When a painting is valuable — in money, in history, or in meaning — framing stops being decoration and becomes stewardship. The frame is the painting's building: its structure, its climate envelope, and its public face. Here is the checklist we walk through with collectors, and what each item protects.
1. Nothing irreversible, ever
The first law of museum framing: every intervention must be undoable. No adhesives on the painting, no trimming of tacking edges, no nails through original stretcher bars, nothing that a future conservator couldn't release without a trace. Ask any framer one question — “how would this come apart in thirty years?” — and listen for a specific, confident answer.
2. A condition report at intake
Before any work begins, the painting should be examined and its condition documented — surface, craquelure, frame rub, old repairs — with photographs. You want a dated record of the work as it entered the studio; so does your insurer, and so does the painting. At SBAS this is standard on every intake.
3. Archival materials in every layer
The checklist inside the checklist: sealed or lined rabbets so raw wood never touches the painting; padded contact points; a rigid archival backing board to close the package against dust, impact, and humidity swings; corrosion-resistant hardware sized to the work's weight. For canvases, the backing board matters more than most collectors ever learn — it dampens vibration and buffers the climate against the canvas's back.
4. Decide about glazing deliberately
Oil and acrylic paintings are often left unglazed; that is a legitimate choice, not a default. Fragile surfaces, works on panel, smoke-adjacent rooms, and anything in a high-traffic space may argue for glazing — in which case anti-reflective museum glazing keeps the surface readable. We weigh it painting by painting.
5. The frame should agree with the painting
Aesthetically and historically. A period painting deserves a frame from its own moment's vocabulary — which is why we replicate Italian, French, Dutch, and American period frames in-house. A contemporary canvas may want nothing more than a shadow-gap floater. What it should never get is a frame that argues with it. The market notices: a correct frame is part of a work's presentation at appraisal and sale.
6. Preserve the verso
The back of a painting carries its paper trail — gallery labels, exhibition stamps, inscriptions. Never let old labels be stripped or covered irretrievably. Our verso windows glaze an opening in the backing so provenance stays visible and protected; at minimum, labels should be photographed and preserved in place.
7. Plan the hang
Weight-rated hardware into structure, two points minimum, security hangers where warranted — and placement away from direct sun, supply vents, exterior-wall humidity, and fireplaces. Professional installation costs a fraction of one insurance deductible.
8. Keep the records
Keep the framing invoice, the condition report, and photographs with your collection files. A documented chain of care follows the painting into every future appraisal.
Bring us the painting — or bring us photographs and dimensions if it shouldn't travel — and we'll walk this list with you over the actual work. That conversation is what a consultation is for.
Be curious about what you don’t see
From the original SBAS blog, by Sarah Balinskas, Founder.
When we consult with a client on framing, the frame is often the most satisfying decision of the consultation. But after the frame come the more functional decisions: the mat, the backing support, the method of securing the piece, the glazing, and every other detail that will protect and preserve the piece over time. This is the time to be curious. If the piece ever goes to auction or is opened for any reason, those concerned will be relieved to see that the future integrity and value of the artwork was carefully considered by the team who made the framing decisions.
The framer should identify any damage so that you know the condition before framing. Then the materials should be used in such a way that they do not harm or alter the artwork — by their immediate use or over time. The framer can tell you how the mat protects the artwork from humidity, how the attachment protects it from irreparable damage, and how the glazing protects it from damaging ultraviolet light. Harmful use of materials is always unnecessary and will devalue the artwork; knowledgeable use of materials will preserve it. It is worth knowing how your artwork will be framed — and knowing the details about what you don’t see.