FRAMELESS WAYS TO DISPLAY YOUR ARTWORK

Maybe your walls can't support the weight of a wood frame and glass, maybe you're a fan of that crisp, modern, minimalist look, or maybe a frame and all it requires is out of your price range. If you're seeking a frame-free display for your wall-hanging artwork, you have nearly as many unique, customizable options as are available to those searching for ornate frames. This article considers a number of great options for creating beautiful wall hangings without the cost, weight, or clutter. Welcome to the rise of Frameless Framing!

SUMMARY IMAGE OPTIONS FRAMELESS FRAMES UTTERLY FRAME-FREE Hard copy of paper, canvas, or other art print or original Digital copy to be printed on your choice of substrate Clip frames Floater frames Poster hangers Canvas gallery wraps Plaque mounts Plexi face mounts Dry mounting Dowel rods Adhesive fabric

YOUR IMAGE OPTIONS

HARD COPY If you have a poster or printed image for which you don't have the digital file, you have two options. You can use some of the suggestions below that work for pre-printed art on the substrate you have. This will allow you to use the original artwork, which may or may not be suitable for your plans. Alternately, you can have a digital copy of the work made by scanning the image. This is a service we offer at KeenART Media (see Artwork Scanning), or you can scan the image yourself and send that file in for printing. This second option is recommended if you have selected a permanent method of frameless mounting for you artwork, such as lamination or mounting. Because these processes cannot be reversed to return your artwork to its original state, they are not archival, and not recommended for original art or highly significant pieces. DIGITAL COPY Having a digital copy of the artwork you want to frame opens up tons of options. It allows you to print the image on any substrate you can conceive: paper, canvas, fabric, and so on. All the options below will work for your image - all you need to do is have it printed on the substrate best suited for that style (we'll include that in each description). At KeenART Media, it's easy to upload your photograph or fine art to our server. Then just select the type of print and frameless treatment you'd like for that image, and we'll do the rest! Visit our Uploads page now to get started.

Digital copies are very versatile

FRAMELESS FRAMES

CLIP FRAMES

Possible Substrates: Any relatively thin material, including paper, fabric, tissue, and thin canvas. Clip frames are one of the more common frameless options, and can be found in most stores for a range of prices. The framing package includes one pane of glass or plexiglass glazing, a wood or particle board backing, clips, and hanging hardware. The artwork is placed face up on the backing board lined up with the edges. If the artwork is smaller than the frame, a mat may be used over the art, or a colored matboard may be placed behind. The art or mat may be adhered to the backing board if necessary. The glazing is then laid over the face of the art, and the clips are snapped in around the perimeter of the glass. The backing will have holes or indents cut in it, where the back section of the clip can snap in to hold everything tightly in place. The result is a frameless style that appears to be made up almost entirely of the glazing. The part of the clip visible from the front is generally no more than two or three millimeters. STANDOFF BOLTS Another option that follows the same general design as the clip frame is a standoff bolt frame. Standoff bolts come as two pieces, one of which screws in to the other, but when they are joined, they appear perfectly flush, generally with a slightly curved, round head that resembles a bullet. To achieve a frameless and floating effect, a standoff bolt frame will be purchased larger than the artwork. The piece is then centered in the middle of one of two pieces of plexiglass and the top piece is set on top. The bolts are inserted through holes in the four corners of the frame. The result is a modern, industrial look that is a great match for black and white images, or metallic photo prints.

