Acid-free: Refers to paper materials with a neutral pH of around 7.0, which are less likely to damage artwork or fade over time, while materials with a pH below 6.5 or above 8.5 do not qualify as acid-free in picture framing.
Adhesive Coated Board: A board featuring a one-sided adhesive coating that can either be activated by heat or is pressure-sensitive.
Adhesive Release: A chemical solvent designed for detaching artwork from its mounting.
Alkaline Paper: is produced with a sheet pH that highlights the use of calcium carbonate as a filler.
Alpha Cellulose: The purest and most stable form of cellulose found in plants, featuring the longest chemical chain, which results in the strongest fibers for paper-making.
Archival Materials: Conservation framing materials include mat board, mount board, and acrylic, which are specifically designed to preserve and protect artwork from acid damage, light exposure, and pollution, utilizing pH neutral or slightly alkaline materials, UV protection, and zeolites.
Backer Board/ Mounting Board: This board serves as the backing for the frame, securing the artwork and providing support, with foam core being highly recommended for its durability and smooth finish, making it ideal for backing most paper works and photographs; options include Standard, Acid Free, Acid Free Black, and Self-Adhesive.
Beveled Edge: A 45-degree bevel cut along the inside edge of a mat board window reveals approximately 1/16” of the core, and is available in colors such as white, cream, black, saturated colors, or matching the mat board itself.
Bottom-weighting: A mat board design where the bottom border is wider than the others, leveraging the principle that the optical center, where a viewer's eye naturally focuses, lies slightly above the geometric center in a rectangle.
Bumpers: Small pads made from various materials that are affixed to the bottom of a frame's reverse to prevent wall abrasion.
Canvas: A fabric, typically made from cotton, hemp, or flax, that serves as a traditional support for painting, and the term also refers to any prepared fabric used for artworks.
Canvas Floater Frame: A frame that attaches to the back of the canvas stretcher allows the canvas to "float" within it, providing an elegant finish to your artwork at a cost-effective price, so ensure the canvas depth matches the frame depth when selecting one.
Canvas Stretch: is a technique Stretched canvas prints consist of images inked onto cotton fabric that is securely fastened over a wooden frame known as stretcher bars, which offers a strong support for the fabric.
Conservation Framing: This framing practice employs solely acid-free and UV-resistant materials to enhance the longevity of the artwork, so opt for items labeled ArtCare™, preservation-quality, acid-free acrylic and mat boards when selecting materials.
Dry Mounting: We utilize a professional heat-activated technique to permanently adhere artwork to a backing board for our standard print to frame orders, offering a cost-effective 'standard mount' option and an 'archival mount' on acid-free preservation board, which is low heat alternative, reversible and highly recommended.
Dust Cover: Kraft paper backing is applied to the back of a wood frame to safeguard framed artwork against dust and tiny insects that may infiltrate the framing over time.
Gallery Wrapped Canvas: Thicker, durable wooden stretcher bars are used and canvas tightly stretched, folded over which conceals any staples or fasteners to the back of the stretcher bars, allowing the canvas to be displayed without a frame, though they also look exceptional when paired with floater frames in various styles and finishes.
Glazing: The term for the glass or acrylic that safeguards artwork in a frame. We use a wide variety of Tru-Vue Glass & Acrylic for all of our framing needs.
Hinging: Linen Tape is an archival method for securing artwork to mat or mounting boards, ensuring professional framing while allowing for easy future removal.
Float: Mounting technique involves securely affixing the artwork on top of the mat board using linen tape, requiring the bottom mat to be ordered with 'no cut,' and can be utilized alone or with cut mat borders.
Foam Core/ Mounting Board: A stiff, lightweight backing or mounting board, typically made of foam with paper layers, provides rigidity for framed images and is available in standard, acid-free, and self-adhesive options; attaching artwork with linen tape ensures a professional finish, while self-adhesive boards allow for easy, wrinkle-free application.
Mat Board: Acid-free paper board available in 4-ply, 6-ply, or 8-ply, serve both aesthetic and practical roles by creating a visual transition between artwork and frame while allowing air circulation via separation from the glazing sheet.
Offset/ Reveal: Usually set at 1/4”, refers to the exposed mat board on a bottom or middle mat in a multi-mat setup, and can be tailored to suit your preferences.
Overlap: The measurement by which a mat board extends over the artwork, with a typical overlap of 1/8” on all sides to ensure the art remains securely within the mat board window, and our design tool on the American Frame website will automatically incorporate this overlap when you order based on art size.
Stretcher Bars: Elongated wooden strips specifically designed for the construction of stretcher frames, which are used to support and tension canvas or other materials in the creation of artwork, particularly paintings.
V-Groove: A "V" cut in matboard features a thin line around the top mat's window opening, revealing the inner core color for decorative purposes and enhancing the focus on the artwork.
