Boston, Glossary Of Picture Framing Terms

Glossary Of Picture Framing Terms [40]

B Backing A semi-hard backing is placed behind the art in a frame to keep the artwork safe and prevent warping. The backing is generally a piece of foam board cut to size, and is available in white, black or acid-free (archival). The glazier points or tabs inserted into the back of the frame to keep the artwork in place will press against the backing. Order online: Board Backings
Backing Paper Kraft or specialty paper which is adhered to the back of a picture frame once the contents have been fitted, also referred to as a "dust cover". This keeps dust, insects, humidity and other environmental factors from damaging the artwork. Backing paper also gives the frame a clean, professional look.
Balsa A very lightweight wood. It's ideal for sculpting and model making because it can be carved, chiselled, sawed, textured, or embossed with sharp-edged detail.
Baltic Birch Baltic Birch Plywood is the leading plywood that is light in color with fine grain patterns. Its high durability and resistance is its strength, preventing warpage and blending. A Baltic Birch Plywood is made of a strong material due to the usage of high-quality MR for veneer gluing. It is one of the most sold products for its long durability, low weight, surface hardness, quality, and high performance.
Bamboo Ornament A picture frame decoration that utilizes the bamboo plant's slim lines and extended joints. This often results in a natural, Asian-inspired frame face.
Barn wood Picture frames made from barn wood are eco-friendly and environmentally conscious. "Barn wood" frames are constructed using repurposed wood taken from farm building materials, resulting in a naturally aged, rustic finish.
Baroque A 17th century artistic period that produced dramatic paintings with a lot of color, motion and easily interpreted details. Today, baroque picture frames are usually ornate gold foil, with intricate designs.
Baroque Ornament A picture frame decorated in the Baroque style. Generally featuring an ornate face and embellished corners, and often covered in gold or bronze paint or leaf, with some antiquing.
Barrier Material In picture framing, barrier material may refer to a thin, acid-free film laid over or behind an artwork to protect it from negative interaction with non-archival materials. The term can also describe the "dust cover" or "backing paper" applied around the back of a picture frame once the contents are in place, to keep dust and environmental substances from damaging the art.
Barrier Paper In picture framing, a thin, acid-free film laid over or behind an artwork to protect it from negative interaction with non-archival materials. The term can also describe the "dust cover" or "backing paper" applied around the back of a picture frame once the contents are in place, to keep dust and environmental substances from damaging the art.
Bas-relief A type of carving or sculpting resulting in a relief (raised) design that is protrudes only slightly from the flat surface of the medium. Bas-relief is shallower than basic relief designs. In picture framing, frame faces where the details extend only minimally from the background.
Basswood Found in Europe and North America, with many different types found in Asia, Basswood is from the Tilia family, and is also known as Linden. A very common wood used in picture frame mouldings, it is a soft hardwood that is easy to shape and carve. It has a fine, unobtrusive grain, and is quite lightweight. In the past, it was used in wood sculpting and puppet-making.
Batik An art technique that involves soaking wax-covered fabric in dye. The wax resists the dye, and is then removed with boiling water. As a result, the sections of the fabric covered with wax are uncolored. If multiple colors are required, the wax-covered sections can be dyed once the wax is removed.
Beading Refers to a picture frame face decoration; dots of wood or clay are applied - usually along the lip - and painted to create a beaded effect.
Bevel/Bevelled Edge A sloping edge common on picture frames and linen liners. Generally, the approximately 45 degree slope begins at the top of the lip of the frame and slants in toward the artwork (see image).
Bevelled mirrors Any mirror with a sloped groove cut into the glass itself, commonly along the outer edge, but occasionally further into the face of the mirror. A bevel adds dimension and style to an otherwise simple mirror. Read more about home decor mirrors in our article.
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) A thin film made from petroleum that is stretched in both directions (biaxially) during production, making it stronger and more stretch-resistant. In framing, it is used in packaging.
Birch The wood of a hardwood tree commonly found in North America. Picture frames are often constructed of birch. The wood is a light color similar to pine, and works equally well as a natural frame with a clear finish, or the base for a painted face.
Bird’s eye maple A type of hard maple wood recognizable by a distinctive pattern of non-uniform dots scattered across the grain. This type of wood may be used in the construction of picture frames.
Black core mats Any mat board with an inner layer of pressed cotton fibers that are black in color. The face of the mat may be any color, but the bevel at the inner edge - surrounding the opening - will be black. Black core can also be imitated by using a black marker to color the more common white core bevel.
