Custom Paintings from Photos

Choosing the Right Materials for a Frame

A good painting should have a good frame. The inner frame stabilizes the canvas and keeps it stretched, while the outer frame accents the look of the painting itself.
The two main materials used in framing paintings are PU(Polyurethane) and wood. This is a manmade material used in various products like foams, toys, fabrics, belts, sandals, bags and more.
Many factories have started manufacturing PU frames. These frames are used to frame nearly every medium from oil paintings to charcoal and pastel drawings.
There are three main advantages of using PU frames:

1. PU frames are relatively cheaper than wooden frames.
2. PU frames are much lighter than wooden frames.
3. PU frames are unaffected by insects*.

The three main disadvantages of PU frames are:

1. They sometimes have a “cheap” look.
2. They break easily.
3. While framing, they are more sensitive and therefore harder to handle.

The second framing option is using wood.  Wood is a strong material with the ability to creates a variety of colors, designs and textures.  The wood can be covered by paper, plastic, PU and by paint. Low quality wood is usually covered by other materials whereas, high quality wood is typically only covered by a transparent varnish.
There are 3 advantages in using wooden frames:

1. The wood has a natural look.
2. It is strong and can be used for large paintings.
3. It is more flexible during the framing process.

The disadvantages of wooden frames are:

1. It is heavy.
2. It is more expensive than PU frames.
3. Wood can warp as the climate changes.

Final words: When we come to choose a frame for our painting, we should consider the price, weight, design and strength and chose the best option that suits our painting.
* In some countries there are laws regarding wooden products; mainly in Islands, such as Australia and New Zealand and also in some states in the US. These laws were created to prevent new species of insects from entering the country and state that every piece of solid wood needs to go through a cleansing process. During this process the wood is treated by chemical that kills all insects. In many cases, this chemical is ammoniac. After the wood cleaning process is completed, a certification is issued. This certification will be presented to the customs. One of the great advantages to using PU frames is that they do not require any cleaning or fumigation processes.