Picture Framing Materials and Accessories: What Really Protects Your Artwork
Most people choose a frame by its colour and forget that a frame is really a small protective case. The materials inside it do the hard work. Good picture framing materials hold the artwork flat, keep moisture and acid away from the paper or canvas, filter ultraviolet light and carry the weight safely on the wall. After years of making frames by hand, I can tell you that the difference between a frame that protects a piece and one that slowly damages it is almost always the materials, not the price on the label. Below I walk through the full stack, from the moulding outward, the way I think about it at the bench.
The anatomy of a framed artwork: every material in the stack
When I build a frame, I am really assembling a sealed package of several materials, each with one job. From the wall side to the viewer it runs like this: the moulding that forms the frame itself, the backing board behind the artwork, any barrier or hinging that holds the piece in place, the mount (passe-partout) that sets the art back from the glass, the glazing at the front, and the fixings that take the load. Get any one of these wrong and the whole package underperforms. Get them right and a watercolour or an oil can sit untouched for decades.
This article is the overview. Where a single material deserves a deeper look, I link to a focused guide so you can read as far as you need to.
Mouldings: the material your frame is actually made from
The moulding is the timber or metal that becomes the frame. It sets the weight, the rigidity and most of the character. In my workshop I cut and joint mouldings myself, using wooden mortise joints rather than staples, because a corner that is mechanically locked stays square for the life of the frame.
I work mainly in solid wood. Each species behaves differently:
- Limewood is soft, stable and close-grained, which makes it the traditional choice for carving and for a smooth gesso ground before gilding.
- Pine is light and bright, well suited to posters, prints and photographs where I want an honest, simple frame.
- Oak is hard, with a pronounced grain and depth of colour that takes a wax or French polish finish beautifully.
- American walnut has a rich, dark tone and real strength, which is why I reach for it on elegant, higher-value pieces.
Aluminium is the other common material. It is lighter, slimmer and resistant to moisture, so it earns its place on contemporary work and in damp rooms. The choice between timber and metal is one of the most consequential decisions in any commission, and I cover it in detail in my guide to choosing frame colour and material. If you already know you want a piece built to your own dimensions, you can start with my range of made-to-measure picture frames.
Glazing: the glass and acrylic that guards the surface
Glazing is the clear sheet at the front. It is the artwork's first line of defence against dust, fingerprints, knocks and light, so it deserves more thought than it usually gets. These are the options I fit, and where each one belongs:
| Glazing type | What it does | Where I use it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard float glass | Basic physical protection, no special coatings | Everyday prints and posters on a tight budget |
| UV-filter glass | Blocks much of the ultraviolet light that fades pigments | A sensible balance of protection and cost for colour work |
| Anti-reflective glass | Cuts surface glare so the image reads cleanly | Bright rooms, galleries and offices with strong lighting |
| Museum (conservation) glass | Blocks up to 99% of UV and almost eliminates reflection | Valuable, original or sentimental pieces I want to last |
| Acrylic glazing | Shatter-resistant and far lighter than glass | Large formats, children's rooms and pieces that travel |
If budget is open, museum glass is the one upgrade I recommend most often, because ultraviolet light is the single biggest cause of fading and it cannot be reversed once it has happened. To see how glazing fits alongside the other ways a frame defends a piece, read my guide to how a frame protects your artwork.
Mounts and passe-partout: the layer that keeps art off the glass
A mount, also called a passe-partout, is the card border that sits between the artwork and the glazing. It is not only decorative. Its most important job is to hold the surface of the art away from the glass, because anything pressed against glass will eventually stick, trap condensation or foxing, and lift the image when separated.
The material matters as much as the colour. I use acid-free, conservation-grade mountboard so that the card itself never yellows or migrates acid into the paper it touches. Cheap mountboard is one of the most common reasons older framing damages the very piece it was meant to display. A well-chosen mount also gives prints, watercolours and graphic work room to breathe and draws the eye into the composition. I go further into mounts and the other finishing details in my article on passe-partout and decorative frame elements.
Backing, barriers and fixings: the materials behind the picture
The materials you never see decide how long a frame keeps doing its job. Behind the artwork I fit an acid-free backing board, and for works on paper I add a barrier so that nothing in the wall, the fixings or the air reaches the piece directly. The artwork itself is held with reversible hinging rather than permanent tape, so it can always be removed without harm. Spacers keep the right gap where a mount is not used, and on the wall I fit proper D-rings and cord rated for the weight, because a frame that fails its fixing damages both the art and the wall.
None of this shows from the front, yet it is exactly what separates professional framing from a high-street job. If you have ever wondered why a hand-built frame costs what it does, this hidden layer of materials is a large part of the answer, and I break the full figure down in what goes into the cost of a custom frame.
