Glossary of Commonly Used Framing Terms

acid free Paper or board that has been treated to maintain a neutral pH.  Acid and lignin and other harmful factors are removed which could cause staining to artwork over time.
archival, conservation,
gallery, museum,
preservation

All of these terms are more or less interchangeable.  They refer to a method of framing in which all processes are completely reversible and the visible and chemical deterioration of the artwork is minimized.  This type of framing may include acid-free materials and UV glazing.  Also known as "C/P."

To quote Hippocrates,  "Do no harm."
AR A very special type of glass with a micro-thin coating that disrupts the energy contained in light waves causing them to flow out of synch.  This technique called "destructive wave interference" virtually eliminates reflections off the glass surface.
art

I have always been a firm believer that art is indeed in the eye of the beholder.  If you call it art - it's art!
bevel The bevel is the slanted edging on the inner opening of a mat.  The bevel can be plain white (exposing a white matboard core) or it can be gold leafed, painted or colored in many ways.  Mats are traditionally cut with beveled edges to prevent unsightly shadows from falling onto the artwork.
block Blocking refers to the straightening of needlepoint which has been worked without a frame support and is slanted in appearance.  Sometimes crewel stitchery needs blocking, but this is rare. 
dry mount Dry mounting is a process, considered irreversible, by which a piece of paper, most frequently a poster, is bonded to a backing board so that it will stay flat after it is framed.
dust cover The dustcover is the piece of paper glued to the back of a wooden frame package.  This covering keeps not only dust but also insects out of your frame.
fillet

A fillet is a narrow strip of wood, with a shape and a finish that looks like a miniature frame.  This fits inside a mat or the lip of a frame to add an extra special touch of class.

You'll notice the term retrofitting includes the term fitting.  

float When a piece of paper artwork has interesting edges or the artwork goes all the way to the edges of the paper, the piece can be floated on top of a mat instead of positioned under a mat opening.
glazing Glazing is the glass or acrylic that protects your framed artwork from both physical harm (dust, pollutants) and  the effects of light.  Glazing is available with many different features, such as UV filtration or reflection control.
Gutter

A space between the mat and the art work  created  primarily for pastels so that pigment dust that may fall from the art work does  not accumulate  on the mat and glass
hanger The hanger is what goes onto your wall to support the frame.  There are many types of hanging devices.
hardware The hardware is what goes onto the back of your frame  to hold the piece  to the molding and on the wall to hang it.  Hardware includes, nails, pins, darts, screw eyes, D-rings, strap-hangers, and wire.
hinge A hinge is an attachment device made from Japanese paper and adhered with a neutral paste in Conservation framing.
laminate Laminating seals an item in plastic.  Like your driver's license.  Framers don't do a lot of laminating because it is in no way reversible.
liner A liner is a plain, flat or slightly beveled wooden frame, usually covered with linen fabric, which goes inside a more ornate outer frame and acts as a visual "rest area" between an unglazed painting or photograph (both presumably protected with a varnish or coating of some sort).  Liners can also be painted in a variety of colors and methods, or covered with velvet.
mat A mat is a piece of board made with, paper, cloth and sometimes wood, plexiglass or glass which has one or more windows cut into it to display underlying images (ie, your art!).
matte Matte is a type of finish, it means "Not glossy or shiny but flat or dull."  This is a term familiar to anyone who has tried to buy interior housepaint.
mount Mounting means to fix or position artwork into a mat or onto backing material.
pH This is a chemical scale which describes acidity or alkalinity important in conservation and archival work.  Archival material need to be pH neutral 
profile The shape or style of a frame.  Frames come in millions of profiles.
rag Rag is a short term for 100% cotton rag, ie, rag matboard which is  as close to pH neutral as currently possible.
shadow box A shadowbox is a deep frame made to accommodate three dimensional objects.
sink mat A sink mat is created with a "well" underneath it to hold the framed item in place without damage.  This is an ideal approach to the framing of an entire magazine - you will see the page or cover you desire, but the rest will be tucked safely in its sink mat.  Also great for framing LPs.  Remember LPs?
spandrel A spandrel is a style of frame which is square or rectangular on the outside and round or oval on the inside.  This type of frame is especially perfect for rectangular photos which you do not wish to trim into an oval shape.
stretch Paintings on canvas or works of art on fabric are stretched over a rigid support (usually a wooden stretcher frame) so that they may stay square and flat for framing and viewing.
substrate The substrate is the board or material which goes under your artwork in a frame package.
UV Ultra violet light.  This type of light is found in both sunlight and artificial lighting.  UV wavelengths cause fading, embrittlement and discoloration in unprotected frame packages.
UV Glazing A coated glass or an engineered acrylic which filters UV wavelengths.  Also available in AR.  UV glazing is like sunscreen for your artwork.  Just as an application of sunscreen won't protect you forever, UV glazing can only slow down the damaging effects of light for your artwork.
   

[top]