For the highest protection for your artwork, you should only use mats that are
preservation or museum grade. There are three basic types of mats used in
picture framing.

The first is a regular or paper mat. These mats, while being cost effective,
contain a product called lignin. Over time lignin breaks down creating an acidic
gas that can leave a burn mark on your artwork. The color will also fade over
time, and the cream colored bevel will begin to darken. Some paper mats have a
bleached white core, but the overall degradation of the mat will be the same.

The second type of mat is an alpha cellulose mat. Cellulose is the chief material
in all plant life. Alpha cellulose is the purest form of this material. These mats
are buffered to maintain a neutral pH. They are considered to be preservation
quality. They will not harm the artwork, nor will they fade over time.

The third type of mat is a rag mat. Made from cotton linters, rag mats are
naturally lignin free. They are made with a colored surface paper, which are
preservation grade, or can be 100% rag mat, which is museum grade.

The Alpha cellulose and Rag type of mat is the only, in-stock mat at Artistic
Framing, this guarantees your art will stand the test of time.

The use of fabric mats can really add a distinct elegance to your framed art.

Whether it is suede, linen, silk or various other fabrics, the colors and textures
of fabric take your framing design to a new level. There is a wide range of
fabric types and colors that come pre-covered onto alpha cellulose and rag
mats.

The majority of these mats, though, are not preservation grade. This is
because the fabric does not meet standards for bleed resistance. Some fabric
mats, like Bainbridge’s Alpha Linens®, are preservation quality and can be
used on higher forms of artwork.

If you cannot find a pre-covered fabric mat to suit your needs, we can hand
wrapped any fabric over an existing mat. We have a large selection of fabric
from which to choose. You may also bring in your own custom fabric for us to wrap.

While there are no set outside dimensions for custom mats, there are guidelines
we can follow to determine the width or reveal of your mats. There are two basic
approaches to creating mat widths.

One is to make the mat equal on all four sides. This method brings balance and
symmetry to the design.

The second is to weight the bottom of the mat, making it larger than the top and
sides. This method was used during Victorian times when pictures were hung
very high on the wall and at a slight downward angle to the floor. By weighting
the bottom, it gave the appearance that the mats were equal on all sides.

Psychologically, the weighted bottom affords the viewer a sense of stability,
insuring them that the piece is not likely to tip over. Both methods are
acceptable and the preference is yours.

There are some basic rules that can be used in deciding the width of mats. First,
there should be no repetition of size. The reveals of the inner mats should be
slightly different. This allows the viewer to see the entire inner mat colors, not
just the more dominant color.

Also, the top mat should be at least 3/4” to 1” wider than the visible width of
the frame. This will set the frame apart from the rest of the piece and prevent it from encroaching on the artwork.

Most artwork is a collection of many colors, and we use the colors in your art as
a guide.

We may begin by showing you a selection of three mats; a top mat and two inner
mats. The colors of the inner mats are generally taken from the third or fourth
most predominant colors within the art. This allows these background colors to
show through and not become overwhelmed by the more predominant colors in
the piece.

By selecting mat colors in this fashion, we can allow the viewer to see the full
scope of the artwork. The top mat is generally a color that harmonizes with the
entire piece. It is preferred to have top mats that are lighter tones rather than
darker ones. Lighter tones will tend to “open up” the piece while darker tones
will tend to constrict the piece making it appear smaller.

There are times when the use of three mats is not warranted. Some examples of
this would be black and white photography and prints, and sepia tone and
monotone artwork. In these cases, there are limited color choices for the inner
mats and we would generally show you a top mat and single inner mat. In the
end, the choice of the number of mats is yours to make.

Glazing is a protective coating applied to clear glass used in framing that can
be invisible to the human eye, but invaluable to your artwork.

The choices in glazing are plentiful, consisting of top quality glass and acrylic glazing options by Tru Vue®. Your design consultant will help you choose the best glazing options for your artwork.

Tru Vue is a registered trademark of Tru Vue, Inc., McCook, IL, USA

Our preferred supplier for glazing products is Tru Vue®. They are the industry
leader when it comes to quality and technical advancements. They provide us
with four types of glass and acrylic.

The glass selections include Premium Clear which is regular, clear glass;
Conservation Clear® with TruGuard® Protection, which blocks 98% of harmful
Ultra Violet (UV) light rays, Reflection Control®, which is single sided etched non-
glare glass; and Tru Vue AR Reflection-Free™, which is a new technology that
virtually eliminates glare, and Museum glass that eliminates all reflected light
so your art looks like it is touchable.

Acrylic is available from Tru Vue under the trade names ACRYLITE® and
Optium™. ACRYLITE ® comes in Premium Clear, regular, clear acrylic,
Conservation Clear® ACRYLITE® with 98% UV protection, Reflection Control®,
which minimizes reflection and Optium™ Acrylic which has the anti-reflection
technology. Our store displays framed art using these various types of glazing,
and we also have samples which we can use to show you how the various types
of glazing will work with your art.

