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Framing Perfectly
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Anonymous user Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:54:27 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments If you’ve ever slipped a favorite snapshot or special piece of paper into a flimsy frame, only to discover later that the treasured picture or memorabilia you thought you were preserving is fused to the glass forever, then you’ve learned a lesson custom framers hope to help others avoid:  If something is important enough to frame, do it right the first time.
“Properly framing something can preserve it,” says Justin Jennings, owner of J.P. Jennings Custom Picture Framing in downtown Bakersfield. “Improperly framing something can be detrimental.” Jennings, who has been framing for about 15 years, started out working for one of the big-box craft stores before buying the inventory of a Sacramento framing business.
“Frame the item to match the art,” Jennings advises.  “The money you spend will make the item a much more personal and permanent investment.”
 Making memories last forever shouldn’t be cost prohibitive. Experts agree that expense is the biggest misconception about custom framing, along with the quality offered by a national chain framer compared to a custom local framer.  “There is no comparison,” says Toni Lott of Affordable Framing. “Custom framing is a whole step above. So many times we get pieces that were poorly done to begin with. Custom means you’re getting the best quality frame exactly the way you want it. Often artists will buy a pre-cut frame and I’ll cut the matte to help keep their cost down.”
Custom framers bring years of training and experience to the work table, and, like J.P. Jennings and others, offer hundreds of mattes and moldings to choose from. They order it, cut it, and mount it on site, something some national chain stores don’t do anymore, according to Jennings. “A locally-owned custom framer will most likely be more willing to accommodate your needs, style and budget,” he says. 
From a practical standpoint, properly encasing a diploma, baptismal gown or family heirloom under glass ensures preservation and enjoyment for future generations.  “You never know how long these items will last.  You may not care as much now, but I guarantee you your relatives will care,” Lott says.  All the more reason, she adds, to pay attention to every detail, from hinges and corners to backing and choice of glass. 
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The backs of frames need to be papered to keep the dust out.  While ultraviolet-protected glass may cost two times that of regular glass, museum-quality glass will be a hundred times more expensive.  A trained custom framer will know the difference and be able to guide the customer through the maze of colorless, non-glare and UV coated glass available.
No less important is the selection of a matte, which provides an air gap between the work and glass, a sort of layer of protection to absorb any moisture. “The matte also provides an area for the art to ‘rest’ in an uncluttered space,” Jennings says.
Tastes and trends in framing have changed. Twenty years ago everything, it seemed, was done in oak. Today experts say styles lean towards the ornate with a Tuscany feel of gold, silver and bronze overtones, as well as the look of shabby chic. Some of Jennings’ gilded frames have been hand-finished in Italy. On display in the front window of the framer’s business is a copy of a 1901 prospect map of Bakersfield. This intricately mounted copy with fancy cuts into the suede matte runs about $1619; one without the trimmings would cost little more than a hundred dollars framed.  That example illustrates the range one can go in framing. The cost of moldings generally starts at $5 a foot to more than $50.  Inexpensive black frames with white mattes still offer a timeless classic look for less. 
Al Mendez of Ice House Framing & Gallery says the current technology now affords a client almost unlimited variety. “Custom framing is so much more than putting something away in a drawer or box.” Mendez, who has been framing for twenty years, has his share of memorable assignments, like the flag that flew to the moon aboard Apollo 12, and authentic signatures of Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin.
Like Mendez, Jennings has some favorite jobs.  He recently framed a badge belonging to a retired Kern County Firefighter.  The badge was part of the payload for Burt Rutan celebrated Spaceship One Enterprise.  The encasing included a photo and notarized declaration.
“We’re always excited about these things,” Jennings says. “It doesn’t have to be something so unique.  But it is one of the joys of being a picture framer.  You get to handle things like something going into space.” The original was commissioned by Deputy Fire Chief Mike Cody, who recently asked Jennings to frame a replica as a gift to the President of the International Association of Firefighters who visited Bakersfield last month.   The framed replica now hangs on the official’s office wall in Washington, D.C.  The original is on display in the lobby of the Kern County Fire Department headquarters.  “I like framing,” Cody says.  “I matte and frame just about everything.  It’s like a hobby.”  He also knows when to trust a trained professional, as was the case with the space-bound badge. “Framing is something you can look at and remember the accomplishment.”
Not everything will be a conversation piece like Jennings’ wife Jennifer’s wedding dress, enclosed and mounted six feet tall on the wall of the store’s main workroom.  “I would advise people to pick things they really like,” says Jennings, who now offers visualization software which allows customers to see what the design work will look like.  One item he believes should always be mounted is a diploma. “Those are the kinds of documents that should be framed, considering the tuition you spent and the years you worked to earn it.”  Lott recommends customers decide beforehand exactly where the article will hang and in relation to how much sunlight. “Then I will help you frame to the art. That way you can always move it later to another room.”
So whether it is a business license or an antique pocket watch, protect and preserve it for posterity.

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