Picture frame

The photo frame is the outer rim of images. Picture frames were originally architectural interest, and common only at the altar and other church pictures. They were partly of wood, partly of marble, rare made ​​of metal. The wood was painted, only partially and last quite gilded, while the marble was initially painted and gilded. The frames were also provided with colored decorations or Einlegarbeiten and only since the end of the 16th century, generally white or natural color held only stained. In the 16th century, the photo frame has been increasingly used for general decorative purposes and former architectural character gradually abandoned. The Baroque 17th and the Rococo art of the 18th century preferred exclusively gold frame with rich and opulent ornaments in wood carving. In the Netherlands and Germany were at the same time still black and brown picture frames, some with narrow gold strips on the inner pages in use. In this time of photo frames for series and mass product, especially when he served as a gallery setting for courtly collections. As with other types of furniture there were regional schools and pattern books, according to which working ( to some extent today ).

With the discovery of drawing as an independent work of art, the ( further) development (old and ) new graphical techniques ( wood engraving, copper engraving, etching, lithography, steel engraving), with massive reproduction and distribution of images and, finally, with the invention of photography in the 19th. century was also a growing demand for small-sized, rather inconspicuous framework for such images. To increase the effect of the contents and to protect the (usually papery ) image carrier, must be used in addition to the usually narrow frame mounts so that a distance from the overlying glass plate is maintained. Frequently the border color for those glazing frame is silver, as can be achieved with this color a visually format dissolving effect. For photographs or posters without mount also pure glass caddy are available commercially. These can be made with a glass top plate either of two overlapping glass plates or a pressboard, the latter being also of non-reflecting glass often.

From the second half of the 20th century, the photo frame has been largely a mass product. He is now mostly industrially manufactured in large series, where the dimensions correspond to the normalization for sign boxes, photographs, pre-made mounts or canvases. The raw material is also offered as a profile strips of wood, aluminum or plastic for the individual tailoring.

With paintings on canvases the painter do without nowadays often completely a Framing. However, this can occur by heat and moisture effects on the Stretcher unwanted torsional effects. To the canvas to give more stability, in recent times again increasingly resorted to shadow frame. With this ( screwed on the back) L-shaped frame profile and the painted side faces the screen remain visible, and the images are also well protected against damage during transport.

Relatively modern are the textile stenter that. Attaching a substance without brackets or similar allow. Since the photo print delivers very high quality results, more and more people resort to this option, especially when it comes to the large-scale presentation of photos. The possibilities are numerous, at trade shows or as a room divider or large murals in private and corporate sector.