The Aviation Art Gallery strongly advises collectors to always use qualified professional picture framers to ensure their prints are mounted correctly.

The Aviation Art Gallery are now able to offer a professional picture framing service to complement the purchase of your Aviation Art Print. All too often we have seen highly collectable works of fine art ruined and devalued by un-professional and poor quality framing.

Conservation Framing of Aviation Art

Limited edition fine art prints by leading artists usually maintain their initial value and of course many increase in worth, so it's important to care for them appropriately. The finest quality art deserves the finest quality materials, which is why all our prints are framed to conservation standards using only the highest quality acid free materials in the process.

Aviation Art Gallery Framing Workshop

The Aviation Art Gallery has over Ten year's experience of framing limited editions and highly collectable works of art. All Picture Framing is undertaken in our small workshop where every frame is meticulously handmade and assembled. We do not buy in ready assembled frames or pre - cut mounts, every aviation art print we frame is individually hand framed by us. We cut the frame moulding to length, the mount, glazing and backing board to size, then we assemble the whole frame and finish ready to hang. All aspects of the Frame manufacture are undertaken using professional framing equipment. We would be more than happy to give you advice on any aspects of the framing industry. You may wish to read our article at the bottom of this page concerning Framing Limited Edition Prints and looking after your valuable works of art. For further details on our Picture Framing service, Please contact us regarding your requirements.

Regrettably, we can only offer our framing service to UK mainland customers.

For further details on your requirements please email us at -

info@aviationartgallery.co.uk

 

By choosing to have your fine art print framed by the Aviation Art Gallery you can be assured that -

Only acid free materials are used throughout and no adhesive tapes are used or come into contact with the artwork. We use Acid Free Archival corner pockets to hold the print in position, and not tapes or adhesives. This ensures that the mounting process is truly reversible and does not damage or contaminate the fine art print in any way. To attach the Conservation Mount and backing board, we use acid free Linen Hinging.

Conservation mounting of prints using acid free, white core mountboard The mountboard is chemically purified pulp from which all potentially harmful substances are removed. When cut, bevels stay white and do not discolour with age, (unlike standard mountboard)

Choice of standard, non - reflective and conservation glass. (Non - reflective glass is lightly etched on the surface, which causes the light to break up and so minimise reflections) We use TruGuard conservation glass which effectively blocks out a minimum of 98% of all harmful UV rays. This is recommended for all valuable limited edition fine art prints and offers a total conservation standard. (TrueGuard conservation glass and Non Reflective glass is available at extra cost)

Acid free barrier backing board. (When used in conjunction with conservation mountboard, this provides total protection against acidic contamination of the artwork and provides a total conservation framing standard.

Different combinations of Frame and Mount samples can be matched alongside the relevant artwork. Photographic images can then be taken of the various examples and emailed to the customer. This ensures that the customer is completely happy with the choice of Frame and Mount combination.

All our frames are professionally hand finished and ready to hang. For larger, heavier frames we use brass picture plates to ensure a secure fixing to the wall. This will involve drilling two small holes into your wall.

All work and frames are made to order and are individually handmade and assembled in our small workshop - not mass produced. All aspects of the picture framing process are carried out from start to finish in our workshop. You can be assured that your fine art print will be mounted and framed professionally by us. We carry out all aspects of framing work from simple mounting to custom made displays. including wings, medals, additional signature window mounts and certificate framing etc. (All to conservation standards)

Guaranteed, insured delivery service available. All frames are professionally packaged in our specially constructed crates and protected against damage and moisture contamination during transit.

 

Picture Frame and Moulding Samples

A small selection of our most common wood tone effect mouldings. The mouldings are excellent, consistent, quality. Width of each moulding is around 2 inches. Other wood tones are available also.	Above is a selection of our black effect mouldings. Again these are excellent quality mouldings and would enhance the appearance of any fine art print. Width of each moulding is around 2 inches.	Another selection of our most common mouldings. These are a little more decorative. Featured are our Silver, Gold and Copper colours. The width of these mouldings is around 2 inches.

 

Border and Mountboard Samples

The Aviation Art Gallery uses 600 Series Solid Colour Mountboard by Slater Harrison. The Mountboard is 100 % Conservation Standard. The board is chemically purified with all potentially harmful substances extracted. This means that no acidic contamination can contaminate your valuable work of art. When cut and bevelled, core and backing are white, they stay white and do not discolour with age. Our range of Mountboard will enhance the appearance of your fine art, giving you the confidence that the finished item is protected against acidic contamination and providing that truly professional finish. Different combinations of Frame and Mount samples can be matched alongside the relevant artwork. (see above picture) Photographic images can then be taken of the various examples and emailed to the customer. This ensures that the customer is completely happy with the choice of Frame and Mount combination.

