Puzzle frames

Framing a puzzle is mostly a logistics problem. The image is fine, the frame is ordinary — the difficulty is moving a fragile object the size of a coffee table without it becoming a thousand separate objects again.

Finished sizes by piece count

The first thing to understand is that piece count does not determine size. Manufacturers use different piece shapes and different aspect ratios, so two 1000-piece puzzles can differ by several inches.

Typical finished dimensions:

Measure the assembled puzzle. The box sometimes states the finished size and sometimes states it inaccurately. Measure it before buying anything.

Choosing a frame

Puzzle dimensions almost never match a standard frame size, because puzzle manufacturers work to their own conventions.

That leaves two routes:

Standard frame plus a custom mat. Buy the nearest standard frame larger than the puzzle, and have a mat cut with an opening at the puzzle's exact dimensions. A 1000-piece puzzle at 19.25 x 26.6 goes into a 20x28 frame with a mat, or a 24x30 frame with a wider one. This is the sensible default: the mat costs a fraction of a custom frame and the result looks deliberate.

Custom frame. Correct for an unusual size or a very large puzzle, and several times the price.

The mat route also solves a genuine practical problem. Puzzle edges are never perfectly straight — the outer pieces bulge slightly — and a mat overlapping the perimeter by a quarter inch hides that entirely.

Gluing

Gluing converts a fragile assembly into a single sheet. It makes everything afterwards straightforward, and it is what most people should do.

What to use. Purpose-made puzzle glue, or a PVA craft glue thinned slightly with water. Both dry clear. Avoid anything solvent-based, which can attack the printed surface.

The process:

1. Slide a sheet of wax paper or baking parchment under the puzzle before you start, so it does not glue itself to the table. Doing this with the puzzle already assembled requires patience and a helper.
2. Push the puzzle together firmly so all the gaps close.
3. Pour a small amount of glue onto the face and spread it thinly with a plastic spreader or an old card. Thin is important — too much glue soaks the card, swells it, and makes the surface uneven.
4. Work it into the seams and remove the excess.
5. Let it dry completely. This takes several hours, and longer in a humid room.
6. Turn the puzzle over — it will now hold together — and glue the back the same way. This second coat is what actually gives it rigidity.
7. Let it dry fully again, then weight it flat under books overnight to counteract any curl.

Curling is the common problem. Water-based glue on one side makes the card cup as it dries. Gluing both sides, and weighting the result while it dries, largely prevents it.

Not gluing

An unglued puzzle can be framed, and some people prefer it because gluing is irreversible.

The method: slide a thin rigid sheet — hardboard, thick card or a sheet of foam board — underneath the assembled puzzle while supporting the leading edge so pieces do not fold over it. A second person helps enormously. Then transfer the whole thing to the frame's backing board, place the glazing over it, and assemble.

The puzzle is held by pressure between the backing and the glazing. It stays together as long as the frame stays upright and is not dropped. It cannot be laid face down, transported casually, or opened up later without starting again.

Moving a glued puzzle

Even glued, a large puzzle is a floppy sheet of card and it will crease if it bends.

Support it fully. Slide it onto a rigid board that is at least as big as the puzzle, keep the board flat, and carry it horizontally. A 2000-piece puzzle is over three feet across and genuinely needs two people.

The frame itself

Depth. A glued puzzle on a backing board is around a quarter of an inch thick. Add a mat and glazing and you want a rabbet of three eighths to half an inch. Many decorative frames are shallower than this, so check before buying.

Glazing. Worth having. Puzzle card is printed on ordinary stock that fades in light, and the slightly textured surface traps dust that cannot be cleaned off once it is there. Above about 20x28, use acrylic rather than glass — puzzle frames are already large and the weight adds up. The glazing guide covers the choice in detail.

Backing rigidity. A large glued puzzle sags without support. Use hardboard or thick foam board, not corrugated card.

Weight and hanging. A framed 1000-piece puzzle with acrylic runs to five or six pounds; a 2000-piece one with glass can exceed fifteen. Use two fixings and rate them generously — see how to hang a picture frame and, for the larger sizes, large picture frames.

A note on value

Puzzle framing is often a first framing project, and it is a good one — the artwork is replaceable, the stakes are low, and the skills transfer directly.

It is also worth being honest about cost. Framing a puzzle properly, with a custom mat and decent glazing, frequently costs more than the puzzle did. That is fine if the puzzle means something — a first one completed together, a landmark 3000-piece — and worth thinking about if it does not.

Storing a puzzle you have not framed yet

If the puzzle is assembled and the frame has not arrived, glue it and store it flat rather than leaving it on a table.

A glued puzzle stored flat between two sheets of card, under a modest weight, will keep indefinitely. Stored rolled or leaned against a wall, it curls and creases, and creases in puzzle card do not come out.