Frame and Mirror Glossary
Like all trades, framing has its own vernacular and vocabulary. We've put together a glossary of some of the terms you'll hear in conversation with us and find throughout the site, but if there's anything you don't see or if you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
A
ANTI-REFLECTIVE GLASS
Special glass with anti-reflective properties to reduce light and shadow reflection.
Tip: There are different qualities of anti-reflective glass, please ask if you need advice.
ATD
ATD stands for anti-theft device. Typically ATDs are used on frames in commercial properties, such as hotels, as they require a special key to take the frames off the wall.
B
BEVEL
This refers to a sloping edge of a material and we use it to refer to the sloping edge on mirrors and frames. Frame profiles can be referred to as bevel profiles, which means that the inside edge of the frame is cut at an angle to create a slope. A bevel on a mirror is on the outside edge of the mirror panel and can be anything from 5mm to 40mm wide.
A bevelled edge can also be referred to as a chamfered edge.
C
CLOSE FRAMED
Close Framed, or Full Bleed, is when the artwork is framed to the edge of the paper without the addition of a mount. The edges of the artwork sit behind the frames’ rebate.
Click here to view an example.
CHEQUERED
Launched at Decorex in 2022, our Chequered Frame design is a popular geometric finish that is available in a range of painted and veneer styles. Often imitated, and endlessly adaptable, our Chequered Frame is popular in both bespoke framing and mirror design projects and can be made using multiple widths and with any number or 2+ stripes
Click here to view examples of our Chequered design used in bespoke mirror projects and click here to view bespoke framing projects using our Chequered Frame.
COMBED
Our traditional combed finish is made using a small comb that is run through wet gesso as it sets, like a rake through sand, and can be applied to a frame, a length of timber that will be used as an inlay or a mount. Once the combed gesso has set, it can be finished in a numerous ways: in our imitation metal finishes, in a wash, or even painted.
CUSHIONED
A cushioned frame profile is one that is rounded and a little voluptuous and marmallowey, like the arm of a plush sofa. It can also be referred to as a rounded frame.
Click here to view some of our cushioned frame profiles.
D
D-RINGS
D-rings are two small rings, shaped like the letter D, that are attached to the back of a frame or mirror with picture string tied between the two of them. The picture is then hung on the string using a picture hanging hook or a screw or nail. This hanging option is normally used for picture frames but can be used for lightweight mirrors.
Note: D-rings are not an appropriate hanging method for heavy pieces that need their weight to be more evenly distributed across a wall.
DECKLED EDGE
This refers to an intentionally torn or rough edge of a piece of artwork. As it’s often a design feature of a piece of art, many clients prefer to it to be visible when framing so will often choose to float a piece of work with a deckled edge.
Click here to see an example of a floated piece of art with a deckled edge.
DEMISTER PAD
Fitted on the back of the mirror glass, a demister pad is an electronic device that will keep a mirror from fogging or misting up in a steamy bathroom or spa. The wiring for the demister pad is fed through a hole in the backboard and is often wired on-site by an electrician.
DIELECTRIC MIRROR GLASS
This is a specialist mirror glass used for TV mirrors. The reflective dielectric glass is slightly see-through, and when fitted over a tv needs to be completely light-tight so it appears reflective, like a normal mirror, when the television is off but exposes the television’s picture when the light is on.
DOUBLE MOUNT
When two different colour mounts are layered, one on top of the other. The top mount will be cut with a larger mount opening than the bottom mount, revealing the edges of the mount underneath. The standard visible width of the undermount is 5mm.
Tip: Use different colour mounts to introduce colour or additional interest to the framed piece. Click here to view an example.
DRY MOUNTING
Dry mounting is a process in which a print is bonded to a mount using an archival adhesive. It can be a good way to flatten and display artwork.
Tip: We can advise if artwork needs dry mounting once we have the artwork at the workshop. Depending on the artwork, we will either do this at the workshop or send it away to one of our trusted suppliers for dry mounting.
E
ÉGLOMISÉ
This is the French word for “gilded glass” and is used to describe when a design has been gilded onto the back of a piece of glass using gold leaf.
Click here to view examples.
F
FILLET/SPACER
Strips of wood fitted within the rebate of a frame to create additional space between the artwork and the glass. They’re most often used in box frames, and they can vary in thickness and depth. Whilst they’re not visible when looking at a frame straight-on, you can see them from the side it can be fun to make the fillet a bright colour that becomes visible when looking at the frame from an angle.
Click here to view an example.
