Strawberryluna

Quick & Simple Frame & Matte Guide + Diagrams

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So you bought a piece of artwork that you love, yay! OK now what?

Yep. As printmakers and art sellers we get these questions on a weekly basis from our online shops and in person at craft & art fairs. If you are wholly unfamiliar with the elements of framing prints and artwork it can seem like a math puzzle with multiple sets of numbers to keep straight. But really? It’s simple, we promise.

And to prove it, I’ve broken down the main elements in this blog post, photos, and diagrams that I illustrated for you. Ta-da!

Frame_Matte_Diagram750

The 3 Basic Framing Elements:

1. Artwork: The print, water color painting, vintage wallpaper, etc. that you want to display. This will be the smallest element in size. Shown here as my illustration of a tulip, including the entire artwork area.

2. Matte: A thick paperboard “frame” with an opening where your artwork will be centered. A matte helps to keep your new print centered and flat in the frame as a print will often be attached to the  Mattes can be any color (white or black are the most common), any width, and you can even “double matte” (or triple matte if you are feeling ultra fancy) artwork by layering 2 different sized mattes over one another and over your artwork to be framed. Your matte will be longer and wider than your artwork / image size at it’s outer dimensions, but the inside opening will cover the edges of your artwork / image area (the green areas as above) for a seamless fit. The matte doesn’t have to cover your artwork uniformly, it just needs to lay over the edges so that your artwork is centered in the matte’s opening.

3. Frame: The frame that you choose, yep, it’s pretty self-explanatory. But like mattes, frames come in many sizes, but also in a wide variety of materials such as metal and wood, and in practically any color and finish that you can imagine. The frame will be your largest sized element, and like the matte goes over the edges of your artwork? Your frame will go over the outer edges of your matte (which in turn are over the outer edges of your artwork).  Framing is basically a layering game!

Frame_NO_Matte_Diagram750

However, note that a matte can be an optional element of your framed art, depending on your style and the artwork itself. Above you see a my diagram of the same artwork in a frame, but without a matte. To illustrate that difference further below are two examples of our Ghost Ship By Day Print framed, one with and one without a matte.

Example A, Framed with a matte:

Here is our 3 Fish screenprint, sized 16×22 inches and framed with a 1 inch matte, in an 18×24 inch simple black frame. As the first diagram above “Framed Art With A Matte” shows, the matte actually extends the content of the frame out to fill the interior. So in this case a 16×22 inch print fits beautifully into an 18×24 inch frame with a matte, because the matte covers the edges of the print and is cut to fit the frame size neatly.

3 Fish Print, size 16×22 framed with a matte in an 18×24 inch frame.

In another example with a matte below, in the upper right corner (photo by a sweet customer with great taste in prints @mylittlecherry on Instagram) shared this gallery wall photo with our Ghost Ship By Day Print on the top right:

Screen Shot 2016-08-23 at 3.23.37 PMExample B: Framed without a matte:

Here is our Be Kind Always Print, sized 12×12 inches and framed in super cute birch wood frame without a matte. As the second illustrated diagram above “Framed Art Without A Matte” shows, the print itself extends all the way to the inner edges of the frame. So there is no need for a matte at all.

Our Be Kind Always Print, framed without a matte in a 12×12 inch frame.

And the same Ghost Ship By Day Print from earlier in this post is also shown below without a matte, in the middle between two cuties (photo by one of our lovely retailers @apple.village on Instagram):Screen Shot 2016-08-23 at 3.24.01 PMExample C: Unframed, with magnetic wooden print hangers:

And finally we love this option for a clean, casual and modern approach. No frame at all, instead the art work is held between 4 wood slats with magnets embedded into them so that the hangers clamp together and hold your print in place, as below, once again using our 3 Fish screenprint as an example:

Our 3 Fish silkscreen print hung with magnetic wooden slat hangers.

OK! I’m ready to frame my art! Now what?

As for the actual frames? Again, lots of choices to fit every aesthetic and budget are available. We love our local Frame Shops here in Pittsburgh:

We adore five places online that have great frames and mattes that offer all American Made materials, plus all frames and mattes are cut to your specs, which is amazing and really great. They all ship quickly and safely. All very affordably!

Frame USA – Our favorite online go-to! No really. For DIY framing or bulk frames, and super specific specs and variety Frame USA is the tops. You can find standard US frame sizes or enter your custom dimensions and they make your frames and mattes to order. Great for odd sized artwork and / or out of standard matte needs. All of their materials and frames are made here in the USA, featuring an incredible selection of reclaimed and first-use wood, metal, and composite frames in a huge array of color options, including mattes and accessories from super affordable to super high end. They make framing projects so easy.

⇒ Craig Frames – Much like Frame USA above they have a wide selection of frames and mattes. They are somewhat less customizable in terms of sizes, with an emphasis on standard US frame sizes. But the size selection essentially runs the gamut of most needs. You can buy frames and mattes separately, or, go with their pre-made kits in standard sizes. Including bulk packs of frames too, which is really nice and easy for stress free framing. Craig Frames is a solid “plug & play” option.

