Custom Framing FAQ: Understanding Your Options

What are the different levels of picture framing?

Framing generally falls into three tiers, from basic to premium. All three can look beautiful — the difference is in what happens to your artwork behind the glass over the next 10, 20, or 100 years.

TierBest ForCore PromiseStandard/Decor FramingPosters, decor prints, temporary displaysLooks good nowConservation FramingPhotographs, fine art prints, family photos, most original artProtects the artwork long-termMuseum FramingHeirlooms, valuable originals, archival collectionsMaximum protection + museum-standard materials

What is "Standard" or basic framing?

This is what you'll typically get from a big-box frame shop on a budget option. It usually includes:

  • Regular (non-acid-free) mats and backing — made from wood-pulp paper, which contains acids and lignin

  • Standard glass or acrylic — no UV protection

  • Dry-mounting or glue — the artwork is often permanently adhered to a backing board

The problem: Over time, the acid in the mat and backing board migrates into the paper, causing yellowing, brittleness, and a visible "mat burn" line. Regular glass lets UV light through, which fades inks, dyes, and photographic emulsions — sometimes within just a few years of sun exposure. Once dry-mounted, the piece usually can't be removed without damage.

This tier is fine for a poster or something you don't mind replacing. It's not appropriate for anything with sentimental, financial, or historical value.

What is Conservation Framing? (Our standard for fine art & photography)

Conservation framing is the baseline we consider "archival" — it's designed to protect your artwork from the most common causes of long-term damage. It includes:

  • Acid-free, lignin-free mats and backing — Prevents the yellowing, browning, and brittleness caused by acid migration. "Lignin" is a naturally occurring compound in wood pulp that breaks down into acid over time, so removing it matters as much as the paper being "acid-free" at the time of framing.

  • UV-filtering glass or acrylic — Blocks roughly 99% of UV rays, which are the primary cause of fading in inks, dyes, and photographic prints.

  • Reversible mounting — Artwork is attached using photo corners, hinges, or archival (Filmoplast/rice starch) tape rather than glue. This means the piece can be removed from the frame in the future without damage — a core principle of true conservation work.

  • Proper spacing — Mats or spacers keep the artwork from making direct contact with the glass, preventing moisture damage and the print sticking to the glazing over time.

Why this matters: Conservation framing doesn't just make your piece look good today — it actively slows the aging process and keeps your options open. If you ever want to re-mat, restore, or reframe the piece, or if a conservator needs to examine it, nothing has been permanently altered or damaged in the process.

This is our recommended baseline for anything you actually want to keep — original art, fine art prints, family photographs, and archival pigment prints.

What is Museum Framing? How is it different from Conservation?

Museum framing is the highest tier — the standard used by actual museums and institutions for their permanent collections. It builds on everything in conservation framing, plus:

  • 100% cotton rag mats — Rather than acid-free alpha-cellulose (wood-based) mats, museum mats are made from pure cotton fiber, which contains no lignin at all and is the most stable, inert material available for long-term contact with artwork.

  • Museum glass — UV-filtering plus anti-reflective coating, so the glass becomes nearly invisible — you see the art, not the glare.

  • Elevated mounting techniques — Often includes methods like Japanese tissue hinges with wheat starch paste (a technique borrowed directly from paper conservation), or float mounting for deckle-edge or textured papers.

In short: Conservation framing protects your art. Museum framing protects your art to the highest archival standard available, with the added visual benefit of glare-free glazing. It's the right choice for irreplaceable originals, valuable pieces, or anything intended to be preserved as a long-term collection piece.

Do I need museum framing, or is conservation enough?

For most people — original paintings, photographic prints, fine art reproductions, family heirlooms — conservation framing is more than sufficient. It uses genuinely archival materials and reversible methods; the artwork is fully protected from acid damage, UV fading, and mounting damage.

Museum framing is worth the upgrade when:

  • The piece is a valuable original or one-of-a-kind

  • You want the anti-reflective glass for a gallery-quality viewing experience

  • The piece is being preserved specifically as a long-term archival or estate collection item

We're happy to walk you through which tier makes sense for your specific piece.

What does "acid-free" actually mean?

It means the material has a neutral or slightly alkaline pH (typically 7.0–9.5) at the time of manufacture, so it won't chemically react with or degrade the artwork it touches. "Acid-free" and "lignin-free" often get used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing — lignin-free specifically means the wood-pulp acids that develop over time have been removed, which is what keeps a mat acid-free for decades rather than just at the moment of framing.

What does "UV-filtering" mean, and do I need it?

Standard glass blocks very little ultraviolet light. UV-filtering glass or acrylic blocks 97–99% of UV rays, which are the leading cause of fading in inks, photographs, and dyes — even in a room that doesn't get direct sunlight, ambient UV exposure adds up over years. If your art has any color value, sentimental value, or resale value, UV protection is one of the most important upgrades you can make.

What is "reversible" mounting, and why does it matter?

It means your artwork isn't permanently glued or dry-mounted to a backing board. Instead, it's attached with methods that can be undone — photo corners, archival hinging tape, or Japanese tissue hinges. This matters because it means the piece can always be removed, reframed, restored, or reassessed in the future without damage. It's a core principle of archival conservation: never do anything to the original that can't be undone.

What's the difference between acrylic (Plexiglas) and glass for UV protection?

Both are available with UV-filtering coatings. Acrylic is lighter and shatter-resistant (often preferred for large pieces or shipping), while glass tends to have better clarity and scratch resistance. Museum-grade options exist in both materials with anti-reflective coating.

Have a specific piece you're not sure how to frame? Bring it in and we'll recommend the right tier based on the artwork itself — its medium, value, and how you want to preserve it long-term.