Tip: Wrap the fillet in fabric or paint it in a different colour to add a subtle pop of texture or colour to the framed piece.
FLOATED
This refers to when a piece of artwork is secured on a piece of mount board, usually using tape, an adhesive or thread, and gives the illusion that it’s floating within the frame. Sometimes the piece of art will be placed on a thick piece of foamcore or board to look like it’s floated further in front of the mount.
Click here to view some examples of framing projects with floated artwork.
FLUTED
A fluted frame profile is one with regularly spaced oblong grooves running across the face of the frame. Our Burwash, Catsfield, and Lewis profiles have fluted inlays.
Click here to view examples of three fluted frame profiles.
FRAME DEPTH
The dimension from the face of the frame to the back of the frame, i.e. how far it will protrude from the wall.
FRAME PROFILE
Refers to the shape of the moulding.
Tip: We display our frame profiles as cross sections so you can see the overall shape of the moulding.
FRAME WIDTH
The dimension from the outside to the inside edge of the frame. On our website, you can sort our frames by narrow (with a frame width of up to 75mm) or wide (a frame width over 75mm).
G
GESSO
Here at PI, we use traditional gesso as the base for most of our frame finishes and it’s the first and most important part of the finishing process. Primarily, we use gesso as a base for most of our finishes. Layers of gesso will be applied to a timber frame, each of them wiped down to create a perfectly smooth and uninterrupted base to then apply the finish over. These layers ensure that the mitred corners of our frames aren’t visible, create an even plane for gilding, and allow our finishes to be applied consistently and smoothly all the way around the frame.
We also use gesso in some of our mounts and finishes. For instance, a cracked gesso mount or finish is created by setting layers of gesso on a base material and then carefully cracking it before applying a wash. Gesso can also be combed, and creates a beautiful hard surface.
Click to view a mirror finished in cracked gesso, an example of a combed gesso painted finish, and a lovely video showing how Mike makes the gesso for our frames.
GILDING
There are two main types of gilding. One is water gilding, which is what we primarily do here at PI and is when we use a clay base and water to bond the gold leaf to a frame or piece of mirror glass. The other type of gilding is oil gilding, the result of which is a more durable matt finish. Oil gilding is often used on buildings or for objects that need to be weather-resistant.
We gild using different kinds of gold, including yellow gold, champagne gold, white gold, and moon gold.
Click here to view a few examples of our gilded finishes.
GILDED MIRROR GLASS
Our gilded mirror glass is available in champagne gold, (yellow) gold, moon gold, and white gold. Hand-gilded here in the workshop, it can be distressed to a client’s preference. When a design or pattern is gilded onto glass, we call that églomisé, which is a very traditional style of gilded mirror glass.
Click here to view examples of our gilded mirror glass, and click into one of the options to view a distressed version. You can also click here to view some traditional églomisé mirror glass styles.
GILVER
Gilver is a bespoke colour we created by mixing silver and gold, hence the gilver!
Click here to view an example of a mirror made using our gilver finish.
H
HOCKEY
Hockey is a term applied to frames that have a cross section that looks similar to a field hockey stick. Take a look at our Friston or Friston Mini frame profiles for examples of hockey frames.
L
LOW IRON MIRROR GLASS
Low iron mirror glass, also sometimes called Opti white, has the majority of the iron removed during the production process, creating a cleaner reflection with no green tinge. Though we also offer plain mirror glass (which is a cheaper alternative), low iron mirror glass is our default glass, and we always recommend it for mirrors with a bevel or polished edges, where the green in plain mirror becomes a lot more obvious.
M
METAL LEAF
Also known as Dutch gold, metal leaf is a cheaper alternative to gold leaf and comes in gold and silver. Metal leaf finishes can be distressed and aged.
Click here to view some examples of our metal leaf finishes.
MITRED CORNER
A mitre is made when two lengths of wood are cut at 45-degree angles and joined to make a frame. When joining the two pieces of wood to make a mitred corner, there will be a visible seam along the join. This seam will be visible on our timber finishes, like waxed, limed or stained timber. This is when we use timbers like oak, ash and walnut which have a beautiful colour or grain that we want to remain exposed.
Note: We use gesso on the majority of our finishes to hide the mitred corners. This allows our frames to have a smooth, uninterrupted finish around the frame. Mitres are only visible on timber finishes, such as a limed, waxed or stained timber.
MOULDING
The length of timber which is cut down and joined to make the frame.
