Today’s Top Three Alternative Framing Methods

Over the past forty years, Broadway Gallery has become the largest resource in the Washington DC metro area for frame selection and designs, with thousands of framing options from the nation’s top matting and moulding suppliers like Larson-Juhl, Roma, CMI, Bella, Prisma, Tru Vue, and others.

And while our business began specializing in traditional matted framing methods, more often than not, clients come to us with alternative framing ideas. Choosing a picture frame can be a creative project on its own, and a distinctive framing choice can set your artwork off and garner more attention for it. When clients come to us for framing advice, we have many ideas. But today we thought it would be beneficial to readers to cover the top three alternative framing methods we’re seeing today. Here they are:

Face Mounted Plexiglass

In recent years, face mounted plexiglass framing has gained attention as a contemporary way to display your favorite fine art or giclee prints without the distraction or additional cost of a frame. When artwork is enclosed in the acrylic glass, the result is a vividly modern display that not only highlights the image, but also your wall.

Here’s an example of an installation we did with plexiglass framing– see how modern and vibrant the acrylic mounting makes the artwork appear!

Acrylic face mounting is a process that involves applying an optically clear adhesive to the face of the print then adhering the print to acrylic, otherwise known as plexiglass.  Once the print is adhered to the acrylic, a backing material adhered to the back of the print to protect the print and provide rigidity to the art.  The backer also provides the surface to adhere the hanging and floating hardware which provides that modern, floating off the wall look.

Direct Print to Metal

Printing artwork to metal is another method of displaying artwork that has gained popularity in recent years. The best part? You don’t even need a frame. A lot of clients today are looking for something more industrial and modern, which is one reason they choose metal. In addition, the process by which metal prints are made creates a beautiful print quality while preserving your artwork for generations.  Metal Prints are created by heat infusing dyes into specially coated sheets of aluminum. This creates a beautiful luminous print that is waterproof and scratch–proof. And if by chance you’re looking for something to add to your piece, there are thousands of unique framing and mounting options to choose from to create the perfect display you’re looking for.

Floating Canvas

Floating canvases are a great alternative option because they are an interesting way to display artwork while giving the illusion of artwork floating inside the frame, without touching anything.

The floating canvas gives dimension to pieces that may otherwise need it. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and finishes. At Broadway Gallery, we use our industrial printer to create floating canvases, so in order to get a floater frame sized correctly for your artwork, you need to make sure you order based on the right size of your stretched canvas photo or art piece. Clients love the look of floating canvases and they’re perfect for galleries because they can be mounted in a frame without the surface of the art touching the frame itself, preserving the image from potential contact or damage. Contact us for a complimentary consultation so we can walk you through the steps and what’s required in order to create your floating canvas frame.

Contact us here and let’s discuss your frame, or frames of choice!