At Opus, our staff are often asked by customers how they can properly prepare for a show. At the completion of your artistic process, the most important factor is presentation. How and what you use to frame your artwork needs to be considered. Choosing the right frame for your artwork can have a profound affect on whether or not your work will sell. It is important to remember that people are looking for creative and original artwork, but they also want to see it presented in a professional fashion.

By framing your artwork, you provide a polished look to your piece. Frames for canvas can both hide unfinished edges or show the edges of your artwork, depending on the style you choose. This month we are focusing on options which hide the edges of your artwork while providing an effect similar to matting through the addition of a linen liner.

In the 19th century, Michel Chevreul, a chemist in charge of a dyehouse in Paris, studied contrasting colours, and published many books about colour. His studies included how frames contribute to the appreciation of works of art by looking at how different paper mounts affected an image. This included comparing a variety of colours against the same image. He concluded that for optimum results it is best to look at and measure the hues and saturations of both the painting and the frame.

A number of Impressionist painters became interested in these effects, and sought to improve viewing conditions of their work by changing their frame colours and the wall colours to work with their art. Paintings were hung in a single row, in white frames, or with complementary colour mounts which were matched specifically to the palette of each painting.

Their methods were considered to be revolutionary for the time, however it is likely their emphasis on frames that has influenced how we consider our framing choices today. The frame and how you choose to ?package? your artwork should not be underestimated or left as an afterthought.

As artists, we often think to frame our works of art on paper with single, double or triple mats, however we are not as familiar seeing works on canvas, panel or board framed in this same style. Often paintings on canvas are hung as is, without any framing at all. While this is certainly a valid way to show your paintings, the impact a good frame and liner on your artwork can be amazing.

A linen liner is a piece of linen fabric wrapped around a wood core. Linen liners have a long history of being paired with a decorative wood moulding when framing oil paintings, and more recently have been used with acrylic paintings. A seamed linen liner has a seam which runs where the liner and moulding are joined, whereas a seamless liner has no seams visible to the viewer.

The linen liner fits inside a decorative wood moulding and acts in the same manner as a single or double mat. This is often referred to as ?capping?, as you are capping the linen liner with another moulding. Think of the linen liner as another part of your frame; the liner provides visual space around your image, much like a single, double or triple mat.

Linen liners provide an immediate aesthetic benefit to the viewer?s eye. It enhances your presentation by guiding the viewer?s eye to the heart of your artwork.

If you are framing on canvas, our popular gallery frames are an excellent and very professional option. Both the Opus Classic and Opus Contemporary Gallery Frames are recommended for oils or acrylics and are ready-to-go in a wide selection of standard sizes. Our Opus Classic Gallery Frame lives up to its name by offering an elegant look with a gold accent between the linen liner and your image.

At Opus, we are fortunate in that we manufacture our own ready-to-go frames, giving us an opportunity to develop new products as we see a need arise. We have received a number of requests for a gallery frame without the gold accent on the liner, or a gallery frame with a simpler moulding. It is with this valuable feedback that we designed our brand new Opus Contemporary Gallery Frame, which we are thrilled to introduce to you this month.

The Opus Contemporary Gallery Frame features a wood moulding with clean, straight lines, and a plain 2-3/4" seamless linen liner, for a ready-to-go option that is different from our Opus Classic Gallery Frame.

If these ready-to-go gallery frames aren't quite what you are looking for, we have over 350 wood mouldings which can be paired with either our selection of standard-sized seamless linen liners or with our seamed linen liners which are available in beige, black, white and raw in 1", 1.5", 2.5" and 3" widths. With this much selection, we are certain that you will find a combination that works for you!

? Frame your art in uniform frames for a cohesive and unifying look.
? Bring your work to an Opus framing department to try different mat and frame combinations.
? Pick a sturdy frame so it will stand a better chance of resisting scratches and potential damage in handling and transportation.
? Enhance your artwork by choosing white or off white mats
and linen liners.
? Improve your presentation by choosing mats and linen liners that are clean and professionally cut.