Picture frame

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Large frames Louvre

A picture frame is a container added to a picture in order to enhance it, make it easier to display or, in some cases, to protect it.

1 Construction
2 Styles
3 See also
4 Links

[edit] Construction

Picture frames are usually made of soft or hard wood, although other materials are also used, including aluminum or polystyrene. A picture frame may be of any colour or texture, but gilding is common, especially on older frames. Some picture frames have elaborate mouldings on them, which may relate to the subject matter of the picture.

The picture frame may contain a pane of glass, in order to protect the picture. Glass may be treated with various coatings, the most common being UV filters. The most expensive glass, Museum glass, has a coating which makes the glass non reflective and practically invisible.

Some pictures need to be held slightly away from the glass, notably pictures in charcoal, pastel or other media with a tendency to smudging: the frame helps to achieve this by containing a fillet, which comes between the frame and glass and the picture.

[edit] Styles

"L"-style frames are a simple variety that are constructed with a single L-shaped border of wood, with the bottom part of the L, or rabbet, at the front of the frame to hold in the glass, object and backing, which are secured in from the back. In this type a frame, a framing mat should be used to distance the object/picture from the glass, because condensation quickly accumulates inside any frame and causes damage to the picture.

Shadowbox frames have an additional channel cut into them, which the glass is inserted into. This allows the picture to be framed without a mat and still have protection from condensation.

Other styles are clip frames, box frames and shadow boxes, among many others. A digital photo frame is an example of the improving technology of the 21st century.