Standard Plus

Standard Plus frames offer the simple shape of Standard, plus a little bit more. Similar to our Standard frames but wider faced and greater in depth, this collection of frames is wonderful for framing thicker or larger pieces of artwork that need more structure. These moldings come in 3 classic colors: Black, Matte Black, and German Silver, making them perfect for creating that typical gallery look. An additional feature that gives these frames such an edge over the Standard line is their rabbet depth (or R measurement). The rabbet depth is the depth of the channel where you would place all your framing components (artwork + mounting board + mat + acrylic). These components need to add up to less than the R measurement of the frame. The Standard frames have an R measurement of 3/8”, while Standard Plus has an R measurement of 5/8”. This added depth allows for framing thicker pieces of artwork or the use of double or triple mats.

(Image: “God’s Country” by Stephen Little)

This color photograph is framed with StandardPlus- Matte Black (SP21). We used wide mat board borders (5 inches!) and a substantial 6-ply mat (8463.6- Spanish White) to give it that high-end finish and gallery appearance.

The rabbet depth of this frame allows for the use of 2 or 3 4-ply mats as highlighted in the following two examples:

(Image: “Morning Field” by Aaron Bivens)

For this giclee print of a painting, we wanted to depict the use of a double mat. We chose a muted green color (E4345, Tarragon) for the bottom mat, which matches some of the muted green tones in the background but isn’t too bright that it would compete with the vibrant hues in the painting. For the top mat we used a classic bright white mat (4709, Extreme White). Again, we used wide borders and chose a clean black frame, StandardPlus-Black (SP20).

(Image: “Old Mill Falls Dundee 7656” by Richard Hamilton)

Here, we illustrate the use of a triple mat. If done right, a triple mat can accentuate and compliment artwork without making it look too busy. For this black and white photograph, we wanted to keep the palette monochromatic. To do this, we used two AlphaRag continuous core mats as the top and bottom layers (AlphaRag, Pure White, 8655). Sandwiched between the two white mats is a continuous core, light grey mat (AlphaEssentials, Chrome, 8749) which draws your eye to the flowing grey tones in the water. To match the center mat and the various grey hues in the image, we chose frame SP14, StandardPlus- German Silver.

As mentioned before, this frame collection is suited for larger pieces of artwork to give them structure and presence. Here is an example of two 32 x 38 images framed with Standard Plus frames. The result is striking and elegant, yet grand.

(Image via Laura Jajko. Artwork by Seder Burns)

Never underestimate the power of a simple black frame! Have you used Standard Plus before? What have you framed, what were the results? Do tell!