Framing Terminology
- Sandwich
- Traditional term for the contents of the frame - glass, undermount, mount, and artpiece. Used particularly by framers who make the frame rim last. Sometimes the sandwich is sealed around the edge with tape before fitting into the frame.
- Self Adhesive Board
- Often known as Tack Board. Most self adhesive boards are neutral ph, but acid-free self adhesive board is available (eg. Crescent brand). As many of these boards have adhesive that is not reversible or re-positionable, this should be taken into account when using them with irreplacable or valuable items.
- Self Fit
- term used to denote that the customer will fit their own artwork. On occasion it is necessary to annotate such jobs so that extra allowances or clearances can be left by the framer responsible to facilitate easier fitting by the customer -eg to allow backing boards to fit past flexible points if fitted.
- Shakes
- (a.k.a Timber Shakes) Fine cracking along the grain in timber which is often not apparent even on close inspection. Sometimes spotted during liming/waxing or polishing or any procedure which opens the grain. The name comes from "Felling-Shake", where a tree is felled, and falls badly, tearing the fibres of the timber. Common in some pine mouldings. Can account for some distortion, particularly twists in some mouldings. Timber with shakes can absorb moisture unevenly, and this may be apparent in frame distortion many weeks or months after assembly.
- Sight Edge
- The inner edge of the frame, this is often gold, or in a different colour from the rest of the moulding.
- Slip
- See Fillet
- Slip In Mount
- Usually a thin inexpensive cardboard photo mount used mainly by school and wedding photographers. The photo slips into the mount between the front and back. Sometimes called a folder mount. Normally the slip in mount will incorporate a stand-up back or strut back arrangement. Usually die cut, often hot foil decorated or embossed.
- Snotwood
- See Weetabix moulding
- Spacer Mount
- Term for a double layer (or triple layer) window mount, where the bottom mount aperture is larger than the top mount aperture. Typically used when framing unsealed pastels to give a space into which loose dislodged pastel "dust" can fall instead of between the outer mount bevel and the glass. Effectively increases the spacing from the artpiece to to glass. Sometimes called a "hidden" mount.
- Stretcher Bar
- Part of the structure around which canvasses may be stretched -four of which when assembled form a canvas "Stretcher". Typically kiln dried pine supplied in standard metric or imperial common frame sizes, or in lengths to cut and form custom sizes.
- Strut Back
- A support either fixed or hinged that is attached to the backing board to enable the frame to stand upright.
- Stand Up
- See Strut Back. A frame with a Stand up or Strut back is commonly specified when ordering as "to Stand". If no additional hanging arrangements are fitted, the frame is known as a "Stander".
- Styrene
- Brand name, now generic in use in the UK, for many types of clear acrylic used for picture glazing
