Sometimes a long frame with a narrower moulding can bow a bit in the middle because of the weight of the glazing. When this happens the bottom of the frame will bend just enough that you can see the top of the glass behind the lip of the frame. This most often happens when a smaller width frame is used.

We have a tip for you that’s a good precaution to take when framing a panorama or longer horizontal frame in a narrower moulding.

After the frame job is completely done get about a 1″ to 2″ strip of matboard or mountboard and a staple gun.

You’re going to staple one side of the strip to the back of the middle of the top leg of the frame (make sure the strip can’t be seen from the front).  After you do this pull the moulding from the other side and hold it taut while you staple the other end of the strip to the middle of the bottom leg. This works like a belt and hold everything together.

Summer means being on the move and many of you have shows that go through to the end of September.  So, in case you missed these handy items, you might want to add them to your list of go-to products when you’re on the go.

1. Adjustable cardboard corners

Use them as corner protection for your:

• assembled frames
• stacks of matted and/or bagged prints
• stacks of plexiglass or glass

Keep things safe while in storage – keep things safe while in transit! These are sold individually. Buy 4 for one frame. Get as many or as few as you want.

2. 210 Plus Plastic Scratch Remover

Works great for removing scratches from Acrylic and Plexiglass.  Also works good removing scratches from metal frames. A must have for your fix-it bag

3.  Kimwipes

These large wipes are low lint and perfect for cleaning off acrylic, glass and frames. They are a good large size and can be folded over and used multiple times.  You can read a product review of the Kimwipes on the blog here.

4. Cotton Gloves

It’s not easy to keep your hands clean and dry when you are setting up shows in the summer heat. Keeping some cotton gloves on hand is a good idea for when you suddenly go from setting up tables to switching out a mat. These gloves are $10.75 for 12 pairs and can be used more than once. They take up little space and will can be a great way to keep your artwork clean and ready to sell.

These are just a few ideas to help you make the best of the rest of your summer season. You can find more ideas on the pages Art Fair Focus and Top Art Festival Products.

About four months after we first framed the multi-opening dog images for our lunch room, we went in one day and most of the images had slipped down within the frame.

The dog drawings seemed extra sad about it. We were, too. But,  the good news is that it was easily fixed.

Many multiple-opening windows can be difficult to attach all the images to. Because of this difficulty, the person framing this piece didn’t burnish the tape when they matted the artwork and the result was that most of the images slid down.

Burnishing the tape when you’re mounting artwork is a good idea. This easy and quick step can save you lots of trouble in the long run.  Here’s how:

Once you get your art or photograph taped to the mat or mountboard, take a burnishing bone (also known as a bone folder) and firmly burnish the non-adhesive side of the tape with the rounded edge of the tool. (If you don’t have a bone folder, a soup spoon works well too.)

This simple rubbing action, or burnishing, helps to make the adhesive grab hold and creates a strong and lasting bond.

Have you read the newest installation in our Customer Success Stories?

Elaine Estern runs Coconut Coast Studios in the Virgin Islands. We’re thrilled that she could take the time to answer our questions. She has lots of great stories and tips for people in all stages of their art business. We especially like her marketing ideas.

We hope you’ll take some time to read the short interview.  Check here for a list of our past Customer Success Stories.

We’ve got a new feature that lists out everything you”ll need for framing your art in a wood frame.

There are links to help you with each step and you can print it up to take it into the studio with you.

We hope you find it useful. Look for more in this series in the future.

Take me to What You’ll Need for Framing Artwork in a Wood Frame.