74 Main Street Sayville (Across from Starbucks) 631-567-2293
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Spice up your handiwork with accents
to delight your palette.
No two pieces you create are alike,
so choose the style that fits the best
Multiple Window Mats display many pieces in a single frame. Floating Art gives the illusion of hanging in space. Fabric Wrapped Mats add rich textures. Dry Mounting and Laminating protects your creations from harmful creases. Decorative Mats enhance and add focus. Preservation Plus™ protects your most treasured creations to museum standards.
Shadowboxes Originals Flat Screen TV Memorabilia Hobbies Photography Glazing Mirrors Commercial Svcs
What kind of mats should I use?
For the highest protection for your artwork, you should only use mats that are preservation or museum grade. There are three basic types of mats used in picture framing. The first is a regular or paper mat. These mats, while being cost effective, contain a product called lignin. Over time lignin breaks down creating an acidic gas that can leave a burn mark on your artwork. The color will also fade over time, and the cream colored bevel will begin to darken. Some paper mats have a bleached white core, but the overall degradation of the mat will be the same. The second type of mat is an alpha cellulose mat. Cellulose is the chief material in all plant life. Alpha cellulose is the purest form of this material. These mats are buffered to maintain a neutral pH. They are considered to be preservation quality. They will not harm the artwork, nor will they fade over time. This type of mat is the primary, in-stock mat at FASTFRAME. The third type of mat is a rag mat. Made from cotton linters, rag mats are naturally lignin free. They are made with a color.
Dry mounting, through the use of a vacuum or mechanical heat press, attaches and flattens artwork onto a backing board. The process is primarily aesthetic, removing small wrinkles and creases as well as reducing the continual effects of “cockling.” The process can be either permanent or semi permanent. There are several methods and products that may be used for dry mounting. Your FASTFRAME design consultant will select and explain the method best suited for your artwork. In any case, there are no “wet” materials, such as glue, used in the process. At FASTFRAME, we use a vacuum press method. The artwork with backing board and adhesive material is placed into the press. The heat of the press melts the adhesive while the vacuum removes the residual air, creating a bond between the art and the backing board.
Glazing is a protective coating applied to clear glass used in framing that can be invisible to the human eye, but invaluable to your artwork. The choices in glazing are plentiful, consisting of top quality glass and acrylic glazing options by Tru Vue®. Your design consultant will help you choose the best glazing options for your artwork.
Tru Vue is a registered trademark of Tru Vue, Inc., McCook, IL, USA.
Preservation framing (or conservation framing) is the method where we envelope your artwork in a completely acid free environment. We use the highest quality mats, mounting boards and framing techniques to shield your valuable and sentimental artwork from the effects of acid degradation and harmful UV light. Our preservation framing allows you to remove the artwork from the frame at a later date, unharmed and unaltered. This will preserve the value of your artwork for years to come. In addition to preservation framing, we offer museum framing, which is the highest form of protective framing available. Your FASTFRAME design consultant will help you decide which method is right for your artwork. Our preservation and museum standards are very high and have been independently scrutinized by industry expects for content, use of materials and framing techniques. With our preservation and museum framing we also offer free inspections every three years. With your valuable and sentimental artwork, you can be sure it will be properly framed at FASTFRAME.