Nowadays, people pay more and more attention to home decoration. Living rooms, bedrooms, study rooms, long and monotonous corridors and stairs, and places closest to the scenery are good places to place photo frames. At present, there are more and more types of photo frames, different materials and different styles. The picture frame is mainly divided into three kinds, namely wooden picture frames, plastic picture frames and metal picture frames. So how to choose a suitable frame according to your own needs? Now let's learn about several materials for making photo frames on the market.
Wooden Picture Frames
The wooden picture frames are one of the most common and relatively the most popular options you could use for your favorite photographs. It also happens to be one of the earthiest, which can go splendidly with a variety of tones and subjects. Here is some information to help you understand the wooden picture frames made of different woods.
Soft&hard woods
The wooden frame industry has long sought to provide its customers with good value as well as a range of high quality styling. To do this, it gets wood from a variety of trees. However, broadly speaking, frame modeling can be divided into two categories: hardwood frame and softwood frame ( also called cork frame).
Apparently, one is made of harder, more difficult wood, and the other is softer, more flexible. It is related to the hardness and density of wood.
The one thing that all hardwood trees have in common is that their seeds have a covering, like an apple, acorn or walnut. Softwood trees by comparison drop cover-less seeds, like pine trees. Hardwood trees are typically deciduous trees which means they lose their leaves in the winter time, while softwood trees are more commonly evergreens.
The hardest wood on the world
The hardness of wood is determined by the Yanka hardness method. Do you know what the hardest hardwood in the world is? Yes, it's guaiac! This test measures the force required to push a 0.444 "diameter steel ball into the wood to a depth of half diameter. Generally recognized as the hardest wood, on the Yanka scale, guaiac (Miyaki guaiac and Officinale guaiac) weighs 4,500 pounds. That's more than double the 2,040 pounds of osage orange, one of the hardest woods in the country, and more than three times the 1,290 pounds of red oak.
The softest wood in the world
Now that you've learned about the world's hardest hardwood, here's the world's softest hardwood! It's Balsa, yanka grade: 70 lbf, and its name is Ochroma Pyramidale.
This type of wood originates from the Balsa tree and is commonly found in Central and South America and Mexico. Because its deciduous angiosperms are classified as trees, it is called a hardwood even though it has the softest wood, making it the softest commercial hardwood.
Balsa wood has a very porous density. It can almost absorb water from the air. Some parts of it are softer or harder than others. Time travel is par for the course. The color of its inner core or heartwood is a mixture of light red and brown, while the sapwood or outer cork layer is off-white to light brown.
Plastic Picture Frames
Plastic picture frames are more affordable and lighter than metal and wooden picture frames, and have many bright colors, such as transparent, yellow, pink, blue, black and white. It is not recommended to hang the plastic picture frame on the wall, however, it is the best choice to put it on the tables or shelves.
Visual effects of Wide edge frames
Different types of edges could be an easy way to sort through plastic frames. Wide edge frames will increase the weight of the painting, generally suitable for oil painting, which has high requirements for the environment around the frame, and needs to match the whole style.
Visual effects of Narrow edge frames
On the other hand, narrow edge frames have a light weight and are very easy to match. It has low requirements for the surrounding environment and is suitable for photos with more relaxing and pleasant content. It can better highlight the content of photos, as it is not easy to dominate.
Plastic Picture Frames in Antique design
Maybe you will be surprised that plastic picture frames with special designs could also provide an antique vibe. They generally adopt relatively environmentally friendly plastic materials and apply various retro color combinations to make the picture frame close to the previous ancient design. There are usually different kinds of gold, blue, coffee and wood grain decors.
Plastic Picture Frames with Modern design
Plastic frames could be chic as well. These frames with modern design are usually simple, and pay more attention to lines and design sense, the pursuit of applicability and sensitivity of space. Plastic frames could be chic as well. These frames with modern design are usually simple, and pay more attention to lines and design sense, the pursuit of applicability and sensitivity of space. Plastic Picture frames with modern design are simple and practical, with simple lines and little elements with color jump, still bold use a few bright-coloured colors, but not exaggerated, satisfying individual character, and have a lot of fashionable elements.
Metal Picture Frames
Metal picture frames offer a more modern alternative compared to wooden frames. They provide clean lines and are well suited to a variety of modern styles, although carefully chosen metal picture frames can look at home with a more traditional decorating style as well.
Aluminum picture frames
One of the classic materials of metal frames is aluminum. The surface color of aluminum picture frames is electroplating technology, and the color is mainly frosted, bright sandblasting, champagne sandblasting and bright silver. Aluminum picture frames use a side drawing process, and can change the core in seconds. This kind of picture frame material also has good aging resistance, corrosion resistance and toughness.
Copper picture frames
Copper picture frames are generally in more retro style, usually brass. And the process is more complex and delicate, many will apply carving technology. Their shapes are more diverse, commonly square and elliptical.
Corresponding decoration of metal picture frames
No matter your decor style, every space can use a little glam. Metal picture frames shine for family pictures, colorful prints, or powerful posters. They are durable and great for creating a sleek, modern look. We also offer a wide selection of picture frames with matte finishes and metal glossy.
Pros and Cons of three types
The picture frames made of these three different materials all have aesthetic and functional advantages and can be used in a wide range of projects, from museum quality frames to the display of family photos in private homes.
Wooden picture frames offer so much more in terms of aesthetic appeal than metal picture frames and plastic picture frames. What's more, frames using wood materials definitely have a more 'rustic' warm feeling than colder metal picture frames made out of materials such as aluminum. What's more, wood has a specialty. It absorbs moisture easily and thus prevents it from attacking the photo.
On the other hand, wood frames don't have edges, hence are good for holding priceless family pictures. However, plastic and metal picture frames do have edges which could harm the picture either while placing the picture inside the frame or while cleaning the frame. If you are looking for a perfect picture frame for a unique photo, then consider the wood frame. Wood will ensure that your photo doesn't gather dust, moisture or fade. Another quality of wood is that it mixes with the picture and thus highlights the features of the picture. On the contrary, metal and plastic picture frames may drag attention and thus hide the picture.
Wood comes from nature, and for this it has no fixed color. You can find wood picture frames in green color, rustic color, and pale yellow and even off white color, which makes these picture frames not only look good but also mix with various photos. Therefore, sometimes it seems that the frame is the part of the picture. This feature is not available with plastic picture frames or metal picture frames.
Now let's talk about plastic picture frames, which have the advantages of light weight, corrosion resistance, light transmission and protection. But the disadvantage is that it is easier to age, so it is not suitable for long-term decoration. Besides, plastic frames are easy to deform, because the plastic expansion coefficient is big, the temperature is high and easy to deform.
Nowadays, more and more people start to choose metal frames, which also have many advantages, such as it is very durable, strong, especially stronger than wood. The metal frame does not bend or twist and is extremely resistant to flaking. Even with a relatively heavy frame package, the corners will not crack or break. What's more, metal is ideal for warm weather and humid environments, including bathrooms. Of course, there are drawbacks. Metal frames cannot accommodate deep embossing or plaster, so the styles that can be achieved with metal frames are limited.
All in all, No matter what type of frame you choose, there are pros and cons. But in the end, it’s your preference and needs that should guide you!