| Glossary |
Acid Burn |
|
| Yellowish-brown lines that appear on artwork that was not framed using conservation materials. This causes the artwork to discolor and become brittle. | |
Acid Free |
|
| This general term is used to describe paper materials with a 7 pH, or very close to 7 pH. Acid-free materials are more permanent and less likely to damage or discolor over time. Below 6.5 pH or above 8.5 pH is not considered acid-free. |
|
Archival |
|
| Describes the framing procedure where all materials are completely acid free. | |
Adhesive Transfer Tape |
|
 |
Used in mounting artwork, backing boards and similar materials where two adhesive surfaces are needed. (Mats to mats, dust cover to frame, etc.) |
Beveled Edge |
|
| A 45-degree cut at the inside edge of a mat board window. Exposes about 1/16" of the mat board core. | |
Conservation Framing |
|
| Describes the framing procedure where all materials that come in contact with the artwork; mat board, mounting board, etc, are completely acid free. It is designed to minimize the deterioration of the artwork caused by exposure to the environment. | |
Corrugated Corners |
|
 |
Protects the corners of a frame when in transit. Made from corrugated cardboard, our corners are adjustable to fit two positions, 3/4" and 1 3/8". |
Floating Artwork |
|
| Matting technique where the mat board does not overlap the artwork. The artwork is adhered directly on the mat board with its edges exposed. It appears to "float" within the frame instead of having the mat board window covering its edges. | |
Foam Core |
|
| Stiff, lightweight material used as a backing (mounting) board to give rigidity to the image. Foam makes up the center of the board with a layer of paper on its surfaces. | |
Foxing |
|
| This reddish brown patches found on artwork that was not framed using conservation materials. This is caused by a combination of metallic salts, high humidity and high temperatures. | |
Frame Pair |
|
| One frame pair is equal to two frame sections. Two pairs make one frame. | |
Hardware |
|
 |
Describes the brackets, metal or plastic that are used to assemble a metal or wood frame.
|
Hinging |
|
| Procedure where a strip of tape is folded and attached to the artwork and then to the backing board or mat board. NOTE: As a rule you want to use a tape that is weaker than the artwork so that if the artwork is pulled the tape will tear, not the artwork. | |
Image Size |
|
| This is the actual measurement of your picture. Usually this represents the window size of the mat board. | |
Linen Tape |
|
| Tape containing a linen surface with an adhesive backing. Often use in hinging artwork. | |
Linen Liner |
|
 |
An inner frame that is wrapped in a white or natural colored linen material. Most commonly use within a larger frame to offset the frame from the artwork. |
Mat Board |
|
 |
A colored paperboard material used to create a transition from the picture to the frame. Our mat board, which is 4-ply and 1/16" thick, is 100% acid free material for conservation framing. A full sheet of mat board is 32"x40". |
Mat Board Core |
|
| The center area of mat board. Comes in various thickness, including 4-ply. | |
Mat Board Cutter |
|
 |
A tool use to cut windows in mat board. We offer various mat cutters for different skill levels. |
Mat Board Offset |
|
| The reveal of the bottom mat board when one mat window is stacked on top of another. A standard offset between the top and bottom mat is 1/4". | |
Mounting Board |
|
 |
Backing material which is used to support the artwork. We have three types of mounting board; Standard, which is used for general framing, Archival, which we recommended for conservation/archival framing, and Self-Adhesive. All come with a foam core and paper surfaces. |
Mural A Mural is any piece of artwork painted directly on wall, ceiling or any other permanent surface.  Offset |
|
Painting |
The reveal of the bottom mat board when one mat window is stacked on top of another. A typical offset between the top and bottom mat is 1/4". Painting is a mode of expression and the forms are numerous like drawing, composition or abstraction and other aesthetics may serve to manifest the expressive and conceptual intention of the practitioner. Paintings can be naturalistic and representational (as in a still life or landscape paintings), photographic, abstract, be loaded with narrative content, symbolism, emotion or be political in nature. |
Plexi-glass/Acrylic |
|
 |
Acrylic material used in place of glass. It is distortion free, light weight and shatter resistant. Standard and UV Plexi-glass are available. We recommend UV plexi-glass for conservation framing. |
Profile |
|
 |
The cross section illustration which displays the Height (H), Width (W), and Rabbet (R) of the frame, giving you a better understanding of its size. All of the profiles shown on our site are in scale with each other. |
Rabbet |
|
| The inner channel of a frame which holds the picture and any framing materials. | |
Spacer |
|
 |
Often made from foam core or mat board, it creates an area between the plexi-glass and the picture. Shadow Box frames can be made using spacers. |
Window |
|
 |
The opening in a mat board to view the picture underneath. |