subject: What You Need to Do to Display An Oval Picture Frame [print this page] Author: Autumn Lockwood Author: Autumn Lockwood
Now that you've selected your oval picture frame it is time to prepare your photo to be placed in the frame. Although this isn't difficult to do, here are some tips help make the process easier and help you avoid making any mistakes.
1. Before you start to cut your picture to fit the oval frame, you need to make sure the picture youve chosen will look good inside an oval frame. The best way to check is to take the frame apart so you can place just the frame over the photo. To do this, first remove the back of the frame and then take out the glass and set them carefully aside. Place the oval frame over your photo and gently center it around the subjects in the picture. This step will help you decide if you like how your picture looks inside an oval picture frame.
2. Next, take the glass from your oval picture frame and carefully place it over the photo where the frame had been. Adjust for best fit and eye appeal. Be careful when moving the glass so your photo doesn't get damaged.
3. Take your time in aligning the glass as the subject or individuals in the frame need to be straight in the picture. Aligning a subject in an oval frame isnt as simple as aligning a rectangular or square photo frame so make sure it looks right. Ideally, the subject or individuals in the photo should be centered and have equal space on either side. For vertical spacing, the subject's head should be about 2/3's of the way up from the bottom of the picture. Never position the subject's head directly in the center of the frame as it leaves too much space above and throws off the picture's eye appeal.
4. When you've found the perfect placement for the picture, gently and carefully trace along the outside of the glass with a thin pen to create your cut line. Thick pens or markers may bleed onto the picture so avoid using them.
5. Now you are ready to cut. With a sharp pair of scissors carefully cut along the line you traced. You can also use a mat knife but just make sure you're able to make a smooth and even cut otherwise, you should use scissors to avoid damaging your photo. Be sure the scissors are sharp because dull scissors can tear or crease the picture. Once your photo is cut, make sure to clean the glass and give it plenty of time to dry so it won't cause any moisture damage on your picture.
6. Check to see if your oval picture frame came with frame backing. If it did, all you have to do is put the glass, photo and frame back on and youre all done. If it didnt come with backing, you can use an archival mat board or a piece of cardboard to make your own. The purpose of the frame backing is to help hold your picture and glass securely in place with the help of some small brad nails. If you need to make your own backing and are framing an important picture, you should use archival mat board because the acid in plain cardboard can degrade your photo over time.
The first step to making your own frame back is to place the oval frame face up on the cardboard or mat board. Then, trace along the outside edge of the oval picture frame so it will fit in your frame. Cut it out and then use brad nails (about inch) to secure the backing to the frame. You do this by placing the brad nails on the board and pushing them into the molding on the back of the wood picture frame. Once the brad nails are securely holding the frame back, it's now time to hang your picture frame.
As you can see, preparing and assembling your oval picture frame takes a little time but by following the steps it should make the process easy to do. And once your oval picture frame is hanging beautifully on the wall, youll be glad that you took the time to do it.About the Author:
Autumn Lockwood loves taking pictures and is a writer for YourPictureFrames.com. Your Picture Frames offers a large selection of decorative photo frames in a wide variety of styles, finishes and sizes like our popular 5x7s and 8x10 frames. Visit our website or call us toll free at 1-800-780-0699.
