Paper reacts to light, damp air and the materials it touches. We frame watercolours, pastels and drawings so the sheet can move, nothing presses on the surface and the colour is shielded from UV.
We frame original watercolours, pastels, charcoal drawings, pencil drawings and ink drawings in our workshop at 1242 Davie Street. All of them are made on a sheet of paper, and paper is easy to harm. Light fades the colour, damp air makes the sheet swell and shrink, and ordinary card turns acidic and stains whatever it touches. Each part of the frame we build solves one of those three problems.
A mat that keeps the glazing off the surface
Glazing means the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front of the frame. A mat is a border of card with an opening cut for the picture. Besides giving the picture a border, the mat lifts the glazing off the paper. Paint that touches glass in a damp room can stick to it.
The mat and the backing board we use are acid-free, which means they stay neutral as they age. Ordinary card turns acidic and leaves a brown line on the sheet along the edge of the mat opening. Our guide to acid-free mats and backing shows what that damage looks like.
A drawing is where a mat does the most work. Golden Harmony, a coloured pencil drawing of a yellow bird on artboard, 30 by 40 cm, comes from our gallery and would sit behind a mat that holds the glazing off the drawn surface.
Paper grows when the air is damp and shrinks when it is dry. We attach the sheet with hinges, which are small tabs of thin paper fixed to the top edge only. The sheet hangs from them and is free at the sides and the bottom, so it can change size and stay flat. A sheet fixed on all four sides has no room to move, and it buckles. The hinges can be taken off later, so the work can be reframed by you or by a future owner.
Pastel and charcoal need more space
Pastel and charcoal are dry powder resting on the surface of the paper. Any touch smears them. For these we make the space between the surface and the glazing deeper, with a thicker mat or with a spacer, a thin strip hidden under the frame edge. Carry a pastel flat and face up on the way to us, with nothing lying on top of it.
Glass is the usual choice for pastel. Acrylic can hold a static charge, and static can lift loose powder off the paper.
Pencil is a dry medium as well, and it smudges when something rubs it. Silent Leap, a graphite drawing on artboard of a rabbit dancing in a ballet skirt, 30 by 40 cm, needs the same clear space under the glazing.
Watercolour is a thin layer of colour, and thin colour fades in daylight. UV glazing is glass or acrylic that filters out ultraviolet light, the part of daylight that does the most fading. It is the glazing we recommend for original works on paper. It slows fading, and a wall away from direct sun slows it further. See UV glass and glazing for the options.
The choices you will make
Mat over the edges, or the whole sheet showing. A mat can overlap the edges of the paper, or the sheet can be float mounted, which means the whole sheet is visible, including a rough or torn edge.
Mat colour and width. A white or off-white mat suits most works on paper. Our mat border width guide explains the proportions.
The moulding. This is the shaped length of wood or metal the frame is cut from. We hold samples against the work at the counter.
What changes the cost
The size of the sheet, the type of glazing, one mat or two, and the moulding. Extra depth for a pastel adds material and labour. We quote for your piece at the counter before any work starts.
What to bring or send
Bring the work flat, in a folder or between two clean boards. Leave it untrimmed, and leave any old mat or backing on it so we can see how it was held. If you live outside Vancouver, send the size of the sheet, the size of the picture area and a photograph. Our guide to framing works on paper explains the methods in more detail, and printed photographs are covered on our photograph and print framing page.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street with the piece. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop. Everything else we frame is listed under custom framing.
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
How should I carry a pastel drawing to the framing shop?
Carry a pastel drawing flat and face up, with nothing resting on the surface. Pastel is loose powder, so any sheet that slides across it smears the colour. A shallow box or a rigid folder held level works well. If the artist taped a protective sheet over the drawing, leave it in place and let us lift it off at the counter.
Should I spray fixative on a pastel or charcoal drawing before framing it?
You do not need to spray fixative on a pastel or charcoal drawing before framing it. Fixative can darken or change pastel colours, so that decision belongs to the artist. We frame the drawing with extra space between the surface and the glazing, which protects loose powder whether or not fixative was used. Tell us if you know the drawing was sprayed.
Can the rough edge of my watercolour paper stay visible in the frame?
Yes, the rough edge of watercolour paper can stay visible in the frame. The sheet is float mounted, which means it is hinged onto a backing board so the whole sheet shows, with the mat opening cut wider than the paper or with no mat at all. A spacer under the frame edge keeps the glazing off the paint. Ask for this at the counter.
Is glass or acrylic better in front of a pastel?
Glass is usually better in front of a pastel. Acrylic can hold a static charge, and static can pull loose pastel powder off the paper toward the sheet. On a large pastel, where the weight of glass becomes a safety concern, we talk through the choice with you and make the space between the surface and the glazing deeper.
How should I store a watercolour until I can have it framed?
Store a watercolour flat and in the dark, inside a folder of acid-free paper or card, until you can have it framed. Keep it away from damp rooms and outside walls, and put nothing heavy on top of it. Rolling a painted sheet makes the paper curl and can crack thicker paint, so flat storage is the safer choice.
Do you frame ink drawings and mixed media on paper?
Yes, we frame ink drawings and mixed media on paper the same way as watercolours: an acid-free mat and backing, hinges at the top edge, and UV glazing. If the piece has raised parts, such as collage or thick paint, we add depth with a spacer or a deeper mat so the glazing clears the highest point. Bring it in and we measure that height.
10% off your custom framing when you show this code at our shop
We frame, stretch canvas and reframe by hand, in our own workshop inside the gallery at
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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In-shop offer · 1242 Davie Street, Vancouver
Get 10% off your framing at our shop
Add your name and email and your code appears on the next screen. Show it at the counter
and we take 10% off any framing, stretching or reframing job you bring us. It does not
expire.
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!
