An original painting on canvas from the VanArtHub gallery at 1242 Davie Street in Vancouver.

Documents & awards · Vancouver

Diploma, Certificate & Award Framing

Degrees, certificates and awards framed on acid-free board, hinged at the top edge so the sheet can move, behind UV glazing. Everything reversible. Vancouver, 1242 Davie Street.

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A diploma framed on ordinary backing board browns from behind, and it usually takes about five years for anyone to notice. The board is acidic, the acid migrates into the paper, and the mark spreads from the edges inward. It is not reversible. That single failure is the reason document framing is done differently from picture framing.

What we do instead

Acid-free throughout: the mat, the backing, and the hinges. The certificate is held by two hinges at the top edge only, so the sheet can expand and contract with the room instead of buckling against a fixed mount. Everything is reversible, which is the test that matters, because a future framer must be able to undo what we did without damaging the document.

UV glazing is standard here rather than an upgrade. Most certificates are printed with inks and often signed in ink that fades noticeably in daylight, and a diploma is generally going on an office wall where it will get years of it.

More than one, or an odd size

Two degrees can share one frame with a double opening, which usually reads better than two frames side by side. Professional certificates that get reissued periodically can be framed so the sheet is accessible, which saves reframing every renewal. Say if that applies to yours.

What we need

The document, and whether you want the paper's full edge showing or a mat overlapping it slightly. Bring it flat rather than rolled if you can. If it is already in a frame that you suspect is doing damage, bring it in as it is and we will open it and look.

two hinges, top edge only free to move on the other three sides The stack UV glazingacid-free mat the documentacid-free backingsealed back
A document is held by two hinges at the top edge and nothing else, so the sheet can expand and contract with the room instead of buckling against a fixed mount. Everything is acid-free, and everything is reversible: the hinge is the one part of a frame a future framer must be able to undo without damage.

How it works

  1. 1

    Bring it in, or send photographs

    Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.

  2. 2

    We look at the actual piece

    What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.

  3. 3

    It is made by hand and fitted

    Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.

Common questions

Why does a diploma need acid-free framing?

Because ordinary backing board is acidic, and the acid migrates into the paper and browns it from behind. It usually takes about five years to become noticeable and it is not reversible. Acid-free board simply removes that source.

Why hinge at the top edge only?

So the sheet can expand and contract with the humidity in the room instead of buckling against a fixed mount. A document fixed on all four sides has nowhere to go and it ripples. Hinges are also reversible, which is the test that matters.

Is UV glazing necessary for a certificate?

We treat it as standard rather than an upgrade. Most certificates are printed and signed with inks that fade noticeably in daylight, and a diploma usually goes on an office wall where it gets years of it.

Can two degrees go in one frame?

Yes, with a double opening, and it usually reads better than two frames side by side. Bring both and we will work out the proportions with the actual documents.

What if my certificate gets reissued every few years?

Say so, and we will frame it so the sheet is accessible from the front. That saves a trip back here every renewal, and it is built differently from a sealed frame, so it has to be decided at the start.

My diploma is already framed and looks fine. Is it worth opening?

If it has not been opened in twenty years, usually yes. Acidic board, old tape and cardboard fillers are all invisible from the front and all doing damage. Bring it in as it is and we will open it and look.

Other things we frame

Where to find us

VanArtHub Gallery 1242 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1N3
Canada
Monday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Get directions Call (604) 401-9499

Not sure what yours needs?

Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.

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