Custom white picture frame

A custom white picture frame with a classical profiled moulding 52 mm wide and 42 mm deep. The surface is finished with high-gloss polyurethane paint — ultra-white, with a deep gloss. The face is dominated by a broad half-round hollow, articulated along the inside edge with a fine lip and a narrow bead — the moulding catches light on three distinct levels of depth; at 52 mm wide the frame still reads visually light and never competes with the work it holds.

The profile opens at the inside edge with a narrow raised lip beside the rabbet — a fine bead marking the boundary between frame and artwork. Just outboard of it runs a narrow rounded ridge — a second fine profile along the inner edge. The main face of the moulding is given over to a broad, deep half-round hollow — a cove that carries light in a curved sweep towards the outer edge. There the surface closes with a gently rounded outer edge.

For what kind of works and interiors

A wide white moulding in deep gloss at this scale suits paintings with a strong, self-sufficient composition — oils and acrylics on canvas, graphic prints with large areas of white, black-and-white photography, watercolours with confident colour. The deep-gloss white gives interiors a contemporary lift; the classical hollow on the face keeps the frame anchored in traditional decorative language — equally at home in minimalist, Scandinavian and classical settings with cornicing and plasterwork.

A fuller discussion of matching frame to interior and artwork can be found in our note on matching a frame to the style of your interior and artwork; for paintings on canvas specifically, see our guide to types of picture frames for canvas paintings. Other white finishes available in the workshop are gathered under white picture frames, alongside the wider custom picture frames catalogue. The same profile is also made to order in other colours, with the identical high-gloss polyurethane finish.

Specifications

• Style: classical, profiled; ultra-white surface, high gloss
• Moulding material: solid timber low in tannin content, used in museum and conservation framing
• Moulding width: 52 mm
• Moulding depth: 42 mm
• Rabbet dimensions: 7 mm wide × 20 mm deep
• Finish: high-gloss polyurethane paint, ultra-white; same profile available in other colours on request
• Corner joinery: mitred, reinforced with wooden splines — a conservation-grade joint
• Suited to: oil and acrylic paintings on canvas and panel, prints, photography, watercolours
• Lead time: 20–30 working days

Order dimensions refer to the artwork size (the inside dimension of the frame). The frame is built 2–3 mm larger than the artwork — a standard technical clearance so the work slides freely into the rabbet. The actual overlap of the frame onto the artwork is approximately 4–5 mm.

Construction

Each length of moulding is cut at 45° and joined with a glued wooden spline through the corner — a conservation-grade joint that holds dimension across decades. Industrial frame production skips this step in favour of staples or metal V-nails, trading longevity for speed.

The surface is finished with high-gloss polyurethane paint, applied in successive coats and sanded smooth between each. The result is a deep-gloss, ultra-white surface that resists moisture and stands up to everyday handling, and that holds its tone over time — it does not yellow or dull. The same profile and finish are also made to order in other colours; the full range is available in the workshop.

How it differs from a mass-produced frame

An off-the-shelf white frame is sprayed over MDF or extruded PVC. The surface is uniform but flat in feel, and the coating is thin — it chips at the edges on the first knock against a doorway or another piece of furniture. The profile is repeatable to the millimetre, and corners are stapled or fixed with metal V-nails, which limits useful life to a few years. Here the moulding is solid wood, the corners are joined with the traditional spline, and the classical profile and deep gloss come from the workshop, not a production line — every frame is cut and joined by hand to a specific size.

Mounting and hanging

The frame ships without glass, as a setting for stretched canvas — the painting is held in the rabbet from the back.

Retention in the rabbet is selected from the variant menu: spring clips — factory-fitted, rotate sideways for easy artwork swap. Brass plates with screws — supplied loose with screws included, installed by the customer; a permanent fixing.

Hanging orientation (portrait or landscape) is selected from the variant menu and the frame is fitted only in the chosen orientation. Standard hanging is by picture cord; a single D-ring hanger is available on request.

Complete framing — additional options

Every frame can be completed with a full archival mounting prepared in the workshop: glass, archival backing and matting. All components are available as a custom add-on — quote on request.

Glass — four classes available

Opti White, 4mm — low-iron glass with a neutral, colourless appearance (no green tint typical of standard float glass). Available up to 90×90 cm — the only option for larger works.

Ultra Vue UV70 (Tru Vue), 2.0mm — anti-reflective glass with 70% UV protection, low-iron. Available up to 60×80 cm.

Art View — premium-class anti-reflective glass: reflection reduced below 1%, up to 75% UV protection, scratch-resistant coating, low-iron, can be cut and mounted from either side. Meets ISO 18916 (Photographic Activity Test) — safe for archival photography. Premium quality at an accessible price. Available up to 60×80 cm.

Optium Museum Acrylic (Tru Vue) — top-tier museum acrylic: over 99% UV protection, museum-grade reflection reduction, anti-static, lightweight, shatter-resistant. The museum standard for conservation work and archival photography. Available up to 60×80 cm.

Archival backing

Dibond 3mm aluminium composite panel — two layers of aluminium with an acid-free polymer core. Rigid, chemically neutral, dimensionally stable. An industry standard in archival photographic framing and art conservation.

Mounting and matting

Acid-free foam board — chemically neutral, will not yellow over time, will not react with paper or photographic emulsions. Archival standard.

Full museum framing

Combining anti-reflective UV-filtering glass, acid-free matting, Dibond backing and conservation hinging tapes provides a museum-grade mounting — protecting the work from light damage, acid migration from typical framing materials, and mechanical distortion. This type of framing is used in museums, galleries and private collections.

To order: all of the above components are available as a frame add-on on request. Please get in touch with the dimensions of your work and your preferred glass class — I will prepare an individual quote.

Custom order

The online price calculator supports artwork sizes up to 120×80 cm. Larger formats are made to individual order — please get in touch with the dimensions of the work and your preferred finish.

The base price is per linear metre of moulding. Mitred corners absorb additional length, increasing with moulding width; the calculator factors in full consumption including corners and any selected add-ons.