How to frame a fine art print
You've just received a print, or you're hesitating to order one because you don't know how to display it. It's a fair question: framed well, a print transforms a wall. Framed badly, it disappears.
Here's what I wish I'd known when I started hanging my own work.
Finding the right frame size
My current prints come in sizes that are easy to find as standard frames, or that adapt with a mount:
- 30 × 40 cm: the smaller size of most of my editions (Ce qui croît de travers, Inventaire d'une présence). Frames are everywhere.
- 40 × 30 cm: the same size in landscape, for Chez la maman de PH.
- 42 × 56 cm and 50 × 70 cm: the large sizes. 50 × 70 is standard; 42 × 56 looks beautiful inside a 50 × 70 frame with a mount.
- 43.2 × 63.2 cm: for Bengaluru and the large Comme tu disais. Ideal in a 50 × 70 frame with a mount, or made to measure.
Every product page gives the exact sheet size: measure before ordering a frame.
The mount: essential or not?
The mount is the board of white or cream card placed between the image and the frame. It creates air around the work and keeps the glass from touching the paper directly, which can damage it over time.
For a fine art print I recommend one almost every time. Even a plain white mount changes everything: the image breathes.
Glass: standard or anti-reflective?
Standard glass reflects light and can make the image hard to read from certain angles. If the print faces a window or sits under a spotlight, choose anti-reflective glass: the difference is immediate. In most homes, standard glass is fine.
Choosing the frame
For a contemporary, colourful image I prefer simple frames: a thin moulding in natural wood, matte black or white. They leave all the room to the image. Gilded or ornate frames usually clash; when in doubt, a thin matte black frame is a safe bet.
Where to find a frame
- IKEA: practical and affordable, good coverage of standard sizes.
- Interiors shops and specialist websites: more finishes and large sizes.
- A professional framer: for a flawless finish and a mount cut to size. More expensive, but often the best option for a large print or an edition you care about, with conservation materials (acid-free mount, museum glass).
In short
A frame in the right size, a mount so the image can breathe, anti-reflective glass if the room is very bright. A simple frame is almost always the better idea.
Also worth reading: why an art print changes a room more than a poster.
A question about framing? Write to me at matthieu.livrieri@gmail.com.