apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

is it the met?or ny moma, that does everything in that blond wood, narrow frame? i think that works perfectly w/ everything.
i think no mat is way better. a mat makes it all so serious.

A mat does more than just dress up a print... it separates the print from contact with the glass itself as a way of preeserving the print. Don't forego a mat.

For this piece, without seeing the context, I'd say go white chunky painted wood frame, white mat. Another possible look would be a boxy silver or aluminum frame.

Go WIDE with the mat, and make it an 8-ply.

And in all but the rarest cases, just say no to colored mats (ivory, PALE gray, and black are fine).

And, depending on your style, I could see a white-painted VERY Rococco frame working here...

This may be a bit out there, but I think a more antique or ornate frame would complement this really well. I love the way the more classic pattern in the text is placed against the more modern red background. If you wanted to get a little more matchy-matchy, then you could do an off-white mat and paint the ornate frame teal to tie into the pattern in the text.

A big ornate gilded frame with a black matt would be perfect.

My views on framing way out there, but hear me out. I think that the conventional method of matting and glazing a print is all wrong. Au naturalle is the way to go. Covering artwork with glass reminds me of Lenin's tomb. Just let the thing collect a little dirt; what's the big deal with that? If it's a digital print you could always reprint it anyway. Besides, a little dirt never hurts. Look at any antique. Besides, we live in a throwaway age: why preserve something for a posterity that won't give a damn anyway? And if it does we won't be around to sell the print to some rich person who probably won't deserve the thing anyway.

Furthermore, the choice of frame is dependent visual context (duh). The framed piece should reflect the woodwork or whatever dominates the room where the picture will be seen.

I think it would look fantastic framed in dark wood. I don't think it needs to be matted but if you chose to do that I'd go with ivory or (my leap - I'm going for color these days) the turquoise in the pattern. I know some would find that too much but I personally think it'd just pop!

if you wanna dress it up, use a mat.. its a nice contrast between common and formal, or whatever. its a look i like. white or slightly off-white would look best. i think anything else could distract from the actual art. if you use a white mat, pair it with a birch frame, but if you go with off-white, id go with a black one... orr whatever fits your decor best.

no matte. white rococo /baroque frame on a dark wall would work wonderfully.

If you want glass, but no mat you can use these
http://www.artright.com/Econospace.htm

How about taking the print to a frame shop and looking at a bunch of mat and frame options in person? It's not like you'd be obligated to make a purchase or have it framed there and, while it may annoy the staff, it would give you a better idea of what works and what you like. Asking a bunch of strangers online, who don't know anything about you or your home, seems rather pointless.

I would agree with the Mat. I think that two Mats would be perfect. A bottom Mat that matches the teal with the Top Mat being a really thick white. Use Rag Mat, that is great. Very clean cuts and no lines in the beveled edge. I think that the bottom mat should be teal like the poster text, but only have a small amount showing. It will Make the text POP! You could also do a thick white bottom Mat, Teal middle Mat with a small reveal on them both, and a really thick Black Mat on top. You can also put spacers between the mats to create a little depth. It is true about Mats being used to separate the art from the glass. A lot of art needs to breath especially digital prints. Believe it or not, they can constantly be emitting small amounts of gasses, and after a few months, if the glass is against the art, then the gasses condense on the glass and if the art is touching the glass, it can act as a solvent and actually remove the art, from the paper.... But who cares if i will be tossed in a few years. That would be incredible irresponsible though. You paid good money for it so keep it.

No mat. Mats are for watercolors and photographs, items that need visual space before hitting the wall.

I'd frame this with glass and poster clips -- no outline (of wood) at all, just the print, but under glass to lend a bit of importance.

I love that print and I know that there are a million awesome ways to mat and frame it and have it look awesome. What is your other art like? Context is always important but as an artist I'd want you to consider the art first! I like the suggestion of an 8ply mat with a vintagey, re-purposed frame perhaps also in white.

You must ALWAYS have some sort of glazing in front of works on paper to preserve the piece... Dust, moisture, bugs (think dust mites), smoke from candles and incense can all permanently damage a print and quickly - not years down the road. These things don't wipe off. Also, UV can have a serious effect on prints within 2 weeks.

As mentioned above, mats serve the primary purpose of keeping the image off the glazing. Mats should always be rag and of archival quality. If you want the look of no mat you should still have a spacer as the econo-space suggested above or a custom framer can suggest other ways of creating a little shadowbox.

I bought that print too! I'm doing a white mat (3 inch border) with a flat black wood frame - I've ordered both but they haven't arrived yet. When they do (should be the next few days), I can show you how it came out if you want.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! I have an idea on what I will do, but I definitely need to visit a framing shop before I make any decisions. I'll try to post an update as soon as I can.

'theseboots': That'd be great if you could show me how it comes out!

I bought that print as well! ...and I was wondering how to frame it! :) Hooray.

For somthing that you want to focus on --the word hope and the bright red--I would buy a floating frame and not have an actual frame---no distractions.

http://www.craftcuts.com/floating-picture-frame.html

or

this frame is great!
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=593&f=4522&viewall=1

Well, you can see me reflected in the glass (it's a bright sunny day here in Denver) but here's how mine came out - I'm very pleased!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59482623@N00/3223980800/

Just so you know, I ordered my frame and mat from an ebay seller: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Custom-Framing-Factory-Outlet__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Pricing is very reasonable, and if the size and style you want isn't listed, just email him and he'll make whatever you need. I've always been happy with the quality.