of moulding, while a closed corner frame is carved from a single piece of wood or has a solid overlay. A closed corner fame has no visible corner seams, that visually is more attractive than a joined corner frame, but pricier too .
- Old vs New. Before deciding to reuse an old frame just to save some money, take a long hard look at it. How is the over all finish? are there any distracting scratches or dings? Is the design or style too outdated? Are there gaps in the corners (a telltale sign of weak corner joints)? An older frame that has become too dry and brittle can compromise, rather than protect valuable art. Sometimes it really is OK to reuse an older frame, but more often than not. . it is not.
Matting
Mo’s Gallery & Fine Framing has a huge selection of matting options. We have paper mat boards, rag mats and textured mats as well as fabric mats and liners. All of our mat boards are conservation quality and acid free. Things to consider:
- Everything we do is by hand whether it is a simple mat, a hand wrapped fabric liner, or hand inked French lines.
- Always ask for conservation quality materials. At Mo’s Gallery & Fine Framing you will get the best quality no matter what you choose because we only carry conservation quality products. Regular paper mats will fade over time and the acid in them will discolor you art leaving burn marks behind.
- You can spot an acidic mat by looking at the bevel. In acidic mats the bevel is a “newspaper brown” color. If any of your mats look like this it would be wise to have them upgraded to acid free mats to prevent further damage to your art.
Glass
When it comes to choosing glass there are six options available on the market. As a frame shop we have access to all six kinds of glass but only three of the six do we recommend. Our standard glass option is UV clear. We also suggest AR (anti-reflective) and AR Museum. Some things to consider:
- Conservation clear, or UV regular, glass is very price comparable to regular clear glass and has more than twice ultra violet protection.
- AR glass is an updated version of traditional non-glare glass. We will still get non-glare glass per customer request but it is fuzzy looking and washes out the details in your art. AR glass is almost invisible and has high UV protection.
Mounting
Most people don’t think about mounting in the framing equation because most of the time how the art is mounted is hidden by the matting or the frame. What you do not see could be harmful to your art or ruin it without you even knowing it. We do a lot of re-framing and many of our customers feel sick when they see exactly how their art was mounted or attached in the frame. There many mounting techniques and our experts know how to properly handle different types of media to ensure conservation and preservation. Things to consider:
- The majority of our mounting methods are reversible with out damage to the piece.
- When deciding how to mount a piece, we base our decision on what would conserve and protect your art the best.
- True quality is in the details and what you can’t see. We take pride in those details even though no one else may see them.
- We will explain why and how we decide to mount your art so that you may be confidant in our work.