About Framing Your Art
How you choose to frame your art is a personal thing. Most professional framers have a variety of frames and mattes available. Your framer can help you decide on the best frame and matte to suit your print or artist proof, decor and budget. We ship Michael's prints and artist proofs rolled in a poly sleeve in a hard-walled cardboard tube. Your framer will flatten your print before framing.
Here are a few points to keep in mind:
Protect your art.
Take your print to a certified framer. There, you'll find a selection of mattes, frames and glass to choose from. Whether you choose a wood (pictured) or metal frame, there are some things to keep in mind:
- Your print was shipped rolled. Our framer advises that a quick press in the dry mount press straightens everything out, without damaging the print, signature or embossing. Alternately, your framer may choose to straighten your print by weighting it — this is what our framer prefers.
- Regular glass is acceptable and the most economic.
- UV glass is recommended to protect the print from fading when the print is being hung in a bright room.
- DO NOT hang your print in direct sunlight.
- Non-glare glass is available. It does cut down light reflections, but also cuts down on the brightness and clarity of the print.
- Ask for museum grade acid free matte(s) and backing. The acids in the materials used can, and will, damage art over time.
- If your print was accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, have it mounted to the framed print's backing in an envelope.
The frame should suit the art.
When choosing frame and matte styles and colors, keep in mind that they should enhance the art, as well as suit the decor. Take the time to have your framer show you an assortment of color/style combinations within your budget. If in doubt, keep it simple.
If you're at a complete loss and want something you know is going to look great? A favorite of many of our clients (and us), is a chunky (wide) black frame and single black matte with a v-groove—it's simple and elegant, and makes the vibrant colors Michael paints with really 'pop', without altering them. On a budget: alternately, a metal frame is less expensive. A black metal or simple brushed aluminum or chrome (silver) frame with a white or black outer matte works very well.
Don't be afraid of color.
Thinking you'd like to be a bit 'creative'? With so many choices available, the urge to go with color mattes can be irresistable! And, can make a beautiful work of art even more striking. Really, the possibilities are endless. One thing to keep in mind, is that a color matte, whether the main (outer) one or the accent (inner) one will affect the colors in the painting. A red matte, for example, will bring out the red tones in a piece. The same goes for a blue, green, purple, orange, or golden matte.
If you're looking for some more ideas, please check out our Facebook page—many of our clients have generously shared photos of Michael's art framed and hung in their homes. We hope this inspires you to be creative!