Old paper is acidic and breaks easily, and handwriting fades. We hinge letters, recipes and family certificates on acid-free board with no tape on the sheet, behind UV glazing.
We frame handwritten letters, family recipes, old certificates of birth, marriage and immigration, property deeds and single pages such as a grandparent's passport page. Most of these papers were folded and kept in a drawer or a box. Old paper carries acid from the way it was made, so it turns brown and breaks along its folds. The framing supports the sheet, adds no acid and filters the light. The work is done at 1242 Davie Street.
How the sheet is held
The document is hinged. Small tabs of thin paper fix its top edge to a backing board, and the sheet hangs from them, free to move as the air in the room gets damper or drier. The backing and the mat, a border of card with an opening, are acid-free, made so they stay free of the acid that browns paper. No tape goes on the sheet, front or back.
Many family papers carry old repairs in household tape. The tape turns yellow and stains the paper around it. Removing it safely is work for a paper conservator, so the sheet is framed with the tape in place, or you can have it treated before you bring it in.
A sheet with weak folds or small tears is supported by the board behind it, and the mat can be cut to overlap a damaged edge by a narrow strip. A sheet in pieces can be laid in position on the board. Ask us at the counter how each piece would be held.
Handwriting and light
Fountain pen ink and ballpoint ink both fade in daylight. Pencil smudges when anything rubs it, so the glazing is kept off the sheet. Glazing means the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front of the frame. We recommend UV glazing, which filters ultraviolet light, the part of daylight that fades ink fastest. Hang the frame on a wall that gets no direct sun. Our guide to UV glass and glazing lists the types, and acid-free mats and backing explains the board.
Pencil is the reason glazing is kept off a sheet. Dance Within, a graphite drawing on artboard, 30 by 40 cm, shows an octopus on a dancer's legs in ballet shoes, and a mat would hold the glazing away from the pencil.
A frame shows one side. For a letter written on both sides, or a certificate with stamps on the back, there are three options.
Show the side that matters most, and keep a photocopy of the other side with your records.
Frame the original showing one side, with a printed copy of the other side in a second opening beside it.
Ask us at the counter about a frame glazed on both sides, which you take off the wall to read the back.
A letter of several pages can show its first page, its signed page, or every page in a row.
Original or copy on the wall
Some papers cannot be replaced. A print shop can scan such a paper and print it at its real size, and that print goes in the frame. The original then rests flat in an acid-free folder in a drawer. If you want the original on the wall, UV glazing and a shaded wall are the way to do it. Legal papers you may need again, such as a deed or a current certificate, are hinged so they come out of the frame unmarked.
A painting has no copy to hang in its place, so the original goes on the wall. Twilight is an acrylic on canvas, 120 by 80 cm, showing wooden hive boxes in a field under a dark sky with pink smoke, and it is one of the originals in our gallery.
The outer size, the number of openings, the glazing and the moulding, the shaped length of wood or metal the frame is cut from. A single letter in a narrow frame is a small job. A set of certificates in one mat takes more cutting. You get the quote at the counter when we have seen the paper.
What to bring or send
Bring the paper flat in a folder, unfolded once and left open. If it cracks when you start to open it, stop and bring it folded. If you live outside Vancouver, send the size and a photograph of both sides. A degree or a professional certificate is covered under diploma framing, a printed page from a newspaper under newspaper framing, and a letter kept in memory of someone under memorial framing.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop, and see custom framing for everything else we frame.
How it works
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
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
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
Can an old handwritten letter be framed without tape?
Yes, an old handwritten letter can be framed with no tape on it. Small tabs of thin paper hold its top edge to acid-free board, and the sheet hangs free behind a mat. The tabs can be released later, so the letter comes out as it went in. Household tape stains old paper, so keep it away from the letter.
How do I frame a letter that is written on both sides?
A letter written on both sides is framed showing the side you choose, with a printed copy of the other side beside it in a second opening. A print shop can make the copy at the same size. If you want to read both sides of the original, ask us at the counter about a frame with glazing on the front and the back.
Should I frame an original birth or immigration certificate, or a copy?
Framing the original birth or immigration certificate is sound when it is hinged on acid-free board behind UV glazing and hung away from sun. Framing a copy is the safer choice for a paper that cannot be replaced or that you may need for official use. A print shop can copy it at full size, and the original stays flat in a folder.
Can a fragile letter with torn folds be framed?
Yes, a fragile letter with torn folds can be framed. The backing board supports the whole sheet from behind, and hinges at the top edge hold it with no glue on the torn areas. The tears stay visible. Repairing a tear is the work of a paper conservator, and it can be done before framing if you arrange it.
Is it safe to frame a grandparent's passport page?
Framing a grandparent's passport page is safe when the page is held by clear corners or hinges on acid-free board, with no glue. A whole passport can also rest closed or open in a recess cut to its size, which needs a deeper frame than one page. Stamp inks and the photograph fade in daylight, so UV glazing and a shaded wall are recommended.
What happens to old tape on a document when it is framed?
Old tape on a document stays in place when the document is framed, unless a paper conservator removes it first. Household tape turns yellow and stains the paper around it as it ages, and pulling it off tears the surface. Acid-free board and UV glazing slow further change. Ask us at the counter if you are unsure whether to have the tape treated.
Can several family certificates be framed together?
Yes, several family certificates can be framed together behind one mat, each in its own opening. Birth, marriage and immigration papers from one family are often different sizes, so each opening is cut to its sheet. The openings are arranged in the order of the dates or by person. Each certificate is hinged separately and can be taken out alone.
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1242 Davie Street. Enter your email and your code appears right here. Show it at the
counter and we take 10% off the job. The code does not expire.
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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Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
I got my order today and your work is really good. I didn’t expect to get a certificate for this painting, it was a surprise. Thanks for caring about small details.
The support team was really helpful and followed up nicely, wich I really appreciated. The painting is just like the photo – great quality and very detalied. I just wish it arrived a bit sooner, but honestly it was worth the wait.
I received my painting today. The support team was great and very responsive. The artwork is exactly what I was hoping for – even more beautifull in person. Truly a valuable piece. I’ll definetely order again. Thank you!
