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Get Started! |
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STEP 1
Consider the item being framed.
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| Measure the item and add the
desired length and width for a border. (For this example,
the item is 4 x 6, and we added an additional 4 inches for
our border, 2 inches on each side.) Once the overall size
is determined, all materials (frame, mat board, mounting board
and plexi-glass) will be ordered in that size. |
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STEP 2
Adhering Your Artwork
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| Carefully adhere the item being framed to
one of the pieces of mat board. To adhere item you can use
adhesive transfer tape, glue or pins, depending on the item
being framed. |
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STEP
3
Cutting Mat Board Strips to Fill the Gap
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| Cut 12- _” wide strips from the second
and third piece of mat board. (For this example, we have cut
six strips at 8” and six strips at 9 13/16”. We
had to deduct 3/16” from the 10” strips to account
for the thickness of the three pieces of mat board) |
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STEP
4
Combining the Mat Board Strips
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| Using the adhesive transfer tape, attach the
strips together three at a time. Once completed you will have
two - 8” strips that are three mat boards thick, and
two – 9 13/16” strips that are also three mat boards
thick) These strips will create the space between the plexi-glass
and the item being framed. |
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STEP
5
Begin assembly
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| Set the frame face down on a clean work surface.
Carefully peal the protective paper off of one side of the
plexi-glass and lay that side down into the frame. Then remove
the remaining piece of protective paper. |
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STEP
6
Build the Shadowbox
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| Using the adhesive transfer tape, attach the
mat board strips to inside rabbet area of the frame. Make
sure the mat board is tight against the plexi-glass and frame.
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STEP
7
Combining the Elements
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| Place your item and the board it is adhered
to into the frame. Take the materials from Step 1 and place
them face down on top of the mat board strips inside the frame.
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STEP
8
Secure the finished piece
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Place your mounting board into the frame,
creating a secure base for your mounted object. Using your
screwdriver, install spring clips to the frame to hold everything
in place. (For this example we used a Point Driver to secure
everything in place, due to its ease of use.
Need
a Point Driver?
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STEP
9
Apply a dust cover
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| Place adhesive transfer tape on the back of
the frame and place Kraft paper onto it. Using the Dust Cover
Trimmer, carefully trim off the excess paper. To tighten the
paper backing, use a spray bottle to mist water on the dust
cover and let dry for a few minutes. |
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STEP
10
Fasten the Hanging Device
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| Secure saw tooth or wire and hanging hardware
and Voila! your artwork is ready to enjoy! |
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Now a few tips to help you with your
Shadowbox project.
- When selecting a frame make sure the rabbet depth is deep
enough to accommodate you artwork. For a deeper rabbet area
you should consider frames that are at least 1” deep. Click
here for deep frames.
- When ordering your mat board you may want two of the pieces
to be black so that they are less visible in your finished piece.
- Depending on the item being framed you may want to substitute
UV Plexi-glass, Alphamat Mat Board and Archival Mounting Board
for conservation purposes.
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