It may be a poster for your teen’s room. Or a pastel you bought in Florence. You want it framed. What should you know e turned to Jay Goltz, owner of Artists’ Frame Service in Chicago and Highland Park.
1. WHERE TO GO. Look for a custom framer that offers a large selection of frames and mats — and a knowledgeable staff. The person behind the counter should engage you in a “framing conversation.”
2. THE MEDIUM.Different art has different needs. For instance
Inexpensive posters usuallyget mounted (glued down) sothey stay flat.
More collectible posters and prints don’t get mounted. For investment reasons, you don’t want to change their original state.
Large watercolors might look great framed in plexiglass.
Pastels should never be framed in plexiglass. The static from the plexi would pull the chalk off the picture.
Oil paintings are stretched on stretcher bars; glass isn’t needed.
Photographs could be dry-mounted or mounted with photo corners and matted over the corners; never use wet glues.
3. SOFA, SO WHAT? “The artwork should not take orders from the room, but it does have to answer to it. It’s kind of like being married,” Goltz says. Choose the mat and frame to suit the artwork first and foremost. Then make sure it suits the style of your room.
4. CONSERVATION BUZZWORDS:”museum-quality,” “conservation,” “acid free.” They mean all the materials used — the mat, backing board, etc. — don’t have acid in them and are made to help preserve the art. Expect to pay 20 to 40 percent more for this.
5. GLASSERY. Know the terms, the pros and the costs:
Traditional glass: uncoated, least costly.
Glass with UV protection: protects from harmful light. Cost: about 50 percent more than traditional glass.
Non-glare glass: has etched finish that reduces glare — but tends to dull artwork behind it. Has improved, though, over the years. Cost: about 50 percent more than traditional glass.
Reflection-control glass: Best of all — its coating reduces most reflection so glass becomes almost invisible. Usually has UV protection too. Very costly: $200 or more for glass alone for 2-by-3-foot poster vs. about $30 for traditional glass.
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