7 guides
Frame Styles: Gold, Black, Vintage and Floater
Style is where framing stops being maths. These guides cover the finishes that flatter particular kinds of artwork, and the ones that quietly overpower it.
Gold picture frames
Real gold leaf, composition gilt and gold-toned metal compared, plus which artwork suits an ornate gold frame and which one it kills.
Black picture frames
Matte, satin, gloss and stained black frames compared, why black is the safe gallery default, and when it flattens the artwork instead.
Vintage and antique picture frames
How to date an antique frame, spot a reproduction, repair gesso and compo damage, and safely fit modern art into an old frame.
Float frames and floater frames
A float frame suspends paper between glass; a floater frame surrounds a canvas with a gap. They are not the same thing — here is how to use each.
Acrylic and lucite picture frames
Magnetic acrylic blocks, standoff panels and lucite box frames — how each mounts a print, what they cost, and how to keep them scratch-free.
Gallery wall frames
Frame size mixes that actually work, the 2–3 inch spacing rule, how to plan a grid or salon wall on paper, and hanging it straight the first time.
Digital picture frames
How digital frames get photos onto the screen, the specs that matter, whether they play video, and which features suit a gift for a grandparent.