Anytime you go to a professional gallery or frame shop to have something custom framed, you want to work with someone who has artistic ability, and someone who is well versed in preservation techniques to preserve your art and treasures. With photos, limited edition art, original watercolors, or any type of paper to be framed, a UV (ultraviolet) acrylic sheet is usually the best choice of glazing for your collectable. Because we live in an earthquake area, you should know that UV or any acrylic glazing is lightweight and virtually unbreakable.
The ultraviolet part of sunlight or flourescent lighting can fade or yellow your artwork and this is virtually completely blocked out by UV acrylic. Even regular grade acrylic knocks out sixty to seventy percent of the UV which ordinary glass would allow through.
When the Northridge Earthquake occurred in 1994, B&R Gallery was very fortunate to have 99 percent of the art in the showroom framed using acrylic. We had no damage whatsoever to any of the hundreds of pictures in the store. As we have been recommending regular and UV Acrylic for many years prior, in 1994 we had very few customer repairs of broken glass.
Another important factor when custom framing a collectable is the use of 100 percent acid-free matting and museum mounting to preserve the art or collectable. No tape should touch the work of art and acid free mounting hinges should be used to hold the art in place. With these techniques it will be fully preserved, but it is still advisible to avoid direct sunlight on your piece as it can cause condensation and distortion under the glazing and degrade the collectable. Shutters, blinds and drapery do the trick in this case. Another tip is to never spray glass cleaner on a picture when it is on the wall. If the moisture gets under the lip of the bottom of the frame it may migrate and seep into the art and ruin it. Always take it off the wall and clean it with it lying flat. If you must leave it on the wall, spray the cleaner onto a rag instead of directly onto the glazing.
Design is extremely important when working with a gallery or frame shop designer, who is there to help you get the most beautiful framing possible. A great designer will often have the concept in mind of how the piece should look when done as soon as he or she sees what is to be framed — even before he pulls the frame samples off the wall. They will listen and work with you to achieve a great result.
It is extremely rewarding to see a customer’s eyes light up when they pick up their finished piece. A great custom framed work of art can improve the quality of life and bring great pleasure for decades to come while preserving value. You can see examples of beautifully designed custom framed collectibles by going to www.bnr-art.com/framing/framing.htm or stop in and say, “Hello!”
For more information, please visit www.bnr-art.com or call 661-298-2038.