Techlink :: Tech Practice :: Hard Materials

New Zealand's heritage is preserved in the paintings and photographs hanging in museums, galleries and homes. Stamped on the back of these art works will often be the names of long forgotten framing studios, from small towns and big cities. And this history, old and new, is continually being updated by the work of framers throughout the country.

Despite the wide availability of ready-made frames, there is still a demand for the skills of small framing companies. In Hawke's Bay alone there are 14 businesses offering picture framing services. One of these, Edges Art Framers of Havelock North, has five staff busy making frames suiting the varied requirements of their customers. Edges owner, Suzi Merson, has worked in framing for 15 years. Having taken "ages" to decide what career was for her, she was one day intrigued by a picture hanging on a wall and the fact that someone must have worked out how to frame it. It didn't take her much longer to phone a manufacturer, explaining that she was interested in picture framing, organise a visit and (to his surprise) purchase $20,000 of big machinery!

Within months Suzi had set up shop in Taumarunui and worked there for almost four years before selling up and moving to Napier. Here she set up with a partner before selling her half and setting up a mobile framing business. However Suzi decided this was not as much fun, because she was spending half the day on the road and consequently had little time for framing, which was the creative side she really wanted to pursue.

Suzi bought an existing business in Havelock North which she renamed Edges. She eventually moved to new, custom built premises in late 2005, where she reports that things are going amazingly well.

While the basic picture frame is the same in 2007 as in 1847, there has been a change in the expertise required by the framers and the materials they use. Suzi has found that things have changed a lot during her time in the industry, with computerisation automating many processes. Whereas time and materials could be wasted when a hand done bevel cut came out crooked, things are far more efficient now.
There is also a greater range of materials available suited to the demands of the modern customer. With the growing public awareness that choice of material can help preserve an artwork, there is now a market for products suitable for long term display.

Customers are prepared to pay for acid free framing to protect their artwork and Edges uses acid free products made from 100% cotton rag on everything that touches the artwork. These are fully tested for things such as different PH levels and must be proven to have passed this test.

Suzi says that while the studio emphasis is on preserving the actual artwork, there are times when, sadly, a piece might be 150 years old but is glued down to "a bit of cruddy old cardboard".

Work is not boring for the Edges workers who are called upon to advise upon and frame a variety of objects. Anything that can be framed has been, from rugby jerseys, cricket bats and shoes to a dehydrated cat found under a house – if it can be attached to something, it can be framed. A lot of treasures and mementoes come into the studio to be made into something that people can put on show in their homes. "We see everybody's holidays," Suzi says.

According to Suzi most New Zealanders have never had anything custom framed in their lives, because they think it's going to be expensive. While it can be, it doesn't have to be, and she comments that most works are $20 upwards although it is possible to spend $250.

When a customer enquires about framing an artwork, the first thing the staff wants to know is the purpose of the object. Will they want to take it out of the frame again? Where will it be displayed? What style of room? What colours in the room? What type of wood in the room?

Customers will sometimes bring in curtains or some such item to show what colours or textures they want to complement their artwork. Occasionally they might request a house call, to utilise the expertise of the framers in knowing what will work best in a particular location.

A customer will be shown different colours of mat boards to set off the piece. For example, the cricket bat might have a red emblem on it and this would decide what colours might be avoided.

There are trends in picture framing as in other areas and the colours often follow those for housing, which change each year. Suzi's husband is a house painter, which gives her an advantage in knowing ahead of time what colours will be required. Colour choice is also seasonal – in summer it's lots of white and blue, in winter everybody wants red to warm up their houses.

Another decision must be made on the type of glass used. This will depend on whether there will be any sun on the artwork. If the aim is preservation then UV glass is essential, especially in the Hawke's Bay sun. Modern houses tend to have big windows exaccerbating the problem of light reflection from the glass; here, a reflection control glass is the answer. Glass with both UV and reflection control is available, although obviously is more expensive. Standard glass is available in New Zealand and is a reasonable price. Edges uses specialised glass from the United States which is more expensive

As well as the backing there may be special requirements for the frame itself. For a cricket bat a deep frame is appropriate, particularly if there will be glass on it. In this case, as well as a solid backing a fillet is required to keep the glass forward.