A clip frame Standoff bolt frame

FLOATER FRAMES

Possible Substrates: Stretched canvas prints Technically floater frames do have a border, but they have a few interesting qualities that make them worth considering if you're shying away from framed art NO HIDDEN EDGES One of the reasons a frame might be problematic is if your artwork has an important feature near the edge, or a signature you want fully visible. Traditional frames cover about 1/4" of the artwork on either side, a necessary overlap to prevent the art from simply falling through the window of the frame. This overlap is non-negotiable, whether you are framing paper art or canvas. Floater frames, however, overlap at the back of the stretched canvas, instead of the front. This means your entire piece is visible, from corner to corner. FLOATING EFFECT True to their name, floater frames create a subtle shadow or "floating" effect around the canvas. The frames are cut to be about 1/4" wider than your artwork all around. This allows for a space between the outer edge of the canvas and the inner edge of the frame. The result is a shadowed recess that highlights and adds contrast to the art. VERY THIN FACE With a few exceptions, floater frames have a top face width of no more than 1/2". Because of the style, this thin face is suitable even for very large artwork, and ensures the attention remains on your art, not on the casing. To browse our great selection of modern frames, visit out Canvas Floater Frames page now!

Detail of a floater frame and canvas print.

POSTER HANGERS

Possible Substrates: Paper, unstretched canvas, textiles Poster hangers are essentially a modernized version of a type of needlework hanger that used to be quite popular. The hanger is made up of two unconnected bars, and a string or wire for hanging. The bars are generally long, thin clamps, and one clips onto the each horizontal end of the poser, top and bottom. The bottom bar serves as a weight, to keep your poster hanging straight down, and preventing it from blowing around in the event of an open door or window. The top bar holds the hanging hardware, which is usually visible, with the string or wire attaching to both outer ends of the bar, and hanging down from a centered nail. This updated traditional framing option can be customized by choosing the color or material of the bars. Plastic, metal, and wood bars are available. They may be plain, or decorated, possibly with finials or knobs on the ends.

Artwork in a poster hanger

UTTERLY FRAME-FREE

CANVAS GALLERY WRAPS

Possible substrates: canvas Canvas prints or original artwork can be framed using traditional or floater frames. But if you're opting for the wild and free alternative, they are also perfectly capable of being displayed all on their own. Canvas that is gallery wrapped has been stretched neatly around the drop edges of a 1-1/2" deep, wooden stretcher bar frame, and stapled or nailed to the back of the frame. The corners are folded in such a way that they look neat and tidy from the sides, and are stapled only in the back. As a result, from the front, sides, top, and bottom, a canvas gallery wrap is a beautifully finished work of art! Canvas gallery wraps are equipped with hanging hardware fastened to the back, which is also hidden from view. Smaller canvases may have a sawtooth hanger, while large, heavy pieces have strong metal hooks with wire. Whether the piece is an original painting or a photographic or fine art print, the modern, frameless look of a canvas gallery wrap is an effortless way to spruce up the walls. Simply upload your image and check out our Gicl&ecute;e Canvas Prints page to start your frameless order today.

Canvas gallery wrap

PLAQUE MOUNTS

Possible substrates: fine art paper, photographic paper Plaque mounts are common for preserving and displaying important documents, but they're also a great alternative to traditional framing options. The paper print - your own, existing image, or one we've printed from a digital copy - is adhered to a 3/8" sheet of fiberboard using a dry mounting process. This process involves sandwiching a tissue-thin layer of heat-activated adhesive between the back of the print and the board. A vacuum press is used to firmly press and heat the plaque so the adhesive creates a bond between the two layers. The top of the plaque is then laminated for UV and scratch protection. Plaque mounts have a neat, bevelled edge that can be coated with one of 17 different colors or textures. A keyhole slot is di-cut into the top back of the plaque for easy mounting. The result is a clean, frameless display with a very subtle border created by the bevelled edge. Plaque mounts come in five different styles: Standard/Flat Plaque This is the most common plaque mount style. The plaque lies flat against the wall, and features a keyhole notch on the back for hanging. Float Plaque A 3/4" molding platform is adhered to the back of a slightly thinner plaque mount. This pushes the plaque out from the wall to create a "floating" effect - an ideal effect for recessed walls or niches. Box/Flush Plaque This plaque mount has an additional 1" deep wooden frame added to the back, giving it a mounted canvas look. The image is pushed forward, out from the wall, rather than being nearly flush. Matted Plaque The image is mounted on a larger, coloured mat board, creating a border around the image. The standard border is 1-1/2", but a custom width can be requested. The image and mat are then laminated, the edges are bevelled, and the piece is finished in your choice of color. Combo/Raised Plaque A raised plaque mount is similar to a matted plaque mount, but the image is raised off the solid-color frame for a dynamic, three dimensional effect. Two plaque mounts are used to create this option. For more information on this popular, frameless option, visit our Plaque Mounting order page.

