Frequently Asked Questions › Framing

We know you're thinking of a fluffy, long-eared animal that hops its way around when you see the word "rabbet," but one of those little cuties would be spelled "rabbit." When it comes to framing, a rabbet is the recess on the back inside edge of the frame into which your artwork fits. "Rabbet size" refers to the depth of this recess, and for most framing projects, any rabbet size is fine.

An open back ready-made frame is a standard sized picture frame. When you order a ready-made frame from pictureframes.com, you're saving money! That's because we've pre-assembled these frames to fit the most popular and frequently occurring sizes for artwork, photography and documents. At pictureframes.com, these sizes include (in inches):

We seek the finest quality materials and are proud that the vast majority of our frames are both sourced & made in the USA. 100% of our finishing - including matting, glazing & backing - is from USA sources and all finished products are assembled in the USA. We also use upcycled materials from USA sources wherever possible (ex: reclaimed fence board and barn wood found right here in the USA).

Ready-Made and Custom-Made frames are typically shipped assembled with free hanging hardware. However, most metal frames will need to be assembled upon arrival. An easy assembly kit is included. All you need is a screwdriver.

All frames ship with free hanging hardware which includes D-rings and hanging wire. For larger frames we suggest hanging the frame directly from the included D-rings for stability.

To help your art, acrylic front and backing all fit securely inside the frame without being TOO tight, we typically allow for an extra ⅛^th of an inch allowance. So, your frame will be just slightly larger than the image size you enter to hold everything properly.

Measure the exact width (w) and height (h) of the outside dimensions of the image or artwork in inches. If you are planning to frame a canvas, measure from outside wrapped corner to outside wrapped corner.

While we take great care to make sure each frame will look stunning on your wall, we do not finish the back of our frames. As such, you may occasionally see some rough, unfinished marks on the back of our handcrafted frames that include, but are not limited to, paint spots, scuffs, and measurement marks.

We do not pattern match on frame corners. This is an eco-conscious decision that helps significantly reduce waste and save cost for our Creative Community. If you are looking for a closed-corner frame, please take a look at our Ready-Made Frames Collections, or our Photo Frames Collections, each of which have frames with closed, matched corners and come in ready-made sizes only.

If you are looking for a custom sized frame with corners that match closely, consider our Studio Collection or Black Satin Collection.

For custom sized ornate frames that provide more closely matched patterns, try ornate frames with tighter patterns such as those in our Slimwoods Collection.

We make sure every frame that hangs on your wall looks absolutely amazing and gallery ready. Our ornate frames with large patterns are no exception. Here are some examples of what these frames look like at the corners and in rooms:

RR2 Ornate Gold Picture Frame in Renaissance Collection

PAZ13 Ornate Antique Silver Picture Frame in Palazzo Collection

Glazing refers to the strong sheet of clear acrylic that covers and protects your artwork once framed. We offer four types of acrylic fronts with foamcore backing to fit your individual needs.

• Classic (Clear Acrylic and Foamcore Backing)
  

  Consists of a 3/16" thick foamcore backing board and "glass-like" 1/16" thick clear acrylic. This bestseller is a classic finishing choice - perfect for artwork and photography of all kinds. Foamcore is a great choice because it has a higher level of protection for framed items than corrugated backing. Its white finish preserves the integrity of translucent artwork. It doubles as a dust cover thanks to its neat, clean appearance, and it works well for dry mounting objects to the backing.

• Classic Non-Glare (Non-Glare Acrylic and Foamcore Backing)
  

  Includes all the same benefits as the Clear Acrylic option, but with one major distinction: the 1/16" thick non-glare acrylic cuts down the glare on items in direct light or near windows. Note: This finishing option should not be used with shadow boxes or presentations with more than one mat due to increased distortion.

• Premium Heavy-Duty (Heavy-Duty Clear Acrylic and Foamcore Backing)
  

  Consists of a 3/16" thick foamcore backing board and "glass-like" 3/32" thick clear acrylic. This best seller is a classic finishing choice - perfect for larger artwork and photography and shadow box presentations. Foamcore is a great choice because it has a higher level of protection for framed items than corrugated backing. It doubles as a dust cover thanks to its neat, clean appearance. The smooth, white surface is ideal for dry mounting objects and preventing ripples in thin artwork.

• Premium Archival (UV Protective Acrylic and Acid-Free Foamcore Backing)
  

  This framing option grants the best protection when preservation is the primary concern. Both the 3/16" thick, acid-free foamcore and the 3/32" thick UV protective acrylic helps guard an image against deterioration and fading - preserving your most treasured, irreplaceable items for generations. Perfect for: Vintage family photos, priceless artwork & historic and heirloom documents.

We offer acrylic glazing instead of glass for most of our custom, ready-made and metal frames. Acrylic is shatterproof, lightweight and provides the same level of clarity as framing glass. It also offers the same UV protection. Glass is only included in our all-inclusive presentations, available in the Photo Frames section of the website.

In an effort to ensure minimal waste and to keep costs low, we enable our customers to order their frame components individually. Because many of our customers use our frames for their original paintings, which do not require acrylic glazing, we give our customers the option of having acrylic glazing included in their order whether they are framing an unstretched canvas, painting or ordering a print.

The blue film is a protective film on the acrylic to prevent scratches and other types of damage during shipping. Removal involves peeling the film off both sides of the acrylic glazing.

Our frames don't automatically include acrylic glazing because not all artwork needs it. For example, the professional Artist community that we serve would not need acrylic for their canvas paintings because glazing would damage their work. So that's why we offer acrylic as a separate add-on item during the ordering process after you select your frame. We never want to send you something that you don't need because that would be wasteful.

If you have questions about acrylic front or backing call 800-332-8884 and one of our Customer Care Advisors will help you out.

Not all customers will need a finishing kit (the acrylic front and backing materials) with their frame purchase. In order to reduce waste, a finishing kit is an optional selection you may choose to add on to a frame.