Wooden photo frames can be found in every home in the world; There are many advantages to using wooden picture frames over metal frames or (God forbid) plastic picture frames.
Wood frames offer much more in terms of aesthetic appeal than their metal or plastic counterparts.
Wood frames definitely have a warmer “rustic” feel than cooler metal frames made from materials like aluminum.
These days you can get what is known as a ‘composite’ wooden picture frame. These frames are made up of thousands of tiny pieces of wood glued together with a special adhesive (very similar to MDF and often called MDF picture frames or “paper wrap” frames). The MDF type molding is covered with a paper wrapper that can have hundreds of different wood effects printed on them.
The advantages of using these composite frames are that they are cheaper than using a real solid wood picture frame, they are more eco-friendly (although the glue used isn’t particularly good) and they are often made from reclaimed wood.
The disadvantages of composite materials are that it is much more difficult to achieve a good joint at mitered edges. Because moldings are made of glue and wood rather than actual solid wood, they are often more brittle and the pressure of shooting the wedges at the miter joint can often cause gaps to appear. Over time, they become more brittle and often expand and contract more than solid wood frames. The same is true for plastic trim.
With solid wood frames this is less likely to happen. All types of wood are designed to naturally expand and contract, but the moldings used by most reputable picture framers have typically been dried for a long time (either naturally in the open air or in huge, giant kilns, depending on the manufacturer). country of origin)
Wood frames come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, widths, colors, and finishes. There are hundreds of wood moldings manufactured throughout the world. Some of the best wood frame molding comes from Italy and Spain (Trust the Italians for just the right style and sophistication!). Many of the cheapest wood moldings are made in the Far East, and Eastern Europe is another cheaper alternative to mass-produced picture frames.
Wood picture frame moldings come in a variety of shapes known as profiles. From simple ‘quilted’ profiles to elaborate hand carved wooden frames, there is a frame design to suit everyone.
When choosing your wood picture frames, be sure to always check the corners for gaps, and when in doubt, choose solid wood picture frames over composite.
