Few visitors to Egypt leave the country without at least one papyrus painting as a memento of their holiday. There are many different kinds of papyrus, but essentially, it is a fibrous and textured material made from reeds, painted in vibrant colours with scenes and hieroglyphics from ancient Egypt. Come and visit us at Frames Now, and we can frame your papyrus art!
Tips for Framing Papyrus Artwork
At Frames Now, we have framed hundreds of unique papyrus paintings over almost fifty years. In our experience, to make the most of your papyrus artwork, there are a few points to consider.
- Papyrus is a natural material, so it needs to ‘breathe’. There should be an air gap between your papyrus and the glass of the picture frame.
- The textured edging is an iconic feature of papyrus, and highlighting these rough edges is a key design element when framing your artwork.
- Papyrus is often rolled in a tube for long periods, making it difficult to keep flat. We can take care of this for you by mounting your papyrus to an acid-free backing, ensuring it looks its best in the frame.
- Some papyrus is very old and fragile, and should be protected from UV rays. Frames Now offers a range of special glass types that provide 99% UV protection to prevent fading. Our acid-free backings will also protect your papyrus from discolouration.
Did you know you can build made-to-measure picture frames in three easy steps? If you’re after both printing and a picture frame, we recommend our Online Custom Framing tool.
Custom Framing Papyrus Artwork: Raised Float Mat
An extremely effective method of framing your papyrus is to use a custom frame with a float mat. No two pieces of papyrus art are the same; however, this method takes all the above points into consideration and truly highlights your artwork.
- ‘Floating’ artwork means mounting it on a raised backing in front of the matboard.
- This allows the entire papyrus to be seen, right to its rough edges.
- Using a raised mount adds depth and casts a shadow of the rough edges onto the backing board.
- It’s common to use a black backing board to provide contrast.
Did you know that we can also cut matboards for you in many of our stores? You can shop for Matboards Online Here.
Framing Your Papyrus Artwork
At Frames Now, we have two framing processes for papyrus artwork: using our ready-made frames or opting for custom framing.
- Frames Now boasts Australia’s largest range of ready-made frames, from simple black and white, raw oak and dark timber, through to ornate gold frames.
- Custom framing always gives you full control over the final product, allowing you to choose every element of the frame: frame moulding, matboards, glass, and backing board.
Check out our range of Readymade Frames Here, whether they’re the perfect fit for your papyrus artwork framing project.