Bleach(ing) Refers to the whitening of a surface through the application of a chemical that removes color. In art production, wood pulp may be bleached to make it white for mats or papers.
Bleed The bleed is the portion of an image that goes beyond the cut lines. This ensures that the color goes all the way to the edges of a trimmed print. Alternately, it is the section of the image that is outside the viewing window of a mat or frame (and therefore unseen in the finished display).
Bleed Resistant This term can refer to a variety of materials. Mat boards are classified as bleed resistant if they are color-fast and will not transfer their color to other materials. Pigment inks - the kind used in giclee printing - are generally bleed resistant, which means they will not feather and expand across the paper if exposed to water or humidity. Art papers may also be bleed resistant if their fibers are very compact.
Bloom A bloom-style picture frame is a oval or rounded corner rectangular frame that features a deep bevelled edge and scalloped corners and outer borders. The size of the curves can vary from very slight to dramatic.
Bloom Blush This occurs on varnished painting due to moisture trapped and condensing within the varnish. The surface of the image will appear fogged or whitened.
Bond Paper Originally used in preparing government bonds, this type of paper is of high quality and quite durable, generally having a paper weight of more than 50 g/m². In the printing business, this paper is used to produce important documents, or may be used as a lower-cost option to light fine art papers, for producing artistic reproductions. Bond paper may be used to create original artworks using pen, ink, or pencil, and is sometimes made from rag pulp, which creates a stronger paper with a distinct texture.
Bottom weighting An effect applied to a picture frame mat. The bottom border is cut to be slightly wider than the other sides. This is due to a optical illusion inherent in viewing images that makes the bottom mat appear thinner than the other sides when in fact all sides are the same. Also called "drop bottom". Order online: Custom Matboards
Box frame An option for a dry mounting base; a wood board with a wood frame behind to achieve the look of an unframed canvas without the canvas. The result is a sturdy decorative piece with a matte or shine finish. A choice of depths is generally available. Purchase box frame custom wood panels directly from our website.
Box nail A box nail is the type of nail most commonly used in woodworking and construction. They feature a flat head generally about twice the circumference of the nail width, and a long, round body with a pointed tip.
Brad gun Similar to a nail gun, a brad gun is loaded with small, thin nails used to secure the contents within a picture frame. The gun shoots the nails half-way into the excess rabbet at the back of the frame to keep the contents pressed toward the front. Also called a "brad nailer".
Brad nailers Similar to a nail gun, a brad gun is loaded with small, thin nails used to secure the contents within a picture frame. The gun shoots the nails half-way into the excess rabbet at the back of the frame to keep the contents pressed toward the front. Also called a "brad gun".
Brads Similar to "tabs" or "points", these small, thin nails are pressed into the remaining rabbet wall at the back of the picture frame to hold the contents within the frame. Brads cannot be folded back to remove the artwork, and are therefore ideal for permanent framing projects.
Bridle joint A bridle joint is a woodworking joint, similar to a mortise and tenon, in that a tenon is cut on the end of one member and a mortise is cut into the other to accept it. The distinguishing feature is that the tenon and the mortise are cut to the full width of the tenon member.
Buffer The method of applying an alkaline substance to mat boards and other materials to minimize the acidity of the material. In framing, calcium carbonate is commonly used.
Buffering Agent An alkaline substance, generally applied to mat boards to minimize the acidity of the material. In framing, calcium carbonate is commonly used. Also called "acid neutralizer".
Bumper These half sphere, self-adhesive pads are placed in the bottom corners of a picture frame or canvas print to keep it from scratching or scuffing the wall when hung. Round and square foam and felt styles are also available. Order online: Bumpers
Bumpons Also called bumpers or bumps, these half sphere, self-adhesive pads are placed in the bottom corners of a picture frame or canvas print to keep it from scratching or scuffing the wall when hung. Round and square foam or felt versions are also available. Order online: Bumpons
Burfab A coarse, ribbed material similar to thin carpeting, that often blankets display boards and office partitions. Most commonly seen in grey, it is available in a variety of other colors.
Burnishing The process of polishing metal by rubbing it, until it achieves a high shine. This term can also refer to the surface itself, once it has been polished.
Burnishing bone A small, handheld tool used to smooth rough edges or raised fibers on mat boards caused by cutting. They may be made of real bone, and plastic burnishing bones are also available.