There are several points to remember when considering a frame. Always ensure that the frame is deep enough to enclose the frame properly. The frame should carry the picture, not vice versa, and the chord which hangs should be attached to the frame and not the painting stretcher or back panel. Ideally the chord should be fixed just above the centre, so that the painting hangs with a slight tilt, allowing air to circulate and keeping dust off the picture. When framed behind glass, paintings should always be kept away from the glass by use of a mount or slip (beading). The glass and the backing board should be sealed to the frame using gummed paper to prevent insects from getting in, this also helps protect it from the atmosphere. Whenever possible fittings should be made of brass as iron or steel will corrode.

It is important to also consider some optical effects when framing.. Sight lines within a picture may interact with the lines of a frame to create an optical illusion. Sometimes this is just down to the choice of frame, though more often it’s a simple matter of proportion. Too narrow a mount with thin mouldings on a large frame can give the frame a bowed appearance. A more common error is to put the window of the mount in the dead centre of the frame. By a trick of the eye, a centrally place window will appear lower in an oblong or square frame. To compensate for this, the bottom of the mount should be wider than the top, in general a 20 – 25 percent increase is sufficient to correct the illusion.