which frame for a gallery

Willie Jan · Dec 30, 2009

I have been asked to provide 5 images for a gallery complete framed etc...

My question is, is there a good general purpose frame to use?
In museums i see often a blank wood frame.
I'm new here, so tips are welcome.

Ian Grant · Dec 30, 2009

The style is really up to you, and how you think the prints are best displayed. I have 2 sets of Exhibition frames, the first was the simple plack wood type, but I prefer my second set which is a wider stained wood frame, flat faced. I had the profile cut for me by my frame supplier, which worked out no more expensive as I was buying around 80 frames.

The most important thing is to keep the frames simple, it's the images that are important.

Ian

Willie Jan · Dec 30, 2009

This is what I thought of until now

Ian Grant · Dec 30, 2009

That's much like my main set except my frames are lightly stained.

You really need to see how a print looks in a frame like that.

Ian

Bosaiya · Dec 30, 2009

I use simple thin black metal frames with white mats. To me the frame and mat should serve to separate the photo from the wall and nothing more. They should be as invisible as the Post-It note reminders I leave myself all over the place.

Ian Grant · Dec 30, 2009

This is what my frame looked like in a Lodon gallery (Photfusion) where space was tight (part of a group show), This is why it's important - as the previous poster says, it separates the images from the wall, but I'd add also from each other.

But there are many other alternatives, it's personal, I also use the wood finish as it compliments my subject matter, and I prefer wood with warm-toned prints.

Many people use the satin finish aluminium frames they are more robust than wood, and come in various colours, but the natural anodised seems to work best with a wide variety of types of image. Many Galleries use these as stock frames.

Ian

Willie Jan · Dec 30, 2009

I often find the black frame getting to much attention.

Your wood frames on the wall look nice to me. If they were black, you would see a grid.

jeffreyg · Dec 30, 2009

As the others have mentioned it all boils down to personal taste. If you are partial to metal frames, check out the Nielsen frames. There is also a color for some of their frames called German Silver which is slightly warmer than the silver and not shiny but rather a satin finish.

jeffreyg · Dec 30, 2009

I replied before looking at your images. Since you have toned and not toned images the German Silver will work nicely with both and present a uniform look.

Ian Grant · Dec 30, 2009

Willie Jan said:
I often find the black frame getting to much attention.

Your wood frames on the wall look nice to me. If they were black, you would see a grid.

You make a good point, I did use black frames for about 12 years but the secret is not too wide, I actually have two sets and used thinner for smaller frames. In fact the one time they were used like in the image I posted it worked OK.

But like you I found black frames had become over-used.

Ian

fdi · Dec 31, 2009

There are no official rules for framing, only general guidelines. For a very long time there was no such thing as color photography, and even after the invention of color photography you would seldom have anything other than black and white on display in a gallery. For black and white photography a thin black or silver frame with a large white mat was considered the only way to go. The idea being that the frame should not distract from the image just set it off from the wall. Although deviation from this theme is much more common now especially with color, keeping the frame simple and consistent is very useful in keeping the frames from distracting from an image theme, or photographer style, with the added benefit of helping to keep cost down. Larger mat borders also help give the image more of a gallery look as apposed to a household snapshot look and help to set the image off on gallery walls which tend to be much larger than the average household wall.

In addition to going with what you feel comfortable with as others have suggested, I would encourage you to get input from the gallery and or the person promoting the display as they may have insight into what the audience may be looking for or expecting.

Cheers,
Mark

RalphLambrecht · Dec 31, 2009

Willie Jan said:
I have been asked to provide 5 images for a gallery complete framed etc...

My question is, is there a good general purpose frame to use?
In museums i see often a blank wood frame.
I'm new here, so tips are welcome.

Willie Jan

I agree with most said already, but since you are in Europe, check out:

http://halbe-rahmen.de/

They are well represented in galleries and museums. I use them for exhibitions, but I use Nielsen for print sales.

http://www.nielsen-bainbridge.com/

Willie Jan · Dec 31, 2009

I had contact with a local framing company and I found out that making a 40x50 frame handmade was 1 euro more expensive than buying a ready made one from an art shop. So this will give me some extra possibilities. I'm not stuck with the ready made set.

Regards and thanks,

Willie Jan.

which frame for a gallery

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