Metal Frames or Wood Frames: You Have Choices in Picture Frames

There are many choices available to the artist when it comes to selecting picture frames. Frames fall into two big categories of the wood picture frame and the metal picture frame, but there are dozens of options among each grouping. Knowing what you want from all of the options can be daunting, but there are few basics that you can keep in mind that will help you in selecting the perfect frame for your piece of artwork.

Wood Picture Frame

The molding used for wood frames comes in many different widths as well as a host of colors. You will typically use a wood picture frame as a frame for a work done in paint, acrylic, watercolor or other two-dimensional media. Wood is a warmer material in terms of its look, and often blends in better as a decoration used in a home environment than metal might.

You can get a wood picture frame that comes in a kit. These are very easy to use because everything you need is included. You will usually get a wood picture frame, mat and mount board, along with glazing and a hanging kit.

A custom wood picture frame is also available for purchase. This is a perfect option if you have a uniquely sized piece of art that requires a customized frame to fit properly.

Metal Picture Frame

If you are a photographer, then you might gravitate toward a metal picture frame. Metal frames suitable for photos are typically made from slender black metal. They are framed using wide white mats, and this is especially true for black and white photography. The artwork can get lost in a sea of different looking frames in a gallery setting, for example, and thus a simple but elegant frame made of metal is consistently used in this arena. A sleek, simple frame also does nothing to detract from the photograph within it.
Aluminum metal molding is used for a quality picture frame. You can purchase metal molding separately to create your own picture frame, or you can choose from different types and colors of metal molding and then have a professional framer create a custom frame for you to use.

Of course, for artistic reasons these traditional ideas about framing can be ignored. In the end, the choice of picture frame is entirely up to the individual artist. Whether you choose a wood picture frame or a metal picture frame will depend on the type of artwork being displayed, as well as your own personal aesthetic.

Anne Harvester is an avid fan of arts and crafts such as wood frames and metal frames or framing kits. Anne believes a metal picture frame are just as important as the picture itself since it's a safeguard for something you value.