Choosing a Picture Frame: Width, Depth, Tone

A frame is the edge of a work on the wall; chosen well it goes unnoticed, chosen badly it is seen before the work. Choosing a picture frame is often reduced to colour, yet the decision is made in three measures: the width, the depth and the tone of the profile. This guide takes those three decisions in turn; by the end you can say what width, what depth and what tone of profile to ask for with the work you have.

Why choosing a picture frame starts with the profile

The profile is the cross-section of the moulding that makes up the frame; it determines how wide the frame looks from the front, how far it stands off the wall and how much material fits inside it. Glass, mount and backing protect the work; the profile carries it and decides how the eye will read it. The protective side is covered in archival-quality framing; this article deals only with the profile itself.

The three measures of a profile

Face width

This is the width of the band seen when the frame is viewed head-on. Slim profiles are 1–2 cm, medium profiles 2–4 cm and wide profiles 5 cm or more.

Profile depth

This is how far the frame projects forward from the wall. For works on paper and prints, 1.5–2.5 cm is usually enough; stretched canvas and objects need a deeper profile.

Rebate depth

The rebate is the L-shaped recess at the back of the profile, where the glass, mount, work and backing sit. In standard frames the rebate is about 6–13 mm deep. If the layers going into it add up to more than that, the frame will not close.

Width: the larger the work, the wider the profile

The basic rule for width is simple: as the work gets larger, the profile gets wider. For small works up to about 30 × 40 cm, profiles of 1–2.5 cm look balanced; for medium works between 40 × 50 and 60 × 90 cm, 2–5 cm; for larger works, 5 cm and above. Aurecort's standard format, 50 × 70 cm, falls in the middle group: a profile of around 2 cm makes the work look light and contemporary, one of 4–5 cm heavier and more classic.

A mount changes the sum. In a mounted work, the distance between the work and the wall is built by mount and profile together, so the profile can be kept slim. In an unmounted work printed to the edge, the profile does all the separating and a slightly wider band is needed. A practical balance: the profile should be clearly narrower than the mount; when the two are the same width, the eye sees a striped band.

In a series there is one rule: the same profile width for every piece. If one of three works hung side by side has a frame a few millimetres wider, the row looks wrong.

Depth: what goes inside the frame

Depth is decided by adding up the layers that go into the rebate. For a glazed, mounted work on paper the sum is roughly this: glass about 2 mm, mount 1.5–3 mm, work and backing 3–5 mm. That comes to about 7–10 mm; the rebate must not be shallower than that.

Stretched canvas calls for a different arrangement. Canvas stretchers are commonly about 2 cm and 4 cm deep, and canvas is shown without glass. A float frame is used for these: the canvas sits in the frame from behind, a gap of about 5–12 mm is left between its edge and the frame on every side, and the work appears to float inside it. The float frame is chosen a few millimetres deeper than the stretcher, so that the face of the canvas does not stand proud of the frame. The two surfaces are compared in acrylic print vs canvas.

For objects, depth is the measure that comes first. Three-dimensional pieces such as a racket, a medal or a ball need display profiles that start at 2.5 cm and run to 7–8 cm and beyond; the measurement is taken from the thickest part of the object.

A deep profile has a cost: shadow. Under light from the ceiling, the top edge of a deep frame throws a shadow onto the work. The angle of the light is covered in office wall art.

Profile shapes

A flat profile is square-edged and plain; it suits contemporary works, graphic compositions and series.

A scoop profile falls from the outside inwards and leads the eye to the work.

A rounded profile curves outwards and gives a softer, more traditional effect.

A stepped profile comes down towards the work in steps; it looks architectural and crisp.

An ornate profile is carved or gilded; it makes sense on a classical painting but overpowers a plain court composition.

A float profile is for canvas only and leaves the gap described above.

Tone: does the frame match the work or the wall

The frame matches the work first and the wall second. There are three safe routes for tone. The first is to stay neutral: black, white and natural wood work with most pieces. The second is to take a tone from the work; not the dominant colour but a secondary one or the darkest one. The third is to contrast with the wall: on a light wall a dark profile draws a clear boundary around the work, while on a white wall a white profile erases the boundary and lets the work spread into the wall.

For tennis-themed works, the colour of the court points the way. The brick red of clay is balanced by a dark, warm wood such as walnut, or by black. The blue of a hard court looks clean with black, white or matt aluminium. The green of grass is calmed by natural oak and white. Walnut frames are used on the display cases in Aurecort's Wall Series, where you can see how a dark, warm wood sets an object apart from the wall. Which court colour is on screen this week can be followed in Aurecort's tennis this week piece.

The tone of the wood does not have to match the furniture in the room exactly; a close tone is enough. The effort to match exactly usually ends in two slightly different browns, and the difference bothers the eye.

Material: wood, veneer, aluminium

A solid wood profile can be sanded and refinished, and repaired over the years. In veneered or wrapped profiles a core is covered with wood veneer or foil; the look is consistent, but a deep scratch cannot be repaired. An aluminium profile is strong enough to carry a large sheet of glass even at a very slim face width, which is why it is the first thing to consider when a thin frame is wanted on a large work.

Step by step: choosing a picture frame

Step one is to measure the work: width, height and thickness. For canvas, note the depth of the stretcher; for an object, its thickest part.

Step two is to settle the layers: will there be glass, will there be a mount? The rebate depth is worked out from that.

Step three is width. A slim, medium or wide profile is chosen according to the size of the work and whether there is a mount.

Step four is shape. A flat profile for a plain work and a float profile for canvas are the starting points.

Step five is tone: stay neutral, take a tone from the work, or contrast with the wall?

Step six is the corner sample. If possible, a corner piece of the profile is held against the edge of the work and looked at in the light of the wall where it will hang; the colour on a screen and the real tone are not the same.

Step seven is to think of the series. If other works will hang beside it, ask at the outset whether the same profile will be available again.

Profile options, size and delivery terms are settled at the quotation stage.

Common mistakes

Choosing the profile by colour alone is the first mistake; width and depth cannot be corrected afterwards.

A profile too wide for the work is the second. If the frame outweighs the work, the eye sees the frame first.

Not working out the rebate depth is the third. If glass, mount and backing do not fit, the frame will not close at the back or the work is squeezed.

Forcing a canvas into a shallow glazed frame is the fourth. Stretched canvas needs a float frame.

Mixing profiles in a series is the fifth. Different widths and tones make works hung side by side read separately.

Trying to match the frame to the exact tone of the furniture is the sixth. Two close but different tones are more disturbing than two clearly different ones.

Hanging a deep profile under steep light is the seventh; the shadow of the top edge falls on the work.

Frequently asked questions

How wide should the frame be for a 50 × 70 cm picture?

In most cases the 2–5 cm range is balanced. Around 2 cm is preferred for mounted, plain works; 4–5 cm for unmounted works where a classic look is wanted.

Can a canvas be framed?

Yes, but not in a glazed frame. A float frame is used for stretched canvas; the work sits in from behind and a gap of about 5–12 mm is left around it.

Black frame or wooden frame?

Black draws a clear boundary on graphic, high-contrast works. Wood sits more softly with warm-toned works and in rooms with wooden furniture; the work itself makes the decision, and the wall comes second.

Should the frame be slim if there is a mount?

Generally, yes. Because the mount already builds the distance between the work and the wall, the profile can be kept slim; it is enough for the profile to be clearly narrower than the mount.

For canvas and acrylic printing and signage outside the tennis collection, see the sister brand Aurecort Reklam.

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