Custom Picture Framing: When Quality Matters, We Deliver

Save with discount framed art from Art Find. Most of the artwork seen on our site can be professionally custom framed by our team of conservation framing specialists in our state-of-the-art framing facility.

We use conservation quality materials from the industry's best moulding, matting, and glazing vendors. We guarantee that the quality of our framing will meet or exceed the quality that you expect from us. We pride ourselves on price, quality, and convenience. Our goal is to take the hassle out of shopping for art. In just a few clicks, you can receive quality framed art at low prices, delivered on time, right to your door.

Framing Tips

A frame does more than just offer structural support to a work of art. A frame creates a transition from a three-dimensional decorative world into a two-dimensional imaginary one. It provides a buffer zone that separates the artwork while giving it a proper decorative context within a room.

When selecting a frame, choose one that complements the style and colors in the room.

Frame Size

Generally speaking, use a wide frame on large art and a thin frame on small art. A wide frame adds presence and substance to a large piece hanging over a sofa or mantelpiece. A thin frame will not overwhelm smaller works of art.

Thin frames are especially preferred when multiple images with the same frame are displayed in wall groupings. However, there are no absolute rules. A well-chosen wide frame can give a sense of luxury and style to a small print, while a sleek, thin frame can add a modern flair to a large contemporary work of art.

A thin to medium-width frame tends to thrust the image forward. This is often preferred for museum classics that shouldn't have to compete for attention with a frame.

Wide frames tend to feel like part of the artwork itself, and are often used as a decorative accent for contemporary images.

Frame Color

Matching your frame to a color in the art is not as important as matching the frame to your room decor. In fact, it's easy to overdo it when it comes to matching color. Keep in mind the overall color tone of the image, rather than specific colors. Warm tones (red, orange, brown) in the image would generally look better with warm frames such walnut and mahogany and with antique gold frames. Cool tones (blue, green, lavender) look better with light woods, natural woods and brighter gold frames.

As a general rule, choose lighter colored frames for art that is light, simple or casual, such as you'll find in rustic art or botanical prints. Choose dark frames for a more stable, elegant, formal look with museum classics. A thin dark frame can be used with lighter prints because it doesn't feel very heavy. Gold frames are very flexible and match a wide variety of art styles. Most modern and abstract art looks good with black frames, while Impressionist art is seldom framed in black.

When choosing a frame color, be careful that the frame color isn't too similar to the wall color or the frame will disappear into the wall.

Generally, the frame color should be different from the mat color. Similarly colored frames and mats draw attention to themselves, and away from the image. See Matting Tips for information about choosing a mat color.

Frame Style

Be careful not to "over-frame" an image with a frame that's too wide or too busy. Ornate frame designs combined with busy, intricate art can create a confusing, crowded feeling. On the other hand, busy renaissance or baroque images look best with intricate, antique-looking frames.

Match a Framed Print You Already Own

It may not be possible to find an exact match for a frame you already own. An exact duplicate isn't necessary to create a harmonious set, and many designers avoid exact matches on principle. However, you should try to match the basic style and color. For example, a medium-width gold frame with a rope design will match a medium-width gold frame with a floral or beaded design. Matching color alone, and ignoring size, can be beautiful. For example, match a wide, glossy black frame with a medium-width glossy black frame. On the other hand, intentionally mismatching frames is a fundamental rule in eclectic decor style.

Anything Goes

It's hard to make generalized rules about a creative process like framing. The final word is this: if you like it, it's probably a good choice for your print.

Matting Tips

The purpose of a mat is to lead the eye to the artwork. A mat creates a neutral zone between the visual interest of the frame and the artwork itself. At the same time, the mat's color can affect our experience of the art, either by drawing our attention to some particular color, or by isolating the art so that nothing intrudes on the artist's original intention.

Mats also protect the artwork by separating the art from the glass. In humid conditions, the small air space keeps any condensation on the inside surface of the glass from touching the print. This prevents mildew, paper buckling and color loss. Our museum-quality, acid-free mats will retain their color and protect your artwork for many, many years.

Mat Color

Mat colors strongly affect the appearance of your artwork, so be conservative when choosing mat colors. In most cases, mat color should be different from the frame color. However, similarly colored mats and frames can be quite dramatic if constructed with a particular effect in mind.

Neutral colors like white and cream create space and allow the art to showcase its own color scheme. Neutral colors are considered "non-invasive" and are used to good effect on almost every piece of art, but especially on museum classics. These simple colors don't draw attention to themselves. They provide enough space to highlight the art, and at the same time allow the frame stand out as a point of interest as well.

Strong colors extend the work of art. They connect the artwork to the frame so that art, mat and frame feels like a single unit. Colored mats are often used on contemporary prints and can produce a custom decorative effect.

Strong mat colors are recommended when the frame selected creates a formidable effect that counterbalances a print's own colors. But be careful, strong-colored mats can easily overwhelm the art or wash it out.

Cream is the most popular and versatile color for mats, and there are many shades available. A very common use of cream colored mats is to choose two slightly different colored creams to form a double mat. While seeing the subtle variations of color may be difficult on a computer screen, we offer recommendations for many prints for two-tone cream combinations.

White is the most common mat color for black and white photography because the warmth of a cream mat would detract from the intentional monochrome effect of the print. Two plain white mats in can create a beautiful effect for black and white photos, adding both lightness and depth.

Choosing One or Two Mats

By using more than one mat, you can create special effects with color. The thin color border draws attention to the image, helps create a smooth transition between the frame and the art, and adds a touch of class to the whole piece.

Single mats are often used on abstract art, contemporary art, and posters. They give the artwork a sleek, clean, fashionable look. By far the most common colors for single mats are whites, creams and neutrals. Dark mats are used occasionally to very good effect, however their use is rare. Without the moderating effect of a light inner border, a dark single mat can easily overwhelm the image, making it feel crowded.

Double mats are used on nearly all art prints and can create a multitude of different effects for different types of art. They give the piece a more formal, finished look.

Fine art pieces look best with double mats. In traditional museum style matting, both mats are light, neutral tones. The bottom mat (showing a thin strip of color) can be the same color as the top mat, but is usually slightly lighter or darker. Gold is very often used as a bottom mat with museum pieces, especially if the frame is gold.

Using high-contrast colors gives a more stylized look. This will make a classic feel more at home in a contemporary setting.

For contemporary prints, double mats can create a dramatic decorator effect. Often, one or both mat colors will match or complement a color in the artwork. One attractive matting style is to use a dark bottom mat with a light top mat. The bottom mat can be chosen to match a particular color in the print that you want to emphasize in order to coordinate with your decor.

When Not to Use a Mat

Canvas: We don't offer mats for canvas images. Canvas images look better without mats because the texture of the canvas naturally complements the frame. In addition, since canvas images don't use plexi-glass covers, mats are unnecessary for protection and would be exposed to damage themselves.

Style Preference: Some images, like many vintage advertising images were originally designed as posters. Framing these images without a mat helps to evoke their original context. They can be displayed quite well with or without a mat.

Border Elements in Image: Some images already contain border elements that function like a mat. A good example of this would be motivational posters.

Smaller Size: In addition to personal preference, there are a few practical reasons for removing the mat in order to get a smaller finished piece. Removing the mat reduces the finished size of the piece. This reduces the amount of frame molding used, resulting in a lower final price. Also, some oversize images, if matted, would be too large to ship, so mats aren't even available.

The Final Word

By customizing mats to suit your style, your art choice becomes an even more personal statement. Feel free to experiment, or to use our recommended combinations. Either way, you can feel confident with your art choice.