Custom framing at Spectrum Artworx

Spectrum works with our customers to find framing that highlights their artwork and doesn’t break the bank

Expectations:

most framing consultations take 30-45 minutes. You’ll want to bring the artwork in with you. We have staff on hand trained to analyze the work and find framing and matting that is going to work best for the particular artwork in its particular setting.

 

Some artwork might need a little help to shine – we can do a ton with matting / framing choice and cropping.

Other art pieces are perfectly fine as they are and just need a little protection and a way to hang so you can enjoy them.

Things to think about before coming in:

what’s your budget?

where’s the art going to hang? How’s the lighting there? what colors are dominant there? what’s the motif?

what aspects of the art do you think need to be highlighted or muted(if any)?

Where is the artwork going to hang?

What kind of lighting do you have in that area? Are we concerned about UV from Fluorescent or Halogen bulbs, or natural light? Are we concerned about glare?

How will matting and framing impact the composition of the art?

What matting and framing color choices will have the best impact on the art? How are these choices going to play out in the environment the art will hang?

What’s your budget? (most custom framing at Spectrum Artworx bottoms out around $80)

What’s important about your framing? Do you need this to be lightweight (e.g., simply mounting on foamcore and shrink-wrapping)?

 

Our general approach / philosophy:

We approach framing / matting with a fairly pragmatic eye. We want to protect the work, make it pleasing to look at, and honor the original intent of the artist.
We prefer to keep things simple and opt for the minimal that’s needed. And we prefer to use methods and materials that are easily reversible or make the least changes to the original art.

Where some frame shops try to upsell you into fancy moldings or extra matting or decor – we believe less is usually more. Keeping it simple serves both the art and your wallet. At Spectrum Artworx, the art is the focus of the framing – not the frames or matting. With an eye on basic color theory, we can usually find the perfect choice to make the art “pop” without a bunch of extraneous add-ons.

 

Common Conundrums:

 

can’t put holes in your wall? Consider either mounting the art on foamcore and shrink-wrapping it, then using command strips. Or possibly using a table or floor easel for display

 

It’s going into a public space and you have concerns about people bumping the artwork or removing it? consider using security hangers, which will lock the art into place on the wall

 

Framing then shipping it? we have a variety of plexiglass options we can use instead of glass

 

You just need it protected from dust and bugs but don’t have much money at this point? Again, think about shrink wrapping it onto a foam board

 

Giving it as a gift and not sure where it will hang? we have a number of moldings that will fit in almost any setting

 

It’s going into an office space with fluorescents, or will be displayed in an area with a lot of natural light, and you’re concerned about the art fading out? Both conservation glass and museum glass (by TruVue) have a UV film on them that cuts almost 100% of the UV before it hits the art. Museum glass has the added bonus that it also has a non-glare film on it so the image comes through crystal clear

 

Oil painting? We can simply install a hanging wire and bumpers, or go with traditional framing, or maybe a floating frame would be ideal. No glass required

 

Your project has a fair bit of depth? a shadowbox might be ideal, or possibly do away with the glass

 

Want to design your own framing options? check out this link: https://designstudio.larsonjuhl.com/– Larson Juhl is our main provider of framing supplies and we have (or can get) everything on their site

 

Your current frame has fallen into disrepair? We’re happy to take a look. Some frames come back together easily (and some don’t). We can assess what it will take to get your art back on your wall. Or maybe you just want to switch out which artwork is framed on your wall. We’re happy to pull the old art and put in the new. Jobs like these are bid out based on materials and labor (usually $30/hr)

 

Want to recognize a donor, or highlight the artist/title? We have several engraving options we can incorporate into the framing – usually fairly inexpensively.

 

Concerned about the longevity of the artwork? We work with the utmost of care to protect the art entrusted to us. Aside from that, we prefer to only work with acid free materials, and to use archival methods that effectively protect your art and are easy to reverse.

 

Want to keep the original stored in a safe place yet still enjoy the art – with permission from the artist, we can scan the art and print a high quality reproduction in our Canson-certified print lab. 

 

canvas art? we can stretch canvas over foam or stretcher bars

fabric art? (some pieces should be tacked down) We use archival tags that grip the artwork to a backing board so it stays in place.

pastel art? you’ll want to bring those in already coated with fixative (most pastel artists do this before selling their work) – but even fixative doesn’t completely keep the dust down – so we like to mat those in such a way that the dust collects inside the matting, not up against the glass.

glossy photos? we like to use offsets when we frame photos – this can simply be matting, or we can use our acid-free acrylic offsets to keep the glass off the photo (in humid conditions, photos that are up against glass can stick to the glass causing irreversible damage)

 

Something else? We’ve been in the framing business since 2012 and have tackled a ton of odd projects, finding some great options for things that most frame shops won’t know what to do with.