MOUNT/MAT/PASSEPARTOUT
Mountboard is cut and used as a border around a piece of artwork. There are a few reasons to use a mount, one might be to keep the artwork from touching the glass, to increase the overall size of the artwork, or simply as a decoration. Mounts are cut on a mount cutter and typically have a small bevel on the inside edge.
Tip: All mounts we use are conservation mounts (ph balanced), which means they are acid free and will not damage the artwork over time.
MOUNT OPENING
This is the visible opening of the mount once it’s been cut. The mount opening dimensions on the job sheets are worked out by measuring of the dimensions of the artwork that you want to be visible in the mount.
Tip: The mount width is the dimension between the inside edge of the mount and the outer edge which sits under the rebate.
P
POLISHED EDGE MIRROR GLASS
Polished edge mirror glass is used when the edges of the mirror glass will be exposed, either in a panelled design or a tray frame, as the edge is finished in a 1-2mm bevel and polished for a clean, crisp, and tidy edge.
Click here to view examples of bespoke mirrors we’ve made with polished edge mirror glass.
R
REBATE
The cut in the moulding behind the face of the frame which keeps the frame components, including the glass, mount and backboard, in place.
S
SHADOW GAP
This refers to the space or gap between the artwork and the frame and is generally used when the artwork is framed in a tray frame (like a canvas or oil on board) or floated on a board. Painting the shadow gap a different colour to the rest of the frame can add additional visual interest to artwork that is framed using a shadow gap.
Click to view an example of a canvas framed in a white tray frame with a 10mm shadow gap.
Tip: Paint the shadow gap a different colour to the frame to add visual interest and a pop of colour.
SIGHT EDGE
This refers to the vertical inside edge of the frame. This will either be the section that drops down from the face of the frame to the rebate or is the full inside edges of a tray frame. For many traditional picture frames, the sight edge might be finished in antique gold, which historically helped to reflect light back onto a picture before electric lighting.
Tip: A deeper sight edge can add depth to the overall framed piece and can be finished in a different colour.
SLIP
A slip is a decorative inner frame, often with a bevel or another decorative detail. Slips are often finished in a style that complements the outer frame and can be fabric-wrapped, gilded or painted for great effect.
Tip: Finish the slip in a different finish to the main frame, like this linen-wrapped example here.
SPLIT BATTEN
Also sometimes called a French cleat, a split batten is a hanging system that we use for heavy artwork and many of our mirrors.
One half of a timber batten is fixed on the back of the frame during production, and the other half is screwed onto the wall at the hanging stage. Each batten has an angled face which self-mates and draws the frame flush to the wall. A major advantage of a split batten is that it spreads the weight of the frame or mirror across the width of the batten, making it more secure.
Frames with split battens are designed so that the split batten draws the back of the frame flush with the wall so they hang with no gaps.
STRAP HANGERS
This is a metal hanging mechanism made up of a ring and plate with screw holes which is screwed vertically into frames so they can be hung on a wall using a picture hanging hook. Strap hangers can have up to 4 or 5 screw holes, which help spread the weight of the frame or mirror across the frame.
STEPPED
Like a staircase, a stepped frame has multiple levels that progress upward or downward at a 90-degree angle.
Click here to view examples of our stepped frame profiles.
SWEPT
A traditional and ornate frame style in which a frame’s decoration protrudes at the corner and then sweeps inward.
Click here to view examples of our swept frame profiles.
T
TRAY OR FLOAT FRAME
Typically used to frame artwork on a canvas or on a board. A tray frame has no rebate, so the artwork is placed into the frame from the front, just like a tray!
Click here to view examples.
THE SUSSEX COLLECTION
This is our collection of slimline tray frames that can be made in metal or any of our imitation metal finishes. These mirrors are very popular with our clients and have been made in numerous bespoke sizes.
Click here to view The Sussex Collection.
U
UV GLASS
This is a special kind of glass that filters out UV rays and creates a protective barrier that reduces light damage. There are various levels of UV protection. Typically, we work with TruVue as a brand but Art Glass is another option.
Tip: Levels of UV protection vary between glass types and brands, so please ask if you need advice.
W
WASH
A wash is a watered-down paint or pigment used over a base colour of finish to add depth or contrast to a finish. A wash works particularly well on frames where there is a pattern on the profile (e.g. a decorative moulding with some detailing) or where there is texture, i.e. on a combed or textured frame.
WASHLINE MOUNT
Also known as wash and line mounts, these traditional style mounts are drawn by hand to complement the colours of the picture. Once a very popular style of mount used with watercolours, the washline mount seems to be making a comeback.