ACRYLITE® is a registered trademark of CYRO Industries, Rockaway, New
Jersey, USA. Tru Vue and Reflection Control are registered trademarks and Tru
Vue AR Reflection-Free and Optium are trademarks of Tru Vue, Inc., McCook,
IL, USA.

Ultraviolet light is one of the greatest sources of damage to artwork.

The natural ultraviolet protection afforded by regular glass types, can only
shield your artwork from some of the damaging effects of ultraviolet.
Unfortunately, the upper end of the ultraviolet spectrum of light is the most
hazardous to your art.

To aid in the protection of your art, Tru Vue® has created a full line of UV
reflective glazings. A thin film is placed over the surface of the glazing
affording you up to 97% protection from harmful UV rays. The new
conservation series of glass products include Conservation Clear®,
Conservation Reflection Control® and Museum Glass®, the highest quality
glass available.

From the Acrylite® acrylic line, your conservation series includes Conservation
Clear®, Conservation Reflection Control®, Conservation Clear Scratch Resistance® and Optimum Museum®.

Select a conservation series glazing for your art and avoid hanging it in direct sunlight or under any other ultraviolet source, and you can be sure that your framed piece will last for years to come.

Sealing the back of the frame serves two functions.

First, it provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance, concealing the
attachment of the artwork into the frame.

Second, it provides protection from insects and dust. Insects lay their eggs
inside of frames, because the cellulose from the paper products provides a food
source for their young.

There are two acceptable methods of sealing the back of the frame. The most
common method is using kraft paper. Available in both brown and black, this is
a heavier weight paper that can withstand many years of use. It is attached to
the frame using a double sided tape. Acid free materials are used in
preservation and museum framing.

The second method is taping, which is predominately used in Europe. This
method uses a two inch wide tape to cover over the attachments, usually
staples or framer’s points. While this method works well, it allows the viewer to
see the backing board and can release after time.

Metal frames, because of their channel construction, are not normally backed
but at Artistic Framing we seal the backs to prevent insect penetration.

There are many ways in which an image can be placed onto paper. The most
common types are:

Poster – An inexpensive printed reproduction of a piece of artwork, generally
containing some form of promotion in the margins (artist’s name, gallery or
museum name, some type of event).

Print – A generic term used to describe an impression made on paper from a variety
of sources such as a block, plate or film negative. It generally contains no
promotional information.

Lithograph – A generic term used to designate a print made from a planographic
process. This would include an original lithograph done on a stone or a commercial
print made by a photo mechanical process.

Serigraph – A method of printing using a prepared stencil attached to silk or
polyester fabric through which color (ink) is forced.

Etching – A printing process where an image is scratched into a plate through an
acid resistant ground. The plate is dipped into acid, causing the scratched areas to
be eaten away. The plate is then inked and pressed into the paper to transfer the
image.

Engraving – A printing process where lines are cut into a plate using a tool. No acid
is used in this process. The plate is then inked and pressed into the paper to
transfer the image.

Collagraph – A work of art produced by the inking of any combination, or collage of
materials. This forms a plate for printing.

Intaglio – A process which includes all-metal plate engraving and etching
processes in which the printed areas are recessed. It would include etchings,
engravings and mezzotints to name a few.

Monoprint – A one-of-a-kind print made by painting on a sheet or slab and
transferring the wet painting to a sheet of paper. The process can be done by hand
or by machine.

With the exception of posters and monoprints, any of the above forms of printing
may be open editions, where there are an unlimited number of prints, or a
limited edition, where the prints are limited to a certain quantity.

Artistic Framing carries an assortment of Limited Addition and Original
photography by local artists. We also have posters and prints, and in some
cases limited editions and originals.

At Artistic Framing we also have a selection of catalogs from art publishers, which you are welcome to browse. We would be happy to order any print you might like. The artwork can be delivered directly to your home or to Artistic Framing and we will call you so you can come in at your convenience to select your framing package.

All of our framing is sold at Wholesale Price to the public.

We use an Itemized point-of-sale system to price our framing jobs. This allows us to give you an exact price that covers all of the components you
have selected.

When we give you a price, it includes all the materials both seen and those unseen including the hangers for your wall, and the labor required to complete the job.

Periodic market analysis shows that our prices are more than competitive; less
than other professional frame shops offering equivalent products and services.

At times, other frame shops may quote a job at a significantly lower price. We
find that when this occurs, the frame shop is generally using inferior quality
products. This would include paper mats, cardboard backing, plastic frames or
“cheap” overseas knockoffs.

At times, these shops are shipping your artwork to off site production
warehouses where the quality and experience of their staff are questionable.

This is also contributes to turn-around time delays and damage or loss of
artwork.

At Artistic Framing, all work is done on the premises by the Owner.