How to Frame a Photography Print: A Complete Guide
A photography print without a frame is like a book without a cover. The image is complete, but it lacks the context that tells a viewer how to receive it. A frame defines the boundary between the image and the room, creates the visual conditions in which the image is seen, and communicates something about the intent behind the purchase. Get it right, and the print and the frame become a single cohesive object. Get it wrong, and neither looks its best.
This guide covers everything you need to know about framing photography prints, from choosing the right frame style to measuring for a mount.
The Function of a Frame
A frame does several things simultaneously. It physically protects the print from handling damage. It creates a visual boundary that separates the image from the wall behind it and the room around it. It provides a mounting mechanism — most prints are hung via the frame rather than the print itself. And it contributes to the aesthetic reading of the image: a dark frame creates a different atmosphere than a light one; a thick frame makes a different statement than a thin one.
Understanding these functions helps when you are making framing decisions. The question is not just "does this look nice" but "what is this frame doing for this image?"
Frame Styles for Photography Prints
Natural Wood
Natural wood frames — oak, ash, walnut, pine — are the most versatile choice for photography prints. The warmth of natural wood complements the cool tones of seascape and landscape photography, creating a pleasing contrast that neither fights with nor overwhelms the image. Natural wood also suits a wide range of interior styles: Scandi, contemporary, traditional, and mid-century modern all accommodate natural wood frames well.
For our Brighton seascape prints — which tend toward deep navy, pale silver, and warm amber — natural light oak or ash is our standard recommendation. The pale wood does not compete with the tonal range of the image and creates a clean, gallery-appropriate finish.
Dark Wood and Black
Dark frames — dark walnut, ebonised wood, or black metal — create stronger visual contrast with the print and the wall. This contrast is often dramatic and effective, particularly with prints that have light, high-key tones: pale skies, light sand, misty water. The dark frame creates a definitive visual boundary that makes the image pop.
Dark frames also suit formal and traditional interiors better than pale ones, and they work particularly well against light-coloured walls where their strong profile creates a graphic, intentional effect.
White and Off-White
White frames are clean, minimal, and versatile. They suit contemporary interiors and work particularly well against coloured or patterned walls where a wood or dark frame might create unwanted visual complexity. White frames also suit prints with dark, heavily saturated tones — the contrast between the white frame and a deep navy image is striking and effective.
Metal Frames
Thin metal frames — aluminium, usually in silver or black — are popular in architectural and commercial contexts. They are minimal to the point of near-invisibility, placing maximum emphasis on the image itself. For residential use, they suit minimalist interiors and work particularly well with large-format prints where a wide frame would be visually dominant.
To Mount or Not to Mount
A mount — also called a mat — is a border of card between the frame and the print. It serves several purposes: it creates breathing room between the image and the frame, it prevents the print from touching the glass (which can cause moisture damage), and it visually enlarges the presented area of the image.
All Brighton Gallery prints include a 3cm white border as part of the print — this acts as a built-in mount. This means you can frame our prints without an additional mount and still achieve a gallery-appropriate presentation. If you prefer a deeper mount — which creates a more luxurious, gallery-quality look — add a card mount of 5–8cm inside the frame.
Frame Sizing
When ordering a frame for a Brighton Gallery print, the frame should be sized to the full dimensions of the print (including the 3cm white border), not just the image area. So for an A3 print (297 × 420mm), order a frame for 297 × 420mm — or slightly larger if you intend to add an additional card mount.
Standard frame sizes correspond directly to our print sizes. A4, A3, A2, and A1 frames are widely available from high street retailers and online suppliers. Our own wooden hanging frames are sized specifically for our prints and arrive ready to hang.
Glass Options
Standard glass is adequate for most domestic situations. Anti-reflective glass — which has a coating that reduces glare from room lighting — is worth the additional cost if the print will be in a room with strong directional light sources, or in a position where it will catch window light. Museum glass (anti-reflective and UV-filtering) is the premium option and is appropriate for limited edition prints and any work you are treating as a long-term investment.
Avoid acrylic glazing for fine art prints if possible. Acrylic scratches easily and builds up a static charge that attracts dust. It is adequate for low-cost prints but is not appropriate for archival-quality work.
Hanging and Installation
Use two fixings rather than one for any print larger than A4. Two fixings prevent the frame from twisting on the wall over time. For A2 and A1 prints, use a picture rail or two substantial wall fixings — the weight of a large framed print is considerable.
At Brighton Gallery, our hanging frames come with all hardware included. For self-framing, picture hooks rated for the appropriate weight are available from any hardware store; for plasterboard walls, use hollow-wall anchors rather than standard nails.
Ready to Frame
Browse our collection of Brighton photography prints and wooden frames. Our prints and frames are designed to work together — every print fits our standard frames without additional cutting or mounting.