Finishes: gesso, bole and real gold leaf
Finish is where framing materials become craft. A painted or gilded surface is built up in layers, and each layer is a material decision. For a traditional gilded frame I lay a smooth gesso ground over the timber, then a coloured clay called bole, red or black, which gives warmth and depth beneath the metal. Only then does the gold go on.
I gild with genuine gold leaf in a range of tones, from cooler 12-carat, through 22-carat moon gold, to deep 23-carat ducat gold, applied by hand using traditional water gilding so the surface can be burnished with an agate stone to a mirror gloss. Real gold does not tarnish, which is why a properly gilded frame can outlast the building it hangs in.
There is a more affordable route. Dutch metal, a brass alloy of copper and zinc, mimics gold at a fraction of the cost, but it oxidises and darkens over time and needs a protective lacquer. Knowing when each is the right call matters, so I wrote a full comparison of real gold leaf and Dutch metal. To see finishes on finished work, browse my hand-gilded gold frames or the gilded and partially painted frames, where gold is combined with colour.
Conservation-grade framing: materials chosen to last decades
When a piece has real value, financial or personal, I build the whole package from conservation materials: acid-free mount and backing, reversible hinging, a barrier layer and museum glass, assembled so the artwork sits in a stable, sealed environment. This is the standard for original paintings, antique documents, photographs and anything irreplaceable. It is the difference between framing that preserves and framing that merely covers. You can read how I approach this in my service for archival and museum framing, and for collectors and galleries I offer fully bespoke framing for fine art.
How I choose materials for a specific piece
There is no single best specification, only the right one for a particular artwork. A few examples of how I match materials to the work:
- Oil and acrylic on canvas: usually framed without glazing, so the moulding and a clean rebate do the work. I cover the options in framing oil paintings and in my guide to the best frame for a canvas painting.
- Watercolours and works on paper: an acid-free mount, UV or museum glass and reversible hinging are essential, because paper is the most vulnerable surface I handle.
- Photographs and giclée prints: I keep the surface off the glazing with a mount or spacers, and recommend UV protection for anything in daylight. For canvas-printed photographs I use a dedicated approach to framing canvas prints.
If you are not sure which materials your piece needs, that is exactly the conversation I have with every client before I cut a single length of moulding. Tell me about the work and the room, and I will specify it for you.
The same materials make a better mirror
Everything above applies just as much to mirrors. The mouldings I cut, the joints I use and the gold leaf I lay are identical, which is why a mirror from my workshop is a piece of furniture built to the same standard as a fine-art frame, not a sheet of glass in a moulded surround. A hand-gilded or hand-painted frame turns a mirror into the focal point of a room. If a frame can carry a painting for fifty years, it can carry a mirror just as long. Explore my mirrors in handmade frames, including decorative mirrors, glamour mirrors and classic mirrors, all made to measure.
Frequently asked questions about framing materials
What materials are used in picture framing?
A complete frame uses a moulding (timber or aluminium), glazing (glass or acrylic), an acid-free mount or passe-partout, an acid-free backing board, reversible hinging or tape, spacers, and fixings such as D-rings and cord. Gilded frames add a gesso ground, coloured bole and gold leaf.
What is the best glass for picture framing?
For valuable or sentimental pieces, museum (conservation) glass is the best choice, because it blocks up to 99% of ultraviolet light and almost eliminates reflection. UV-filter glass is a good-value middle option, while standard glass suits everyday prints on a budget.
What is acid-free mounting and why does it matter?
Acid-free, conservation-grade board does not yellow or release acid into the artwork it touches. Ordinary mountboard breaks down over time and stains or weakens the paper, so acid-free materials are essential for anything you want to keep in good condition.
Is museum glass worth it?
For original art, photographs and anything irreplaceable, yes. Ultraviolet fading is permanent and cannot be undone, so the cost of museum glass is small compared with the value of the piece it protects.
What is the difference between gold leaf and Dutch metal?
Genuine gold leaf is a noble metal that never tarnishes and can be burnished to a mirror finish. Dutch metal is a copper-zinc alloy that looks similar at first but oxidises and darkens over time and needs a protective lacquer. Gold leaf is the choice for longevity; Dutch metal is the budget alternative.
Should a frame be wood or aluminium?
Wood gives warmth, weight and the option of carving and gilding, and suits traditional and high-value work. Aluminium is lighter, slimmer and moisture-resistant, which suits contemporary pieces and damp rooms. The right answer depends on the artwork and the interior.
Have a piece that deserves the right materials?
Every frame and mirror I make is built from scratch and specified for one piece of work. If you would like me to recommend the moulding, glazing, mount and finish for something you own, get in touch and tell me about it. I will help you choose materials that protect the work and present it at its best.