FAQ - DIY Framing

This page is a bit of a work in progress... I've had a few people ask me questions about framing these prints. I'd love to share some ideas and troubleshooting tips with you. If you have anything specific you'd like to ask about, please drop me a note and I will add it in here to help out others who like to DIY framing their art! 

What comes first, the frame or the print?

If you have the choice, buy the print first... and then buy the frame. With the vintage artwork I alter, they are often unusual sizes. I like to give you the whole image, which means centring on a common paper size with a white border. Ordering the print first allows you to see it in person, and then either find a frame to fit, or have one made. 

I already have a frame, what size print should I buy? 

In this case, I suggest choosing the digital download option, and then taking the file on a USB to your local printer (like Staples, or a proper photo printer) and have them resize it for you and print it to the exact size that fits your frame. 

I have bought the print and the art is a weird dimension, how should I frame it?  

Some of my altered paintings were originally on unusual sized canvases that aren't common sizes to find frames in any old decor shop. I have "floated" them on standard sized paper, so you can either frame them in a standard frame and leave the white trim... or you can have some fun custom fitting it.

There are a few things you can do with these unusual dimensions...

1) Thrift it : I often find weird sized frames at the second hand / antique store. Fist measure you art (don't measure the paper edge, measure around the edge of the artwork.) Then bring a measuring tape with you and have fun hunting for the perfect frame! TIP : cut out a piece of wrapping paper to the same size, then you can just hold that paper on top of the frames to get an idea of how it would look in the frame. 

2) Have a custom frame made : Craft and art stores offer custom framing and matting. This is a more expensive option, but sometimes they offer sales so you can always time it when a special offer is going on.  

3) Matte it : A solution I often use with unusual sized prints, is I cut a matt to even out the edge and then fit the art in a larger frame. So if the artwork is say very skinny on the piece of paper, I cut the matt so that it has an even border all the way around the art. To do this I put it in a larger frame of the same ration. For instance if the original art was 2x4 feet, the ration is 1:2... so as long as the frame is that ratio, you can get a nice even edge all the way around using a matte. 

You can also use a matte to HIDE parts of the picture, to give it a more even look in the frame. I often frame pieces and chop off an inch or two on either sides of a longer print, so that it fits. This is again a personal preference, which is why I print the entire image and leave that decision up to you. 

Should I put a matte around the artwork?

This is a matter of personal taste... some people love the look of a paper matte framing the art, others like the art going edge to edge in the frame. There isn't a right decision!