Framing Specifications for Vintage Posters

Your artwork is an investment. A high-quality custom frame will create a sealed environment, which will protect your artwork from dust, which is acidic, and from moisture. Please frame your posters to archival standard so they will last another century.

Choosing a Frame

Choose the best frame for your piece. We recommend finding a moulding that relates to the poster, emphasizing a shape, color or texture in the artwork. Stacking frames is a great look for larger posters. You can also choose a moulding paired with a fabric wrapped liner. Smaller posters can be framed with matting. Either paper or fabric wrapped mats can be used, or they can be framed to size.

Backing

Posters should be backed with acid free material. Acid Free Foam Core or 4 ply rag are the best backing materials. Artwork must be mounted using a hinge. DO NOT DRY MOUNT ANY ARTWORK. No glues can be used. Glues are acidic and will harm your artwork over time.

Frame and Barrier Work

You can choose to frame your poster ‘to size’, with no matting, or to mat the poster. Mats must be acid free. Frames, which are wood, are by definition acidic. If the artwork is framed to size, the framer must add an acid free barrier between the frame and the artwork to avoid ‘burning’ the poster. When posters are framed to size, the framer will trim the linen backing to the edge of the poster. Your frame should show the printers information and the margins of the poster, as these are important parts of having an original piece.

Glazing

Posters should be glazed with Plexiglas. UV filtering Plexiglas or OP-3 will protect your artwork from fading and is highly recommended. Do not frame using glass. Glass can trap moisture, whereas Plexiglas breathes.

Hanging

Large posters have D- Rings on the back. Smaller posters have wire stretched between the rings. DO NOT ADD WIRE TO OVERSIZED POSTERS. They must be hung directly on the rings. Adding wire will put too much pressure on the corners of the frame and will cause the frame to torque and the corners to pop out.

Cost

If you use one of our framers, who extends a discount to our clients, you should be able to frame larger posters for between $600 and $1200. Medium-sized posters can be framed for between $400 and $1000 and smaller posters for between $200 and $500. If you are particularly price conscious, please let the framer know so they can steer you towards frames that are the best value.

Questions

Please feel free to call us anytime with questions, or to call our framers. Our framers are conservationists and museum framers and any of us will be glad to answer questions or offer suggestions to you or your framer.

Framers

We have framers in the following cities:

Campbell, California
Burlingame, California
Los Angeles, California
Seattle, Washington