Framing a fine art print

After mounting the fine art print, which I explained in the previous blog post, it’s time to frame. Even tho it’s not mandatory to use a mount, it does make the final result look a lot better in most cases.

The tricky part of framing is to get it done without any dust being left behind on the print or the inside of the glass. It’s good practice to use a pair of cotton gloves for this and if you don’t have any of those, they are really cheap and useful for many other things as well.

Remove the back cover of the frame and clean the inside of the glass with alcohol or a a glass cleaner using a non fibrous cloth. Ideally, you should take the glass out of the frame and put it on a flat surface covered with a towel or any other soft textile. If you leave the glass in the frame while you clean the inside, there’s a chance you might apply too much pressure and crack the glass.

Once the glass is dry again, before putting in the art print, it’s advisable to use compressed air to blow out any dust that’s left on the inside of the frame. I’m using an air compressor, but most people won’t have one of those. In that case, you can get yourself a can with compressed air which does the job as well. I prefer a compressor because it’s less harmful for our environment.

After making sure that you have removed as much dust and dirt as possible from the inside of the frame, you can insert the print and put the back cover back on.

Now, it’s time to clean the outside of the glass, again with alcohol or a glass cleaner and a non fibrous cloth. Keep on the gloves as those will make sure you won’t leave any fingerprints on the glass surface. Again, don’t apply too much pressure as that might crack the glass.

All done now, ready to hang the painting and enjoy the fine art print inside it, which you hopefully bought from me.