What are Frame Spacers & Why Do You Need Them?
Picture framing is both art and science, and unless you go with pre-made framing kits or other ready-made frames, tackling this skill requires an understanding of the framing components and a fair amount of experience.
You’ll soon find there are many different components that go into a frame, and you’ve likely heard of the more talked-about ones, like mat board and glazing. These big elements aren’t the only parts and pieces you need to pay attention to though. Often the smaller components, such as frame spacers, are less discussed. These small elements can play a big role in your DIY framing project.
What is a Picture Frame Spacer?
Picture frame spacers are small pieces of plastic that are placed around the edge of the glazing and sit between the glazing and the art. They come in a variety of sizes to allow for different levels of air cushion. They’re also available in different colors, mainly clear and black, so they blend in with your art and frame for an unobtrusive effect.
Why are Picture Frame Spacers Important?
Picture frame spacers do just as their name suggests – add space within the frame. Spacers prevent the frame glazing from coming in contact with your painting, photo, or other visual artifact, protecting it from potential damage.
Without framing spacers, the image can buckle or get stuck to the glazing, causing damage and making it difficult to reframe your art in the future. If, heaven forbid, moisture should sneak its way under the glazing, frame spacers allow air circulation, thus preventing the formation of destructive mold and mildew.
Another reason to use picture frame spacers is that they provide a smooth surface between the edge of the glass and the framing material itself. This not only protects you by preventing possible injury when installing the glazing into the frame rabbet, it also keeps those otherwise rough edges from digging into the frame materials, shedding particles of paint or other substances into the artwork.
FrameSpace Frame Spacers
At Frame Destination, we are pleased to offer FS-1 frame spacer (providing a 1/8” air gap) and FS-6 frame spacers (providing a 3/16” air gap) from FrameTek Inc., a well-known company specializing in innovative framing solutions. This company's FrameSpace product is extremely easy to use, allowing you to prepare a piece of glazing in under two minutes. You simply slip the “S” shaped spacer over the edge of the glazing, no messy adhesives are required
It is made from a pH neutral material, so there is no worry about acids or alkaline substances leaching into your artwork. They’re available in clear and black and can be used with both metal and traditional wood frame. You can order your spacers to size, or order a larger length and easily cut the spacer yourself. This feature gives you the flexibility to easily add spacers to your custom framing projects.
Frame spacers may not be the final frontier when it comes to framing; however, this small but mighty framing component will keep your art safe over time and has simplified the framing process, making it much easier to achieve professional-looking framing results in a very short amount of time.