All Barn Wood – many of their frames have a more rustic and camp vibe with lots of reclaimed wood options.

Matteboard And More – offers custom size, color, and material options in mattes, backing boards, frames and show kits and more.

We Are Well Made – Our go-to place for the super fresh magnetic wooden STiiCK print hangers. STiiCKs, simplify the framing process by eliminating the glass / plexi front and matte. Strong magnets, embedded just below the surface of each wooden slat, clamp art at the top and bottom without damage, and makes for a very modern look with a casual low-fi vibe.

There are of course great off the shelf options these days now too at places like IKEA, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond also where frames usually come with a matte included. If you are going that route, we suggest that you find a frame that you like, and then get a matte custom cut to your artwork’s size for about $10 at places like Michael’s & JoAnn’s craft stores, or at your local favorite framery (see ours above) or art supply shop.

So there you go! If you have any questions feel free to comment below. We hope that this post helps you get you new artwork up & beautifully displayed.

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New art print released: Summer Cardinal, the 3rd 2010 Seasons Print

4 color, all hand screenprinted art print "Summer Cardinal". (click for more info or to purchase)

Huzzah! It’s summer, fully. The 2nd of 3 new releases today, this is my Summer Cardinal art print. And I have to be honest, it’s been done printed, cut, and ready to fly home since the first day of summer. Mea culpa on the slow to blog it here (in)action.

But, summer is all about being laid back right? Right. Sweet.

Quick story about this print. It was originally designed as a 5-color print, with a transparent metallic gold ink as the last layer. Somehow in my head, rather than expecting the metallic gold to work as a true transparent ink and blend with the pink base/1st color to make a new color (in this case, a peachy coral), I thought that it would sit on top. Essentially making a misty soft metallic gold overlay all subtly sparkly.

Yeah….no. Nope. (See last photo below.) I pulled two prints and decided to stop there, making this a 4 color print.

That’s screenprinting!

Summer Cardinal is a part of my new Seasons series. This is the seventh print in series of seasonal prints that I’ll be releasing. Ready? Here’s the mind-blowing part = there will be 4 per year. Crazy, right?

This year for the Seasons series, in 2010 I am doing things a little differently, rather than making a new image for each season, I’ve decided to follow the same bright red fellow in the same scene, across all 4 seasons. And here for Summer Cardinal, in honor of the softer, breezier and warmer life of summer, our little red fellow is enjoying the gathering sunset of a lovely night ahead in twilight pinks.

Summer Cardinal is my 4-color, all hand screenprinted art print with tender summer night pink, bark brown, scarlet red, fresh-leaf green hand mixed and non-toxic water based inks. All prints are hand signed and titled. Edition of 500. Size: 16 x22 inches (39.4 cm x 55.9 cm.) Paper: archival Cougar, White 100lb cover weight. $25.

This print is ready to fly home with you and available for purchase here at my website now!

Process shots of my hand screenprinting this print are below for you as well. Click any of the images to see more information and to see more photos from my Flickr account too.

1st color registering for my 4-color "Summer Cardinal" hand screenprinted art print. Click to see more process photos and for more info.

Just a lil guy. Click for more process photos and more info.

2nd color printed, and my printing apron, from Etsy seller Amievoltaire. Click for more process photos and more info.

The 5th color FIAL. Click for more info and more process photos.

New poster released: Jackie Kashian CD release party poster

3 color, hand screenprinted poster for Jackie Kashian. (click for more info & to purchase.)

The first in a slew of new releases. Ok. Well, if 3 new releases can be a slew, then call me Seattle.

Jackie Kashian is a danged funny person. No, really, check out her newest CD release It Is Never Going To Be Bread or a live show to prove me wrong. Go ahead, I’ll wait. ‘Cause you won’t be able to prove me wrong. And this poster is for her new CD release party set of shows in Minneapolis, MN on June 22- 26th, 2010 at Acme Comedy Company.

This kitty-kitty at an ophthalmology appointment my all hand screenprinted poster for super rad Jackie Kashian’s CD Release party shows at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis. It’s my 3-color, scene of a poster with bright red, sensible beige and black cat black, hand mixed and non-toxic water based screenprinting inks.

Like all of my posters, this limited edition silkscreen poster is signed (by me) and numbered in a limited edition of 80. Size: 16 x22 inches (39.4 cm x 55.9 cm.) Paper: archival Cougar, White 100lb cover weight. This poster was available from Jackie Kashian, at her CD Release party shows and then it will also be available for $20 + shipping & handling from Dan Schlissel at  Stand Up Records, her CD/record label’s website thereafter, contact Stand Up Records:

Website: http://www.standuprecords.com
Email: Dan Schlissel – ismista [ a t ] yahoo dot com

And! Would I forget some process photos? Come on. Below and always more over in my Flickr account.

1st color screen, ready to print. Click to see more process photos.

3rd color about to be printed. Click to see more process photos.

Detail of kitty-face. Click for more process photos.