 

Picture Framing - The Tools of the Trade

The frame moulding is cut using the famous Morso F type Guillotine. The cutting head is moved in and out using the lever, this allows the blade to cut through the moulding in steps, making multiple cuts, with the very last cut taking off a very thin shaving. This ensures perfect, accurate and clean mitres every time.	Each cut moulding length is assembled into a frame using the Alfa Minigraf Underpinner. The Underpinner inserts v - shaped wedges into the back of the moulding whilst a horizontal rebate clamp ensures the moulding is pulled together when joined. We use special patented Power - Twist v - shaped wedges which draw the moulding together when inserted. This ensures accurate assembly of the frame and perfect mitres as well.	We use a Keencut Mountcutter to cut the borders for prints. The Keencut is extremely accurate and allows us to cut perfect bevels, v - groves, double mounts and precise border widths.The Keencut also allows us to cut board to size using the straight cutting head and accurate squaring arm.

HMS Ark Royal (Remarque Edition)	Spitfires over St Michael's Mount
by Philip West	by Robert Taylor

Avro Vulcan XH558 Framed Photograph

Article: Framing Limited Edition Prints by Andrew Kaye. Aviation Art Gallery

Limited edition prints by leading artists usually maintain their initial published value and of course many increase in worth, so it is important to care for them appropriately. The best quality art deserves the best quality materials when it comes to reproduction. Most good quality artists, publishers and printers, use a heavy - weight fine art quality acid-free paper, which costs almost twice as much as most papers used for printing. This type of paper enables the finest possible standard of reproduction. In addition, they should only use the best quality fade-resistant inks. With signed limited edition prints, always ensure the signatures are in pencil, pen ink signatures will fade quite dramatically in a short space of time. Any good art dealer worth their salt should be able to point you in the right direction and advise you on the quality of artwork reproduction.

Art on paper has many enemies and probably the most destructive of these are light, heat and excessive humidity. Light is hard to control because of its everyday presence and it is needed to view and enjoy framed works of art. All light, even a small amount, can affect valuable works of art even if the printers and publishers use the finest quality paper and fade resistant inks. Ultraviolet light rays accelerate fading of art and can even deteriorate the paper itself. Valuable works of art and limited edition prints should never be hung in direct sunlight; even reflected, indirect daylight is a source of highly destructive ultraviolet light. Always use UV- filtered glazing when framing valuable art. The glazing does not offer complete protection, but does significantly minimise ultraviolet damage. The single most important step you can take to protect your valuable framed artwork from harmful UV rays is to specify the use of Conservation Glass. Using a good quality type of this glass can effectively block out a minimum of 98% of all harmful UV rays.

Heat accelerates the deterioration of paper. Valuable works of art and limited editions should never hang above heat sources such as radiators, open fires, or any other heat source. I always advise customers never to hang the artwork near heat sources.

Excessive humidity brings the threat of mould, and is responsible for much of the buckling and warping of fine art paper. Humidity exceeding 70 percent encourages the growth of mould. A humidity of 50 percent is ideal. When hanging and storing valuable art, beware of dampness on outside walls or in cellars and similar locations. Mount and mat spacers help to provide air circulation and reduce the risk of mould. For this reason it is very important that the artwork does not come into contact with the glazing.

Artwork done on paper requires mounting (matting, in the USA). Not only does it create a pleasing balance around the artwork, it protects the art in handling and framing, it also allows air circulation within the frame package and allows the art to move in response to changing atmospheric conditions. When framing limited editions and valuable works of art, all mount (mat) board should be either cotton rag museum board or conservation type. Cotton rag museum board is a solid sheet of compressed cotton fibres, not layers of paper like most mountboards. Conservation board consists of cotton purified wood pulp core, with acid free colour sheets adhered to the face and acid free papers on the back. Contamination from normal acidic mountboard will eventually migrate from the bevel and seep out onto the artwork causing an all over tan colouring of the area. Backing board should also be made from the same type of board as the mountboard (mat). Under no circumstances should any normal tapes or adhesives come into contact with valuable works of art. If any tapes or adhesives are used they should be acid free, water reversible, none staining and strong enough to hold the artwork in place. My preferred method of holding valuable art in place is with archival corner pockets. These are totally acid free and provide a truly reversible attachment and no adhesives come into contact with the artwork.

When handling valuable prints, always take care to avoid bending or kinking the paper. The less handling - the better between leaving the publisher and having the print framed. If you wish to store your limited edition print for a certain length of time, I recommend storing the print flat and away from direct sunlight, avoiding all of the afore mentioned hazards of course. A portfolio would be an excellent location, perhaps between two sheets of acid free tissue paper. Always remember to keep your certificates of authenticity in a safe place, as a future means of provenance. Most importantly of all, always use a qualified professional picture framer to ensure your limited edition prints are mounted properly and never be afraid to question their methods.