Framing 101

Frames are a lot more versatile than you may have originally thought. When you go out to a large chain store and pick up a standard frame it's just one look. That can be great, but what happens when you want something a bit more or with a punch of pizazz or a frame for non-standard art or objects? They don't hold up so well anymore.

At American Moulding we can really design around whatever it is you want framed. We can make just a basic frame out of any of our mouldings or we can go beyond.

Let's disregard matting in its entirety for now. Frames come in a multitude of different sizes and there are two types of frame accents as well: liners and fillets. Liners are typically 3/4 inch thick and come in mostly neutral tones. Meanwhile, fillets come in a bit thinner at 1/2 inch, but the color selection is far greater.

For the most standard of non-standard, you pick out a fillet or a liner as an inside accent and then place a frame on the outside. This is demonstrated below in these virtuals. The first is a red fillet with a small frame and the rest use liners with progressively larger frames.

But, if you are already deviating from standard, there is no reason to limit yourself. You can scrap the fillet or liner altogether and do a frame on the inside and the outside. You could have a liner and then two frames or even more frames with either configuration. By stacking frames you can create a unique look for any piece that accents in different styles, sizes, and colors.