Standard/Flat Plaque Box/Flush Plaque Matted Plaque

PLEXI FACE MOUNTS

Possible substrates:: Glossy or Metallic photographic print from a digital image Plexi face mounting is a unique and super-stylish way to display photographs. Your digital image is printed on glossy or metallic photographic paper with high quality, Giclée inks. It is then dry mounted to a thin sheet of di-bond - plastic-coated aluminium. A sheet of crystal clear plexiglass is affixed to the front of the print and the edges are filed for a smooth, sharp look that is vibrantly modern. By adhering the plexiglass to the image, reflection between the two components is eliminated, causing light to reflect off the plexiglass differently than it would in a traditionally framed image. This makes colors more vibrant and the image appears sharper than ever before, standing out with a near 3D effect. The clear, adhesive facemount film contains UV stabilizers so the glue won't yellow and colors will remain vivid for years to come. We have plenty of information about this great, contemporary art display style on our Plexi Face Mounting order page.

Plexi Face Mount

OTHER DRY MOUNTS

Possible substrates: fine art or photographic paper, canvas, printed fabric The frameless mounting options don't stop with plexi face or plaque mounts. Many different substrates can be mounted onto different backings, with or without lamination on top. Possible Backing Boards: Foam board (black or white) Sintra (thin, hard plastic) Matboard (any color) Di bond aluminium Wood panel Dry mounted artwork can be fitted with a recessed frame that allows you to easy hang the piece, while making it look as if it's floating just out from the wall. While these options aren't recommended for original artwork since they are permanent and cannot be reversed, they're a great choice for exhibiting works temporarily, creating a matte, reflection-free display, and fitting in with other modern, frameless hanging styles. To learn more about the different backings, see our Dry Mounting information page.

Photograph on foam board

DOWEL RODS

Possible substrates: canvas, fabric This old-fashioned option for displaying art is just a useful and eye-catching as it was hundreds of years ago. Traditionally used for displaying textiles and tapestries, dowel rod hangers are still ideal for canvas or fabric prints. The process requires creating a pocket along the top edge of the artwork (or behind and just below the edge), as one would to hang a curtain. A dowel - generally wood - of the necessary size is threaded through the pocket, and capped on either end with a finial or simple knob. String or thread is tied at either end, just inside the knobs, and hooked over a central nail above the artwork. Simple, tidy, and relatively easy to make, dowel rod displays give a homey feel to any room.

Dowel rod hanging

ADHESIVE FABRIC

The final frameless option in our list is adhesive, printable fabric, which has been growing increasingly popular in recent years. Not just for window and wall displays in businesses, adhesive fabric is an attractive and affordable option for individual home decorators as well. Any image that can be printed on paper or canvas can be recreated on Photo Tex adhesive fabric. It has a lightly textured matte finish, and works great for poster images, updated wallpaper, banners, or panoramas. Anything that might be too big or too unstable to be framed and hung safely will look fantastic printed on this material. The best part? Keep the backing paper, and you can remove and reapply your fabric wall art dozens of time. And if you're planning to have even more fun with your print, you should know Photo Tex is waterproof, the inks used to print it are UV fade-resistant, the adhesive has been wind-tested to 500 mph, and it even illuminates when backlit! After uploading your digital image, visit our Fine Art Printing information page to begin placig your PhotoTex order!

Photo Tex (cred: phototexgroup.com)

If you have questions about our framing options, printing possibilities, or any other services or products, don't hesitate to contact us. Our knowledgeable staff is always happy to assist with answers, advice, or suggestions.