By Melissa Donovan
Part 2 of 2
A graphic is only as good as the total presentation. Often, a basic accessory like a frame or mount can add to a high-quality print and create a polished look. These accessories are generally user friendly and available in an array of finishes and colors to provide the user with a number of options.
In the first part of this series we discuss various mounting systems used in wide format. Here we profile some of the newest framing options used by print providers and their customers.
Alpina Manufacturing LLC’s most popular frame, the Flip-Up, is now offered with rounded corners. Offered in a one- and 1.25-inch thickness, Flip-Up is available in brushed silver and black. It is ideal for use in schools, hospitals, retail stores, daycare facilities, and nursing homes to ensure an environment free of sharp corners. Diverse in their usage, Flip-Up frames can be wall or pole mounted, used as a table top, or placed on floor stands.
Mark Bric Display offers multiple framing systems. Two of its most notable models are Flexiframe—an extruded PVC framing system, and SnappyFrame—a traditional front-loading aluminum frame. The company’s newest addition is the ISOframe Fabric product line, which includes three options. A Wall-Mount framing system features a lightweight, streamlined aluminum extrusion for silicone edge graphics fabric with single side graphics. The Display Wall system uses a lightweight aluminum extrusion to create a frame for standalone presentation of either single- or double-sided graphics. The Fabric Exhibit system is the most robust product in the portfolio, utilizing display system accessories to create walls, corners, headers, roofs, and doors.
Outwater Plastics Industries, Inc. announced new fully assembled front loading aluminum frames and aluminum frame profiles in December 2014. The frames incorporate spring loaded hinges to enable the quick change of graphics without fully disassembling. Available for order in custom sizes and finishes, in stock the frames are offered in dimensions ranging from 5×7 to 36×48 inches. They are manufactured with predrilled screw holes on the back panel to allow for portrait or landscape mounting. The frames are generally found in commercial applications and commonly used to frame promotional pieces.
Stylmark, Inc. offers the Optima 450 LED Edge-Lit Light Box. The face of the Optima 450 LED includes an angled, faceted frame to provide a more visually appealing look. The snap frame opens on all four sides for easy graphic access, thus making for easy change outs. With LED lighting, the Optima 450 is ideal for retail environments.
Tex Visions’ newest framing solution is the Q-Frame Tex portfolio. It is found in environments including offices, lobbies, retail, restaurants, and convention centers. Each frame in the product line is custom sized to the customer’s specifications, so the options are unlimited. The range includes wall mounted, free standing, and ceiling hanging systems. Bases can be removed from the free standing models to transform them into a floor or ceiling display in combination with a handing set. The frame is available in silver.
Framing systems are complemented by the media that goes in them. A user-friendly alternative to printing directly on a board and placing in the frame system are Self-Stick FOME-COR Boards from Pres-On. These are adhesive-coated, paper-faced foamboards equipped with a release liner for quick image, poster, and photo mounting. They are available in several thicknesses, black and white colors, and with high- or low-tack adhesive coatings. The boards can be cut to fit a range of custom and standard frame sizes including 5×7 to 48×96 inches.
Framing It In
Frames are used to complement the aesthetic appeal of a graphic, while also providing functionality—as they enable a way to hang or mount the image without directly adhering to the media. Vendors such as those mentioned above continue inventing new framing systems that provide ease of use and functionality. Options abound when it comes to finishing a graphic.
Click here to read part one of this exclusive online series, Appropriate Finishing Components.
Click on the link above to get more information on the vendors mentioned in this article.
Mar2015, Digital Output DOMF1503