A huge range of frames is available nowadays. There is a New Zealand range of mouldings, designed for the local market, and imported frames from places such as Italy and Australia.

There are also trends in frames; they are not as big and ornate as in the past, but quite simple, often selected in a colour to match the matting chosen. Some, however,want a strong frame so it stands out.

People will come in to change frames when they've moved house or changed the colour of a room. Sometimes Suzi will go to a house to look at the style and colours before advising on changing the frames. She says she can do this quite economically – "it's not a big deal". Sometimes Suzi will get an indication of what a person might like in frames by what they are wearing.

Edges works on a two week turn-around for its clients. Staff are asked, "can't you do it now?" If all the materials are at the studio, a job could be done in two or three hours. However Suzy points out that this "stuffs up the whole system". The staff can do six individual jobs in one day or 400 in a week.

The process is computerised from when the order is first taken and made into a job card. This will contain all the measurements (in millimetres), colours and any special considerations such as cropping. The measurements are kept on the computer in case the customer brings another job in to match.

The pricing is all computerised because it is easier, with five people on deck, to ensure that everything is correct.

All the materials for the various jobs are ordered weekly; when they arrive those jobs go on the job pile for Monday morning.

On Monday a job card is picked up and all the coloured materials found before heading to the cutter to make the mat. When cutting the border the background is on the computer which enables a huge array of things to be cut out, such as lettering. For Suzi this is where the creative part comes in, when she moves things around - such as the edges - to get the look she wants.

Normally the computerised mat cutter can be programmed to cut a mat within a minute, and while the machine is cutting it, it leaves time to find the colours for the next job.

Framing a piece

The backing boards are then done and the artwork mounted. If the work is an original or something precious it is generally not mounted but hinged, using a small hinge only at the top. If the piece is already damaged or not precious then it is mounted by gluing and pressing on to a backing board.

The job card is then moved on to another team which will cut and join the frames. After this the glass is cut; the customer having had the choice of plain, non-reflective or UV glass .

The last day is spent putting everything together – cleaning the glass, working it all upside down, double checking and, if everything is perfect, putting a sticker on the back and finally wrapping it.

Edges does not provide a hanging service, but sells hooks and hanging systems.

Edges installed a visual software programme in late 2006, the first New Zealand company to use it. A photo is taken of a customer's artwork and scanned on to the computer from where it can be displayed on a big screen facing the customer. The work can be instantly shown with any frame or colours on the screen. The screen will also show the background colour of the customer's room at home.

Suzy comments that framers are often slightly older people, such as herself, often practical but not necessarily experienced with computers. However people like Abbey Merson, with her computing degree and artistic background, are now coming into the business. Abbey trains people to use the equipment and is putting systems in place to streamline production.

Detailed consideration of Edges Art Framers' work systems outlined in this case study can assist understanding of key ideas in the strands of Technology in The New Zealand Curriculum (2007).

Techlink has therefore developed some focus questions to promote discussion relating to:

Effective planning techniques ensure efficient resource (including material, time and personnel) management.

Exploration of materials in terms of functionality and aesthetic impact, and in terms of current and future accessibility, availability and disposability, should be undertaken as extensively as possible.

Outcome development is enhanced through effective presentation of conceptual ideas to stakeholders, using a range of graphical and other visual communication techniques as deemed appropriate.

A key feature of technological products and systems is that they are intimately connected to other entities (including natural objects and people) and systems (including political, social, cultural systems, etc.). This reflects the socially embedded nature of technology.

The increasingly interdisciplinary nature of contemporary technology requires that technologists engage in more integrated forms of technological development, where collaborative activity between people and across disciplines is critical for success.

A model is a representation of reality. In technology, modelling is used to represent how things might be if a technological development was to continue, in order to establish if development should proceed.

Understanding the relationship between the properties of materials and their performance capability is essential for understanding and developing technological products.

While a technological system may include input from people to allow the system to function, this input does not alter the system design, and therefore, intended function.