Designing the Custom Framing Package

Now that you understand all the parts of custom framing, it's time to actually design your framing package.

Choosing your Matting

The first step any custom framer will suggest is choosing your matting. Matting can drastically affect the way your piece looks.

The most important part in choosing the matting is quality. A paper mat may look wonderful with your piece, but can be harmful to the piece. Acid free, lignin free mats are the absolute minimum quality you should consider for your piece. They are not available in as wide a color variety as the paper mats. However, they will last longer and be safer than paper mats.

After checking on the quality of the mats, you need to decide on color. Color in custom framing is used to bring out details in the piece that may otherwise be ignored. Try to look past the main colors in the piece when choosing matting. Pay attention to the accent colors. For example, in a watercolor painting of a house surrounded by trees, it would be best to pay attention to the color of the door rather than the house or trees. Matting, when used correctly, will enhance the look of your piece.

The next consideration is how many mats to use in the design. Many custom framers will automatically set up triple mats - three stacked mats - when you bring in a piece. Sometimes that is a great choice, but it needs to look right to you. Multiple mats help add importance to a custom framing piece and allow for more details to be brought out. Multiple mats could be used to help match a unique piece to your home decor. The right mats could make a modern abstract painting fit in well with a Victorian styled bedroom.

When designing multiple mats, make sure the colors flow together without being too similar. A cream mat may look great up against a light yellow mat on the counter, but the two colors will be indistinguishable from a few feet away. Try to vary color choices and shades to avoid this problem in custom framing.