Types of Frame

David Barraclough - tray frame in a custom oak profile.

There are various types of frame with different functions depending on the artwork.                                   
Canvases and works on panel generally do not require glass. The work either sits directly in the frame held in place by the rebate, or if the edges of the work should be visible, a tray frame is required. 

With tray frames there is a gap between the moulding and the work - it can be small or large depending on the aesthetics and requirements of the customer. Most of the moulding for our tray frames is custom made in the studio usually in poplar, oak, ash, and beech wood. Our hand painted tray frames have proved poplar with collectors.                                           

​Works on canvas are attached to a backing board, either in plywood or MDF, with a window cut aperture allowing access to the stretcher pegs. Works on panels have a solid back.

Caroline Todd - lime waxed poplar frame with glass and mount.

Works on paper have to be glazed to protect the work. The glass is held in place by the moulding rebate which a tray frame lacks. There are two types of glazed frame, regular (with a window mount) and box frames.

Regular frames have the glazed window mounted artwork inserted directly into the frame. This is the most common method for framing works on paper and for photographs. 

Box frames on the other hand have a spacer (also called a 'fillet') inserted between the glass and the work. The mounting options for box frames are floating and feather floating. We specialise in box frames and they are an elegant alternative to regular frames with window mounts.​