Lighted Shadowbox

I love taking peoples prized objects and framing them in a shadowbox frame. Sometimes with small objects, they can get dark inside of the shadowbox, and the shadows can become too distracting. Now we have a solution for these type of problems.

Battery operated lighted shadowbox

This is a battery operated, LED lighted shadowbox. Since it is battery operated there are no cords, and since they are LED’s , they help the batteries last. It will even turn itself off in an hour to help conserve the batteries.

Switch and battery pack.

The battery pack is accessed from the outside of the frame to make changing the AA batteries easy, and the switch and be placed on any side of the frame that you chose. Stop by and see the sample in our shop, and let us design one for you!

Acid damage

So you somehow ended up with a paper mat or cardboard backing, what happens to your art? Maybe you ended up with an inexpensive frame from a department store, or the clerk at a craft store talked you in to saving some money, by telling you “they are all the same”.  So what is it going to do to your art? How do you know if it’s going to damage your artwork?

Acid burned artwork

So here is a diploma that has been in contact with a paper mat for about 10 years. You can see how the bevel on the mat has changed from white to yellow. The yellow indicates acid is present, and it is breaking down the paper fibers. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t in contact with your art work. When a paper mat is in contact with your artwork it transfers the burning process to your art work, and also starts to break it down. It will first cause a staining of your artwork, and with continued contact it will break down the fibers of your art work.

If this has happened to something that you value, what can be done?

1. First thing is to get it away from the products contain the acid. This can be the mat on the front and/or the backing products. If you’re backing product is made from cardboard, or the mat has acid it needs to be removed as soon as possible.
2. Have the artwork re-framed with conservation grade materials.
3. If the artwork has great sentimental or monetary value, then we can consult with a conservator to have the acid damage removed. Do realize that this is not an easy process and can be quite expensive.
4. If the acid damage is quite extensive, we can try to make the new mats smaller in an attempt to cover the staining. The new conservation mats will not remove the existing stains, but they will help halt anymore damage. The covering of the stain is really just an attempt to improve the appearance of your artwork.

So, if paper mats and cardboard are so damaging why are they even used? To put it simply, to save money. The cheap frames at the department stores are produced overseas, and if they are making 1000 of them per day and they can save a $1 on each one, that adds up for that factory.

Why did the clerk talk at the craft store talk you in to something that would damage your art work? Many times it’s out of shear ignorance (lack of proper training) or the store makes better profit of the cheaper products. It’s not cheap to properly train sales clerk to become a professional framer, especially if they are just doing the job to get thru school.

If you are ever worried about what might be happening inside of you’re framing, bring it by and we will be glad to take a look, even if you didn’t get it here. There’s no charge to bring it by, and its better to find out if there’s a problem early, before the problem gets worse.

Checking the quality of your mat board.

Last time I told you I would let you know how to check the quality of the mat board you have chosen. All of our mat boards are conservation quality, but if you find yourself somewhere else and you are wondering if what the salesperson is selling you, is really a quality product then this is one way to check.  The simplest way is to flip it over and it should have what it is made from listed on the back.

The back of a conservation mat board listing its qualities.

This is the back of a conservation mat board, and it lists all of its qualities.

●The first bullet tells you that your red board that you picked is very resistant to becoming a light pink after you hang it in the living room.

●The second bullet tells you that it’s made from 100% cotton, which is naturally acid free, which is great for your art. It’s also a renewable product, unlike paper pulp from a tree which has to be cut down to harvest.

●The third bullet tells you acid-free & lignin-free. Lignin (contained in paper made from trees) produces acid as it ages. When you have acid in contact with your art work it will “burn” it over time and discolor it, and maybe destroy it. This is very important to understand, so we will talk more about this in the future!

●The forth bullet tells you that it is buffered, which means if your artwork has harmful products (like acid, or chemicals) in it this mat board will try to absorb it and keep it away from your artwork. It’s kinda like a mini air purifier inside you’re framing.

●The last bullet tells you it meets the standards of the Fine Arts Trade Guild. This is a group of really smart people that get together and scientifically test products to see what is best for your art work. I go to classes taught by them, that teach me to be a better framer and protect your art work. They also make sure the products professional framers use live up to their claims.

If you flip a sample over and it is blank, it may not be the best product for your artwork. Some mat boards (paper mats) may even say “this product is not designed for valued art work”. These are good warnings to listen to. I have heard sales clerks tell clients “the mat board doesn’t really matter, just take the cheaper one and save the few dollars“.  If you run into a sales person that obviously doesn’t know their craft, and you can’t get the reassurance that your prized artwork will be well cared for, maybe its time to get a new framer.

Steve

Another Year!

13 Years Later…

I needed another open sign, as the last one was faded, cracked, and was looking pretty sad. It was then that I realized another year has passed. I have had my own store now for over 13 years now, and have been framing art work for over 2 decades! It has been so much fun, and the best part is the great people that we have gotten to know.  When I worked as an illustrator for General Motors, I worked in a cube so I never really had the chance to make any friends. The framing industry has changed so much in the last 20 years…I wonder what the next 20 will bring!

So Can We Frame For Your Store Too?

A Bulk Order For a Local Frame Shop

I person stopped by this week and asked if we could help their shop out with a large order. I said “of course!” We are pretty use to turning out large orders, in a short time because of all the corporate work we do. We currently frame for several other frame shops in the area, and we can also do your framing. If it”s because you need better  quality than your sales staff can be trusted with (we have degrees in the arts and in-depth training from the Smithsonian!) or its too large of an order, we can help. All of the work we produce for other shops is strictly confidential, is produced in house, and will be produced without any of our identifying labeling. We can even apply your shop stickers and use you favorite hangers if you like, just let us know how we can help.