| Acid-free Paper materials with a pH of around 7 are considered to be acid-free. These materials are less likely to harm artwork over time. Materials with a pH below 6.5 or above a pH of 8.5 are not considered acid-free. |
| Acrylic paint Acrylic paint is fast-drying paint containing pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint is diluted, or modified with acrylic gels, mediums, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with the other media. |
| Archival Archival framing means that all the materials involved in the process are completely acid-free. Your artwork is framed to last. |
| Archival Paper Paper that is free of acid and lignin. The paper may have neutral pH (6.5 to 7.5) or be buffered to neutralize the acids previously present. |
| Artist's Proof A term used to distinguish small number of perfect example prints from an edition. Usually an extra 10% not included in the total number of a limited edition. Usually property of the artist and numbered in Roman numerals. |
| Aspect Ratio: The relationship between the height of your photo to its length is called the aspect ratio.
Today's digital cameras are different from older cameras. Almost all digital cameras (with the exception of digital SLRs) produce an image with a 4:3 aspect ratio (closer to a square). The reason for this is that the first digital cameras were meant exclusively for use with computer screens (most monitors use a 4:3 aspect ratio). That is how they've stayed ever since. |
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Backlighting Light coming from behind the subject, toward the camera lens, so that the subject stands out vividly against the background. |
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Canvas print A canvas print (also known as a stretched canvas) is an image printed onto canvas, which is then stretched, framed and displayed. |
| Canvas transfer A process which lifts the image on a print off the paper support so that it can be transferred to a canvas mount. |
| CCD Electronic sensor used by all autofocus cameras, capable of detecting subject contrast; also an image-receiving device for video camera. |
| Collage Artwork created by securing pieces of paper, fabric or other materials onto a substrate. Though basically two-dimensional, it may have a sculptural effect. |
| Contrast Ratio: The ratio between white and black. The larger the contrast ratio the greater the ability of a projector to show subtle color details and tolerate extraneous room light. There are two methods used by the projection industry: 1) Full On/Off contrast measures the ratio of the light output of an all white image (full on) and the light output of an all black (full off) image. 2) ANSI contrast is measured with a pattern of 16 alternating black and white rectangles. The average light output from the white rectangles is divided by the average light output of the black rectangles to determine the ANSI contrast ratio. When comparing the contrast ratio of projectors make sure you are comparing the same type of contrast. Full On/Off contrast will always be a larger number than ANSI contrast for the same projector. |
| Contrast: Relative difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. A contrast control adjusts the peak white level of a display device. |
| Cotton rag Paper made from 100% cotton fibre. Unlike most paper made from wood pulp, cotton rag paper is stronger, more durable, acid-free, and suitable for archival purposes. |
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Double Mat When mats are layered in a picture frame, the top mat forms the main border and the bottom mat is revealed slightly just around the image. Double mats give an extra sense of depth to the framed piece. |
| DPI DPI is a printing term that describes the number of dots per inch that are used to create an image. The higher the DPI, the higher the quality of the image. 300 DPI is sufficient for most applications. We recommend a higher DPI if you plan on resizing your images to a size larger than the original photos. |
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EXIF Besides information about the pixels of the image, most cameras store additional information such as the date and time the image was taken, aperture, shutterspeed, ISO, and most other camera settings. |
| Exposure Exposure is the amount of light received by the film or sensor when taking a photo. It is determined by how wide you open the lens diaphragm (aperture) and by how long you keep the film or sensor exposed (shutter speed). |
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Fade(ing) To lose or cause to lose brightness or brilliance or definition of line, form and color. |
| Fine art the visual arts which include painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and some performance art. Excludes other art forms such as poetry, literature, dance and music. |
| Float(ing) A means of securing artwork to a rigid support so that all edges are visible. |
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Gallery wrap Gallery wrapping is a method of stretching an artist's canvas so that the canvas wraps around the sides (called stretcher bars or strainer bars) and is secured to the back of the wooden frame. The result is that the hardware (staples or tacks) used for securing the canvas is not visible on the sides. The sides of the canvas are prepared and primed in the same manner as the face. They may be painted a solid color, or painted to continue the image appearing on the face. This method of stretching and preparing a canvas allows for a frameless presentation of the finished painting.
In canvas printing, the term gallery wrap refers to an image that appears on the sides of the frame as well as the front. The image on the sides is either a continuation or a reflection of the main image. |
| Giclée (gee-clay) A digital fine art print from inkjet printers. The term is derived from the French gicler (to spray), describing the spraying of ink from an inkjet printer onto the printed surface. The earliest giclées were made using Iris printers, which sprayed microscopic drops of color on to a fine art paper or canvas. Displaying the full color spectrum, these artworks have vibrant, brilliant colors and a velvety texture. This gives the finished product the look and texture of an original painting. |
| Glazing A technique of applying oil or acrylic color in thin, transparent layers so that the color beneath shows through, modifying the color of the glaze. |
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Hinging The process of adhering artwork to a backing or mounting board. Acid-free tape is attached to the top of the work and another strip is placed over the top to secure it on both surfaces. Try to hinge only from the top so the artwork is able to hang freely. This helps preserve the piece from buckling, as it enables the different components—artwork, frame, mat, mounting board, etc.—to expand and contract at its own rate with the temperature and humidity. |
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Incident Light The light directly falling on a surface. |
| Ink An ink is a liquid containing various pigments and/or dyes used for coloring a surface to produce an image or text.
Ink is a complex medium, comprised of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants, solubilizers, particulate matter, fluorescers, and other materials. The components of inks serve many purposes; the ink’s vehicle, colorants, and other additives are used to control flow, thickness, and appearance of the ink when dry. |
| Inkjet printer Inkjet printers are a type of computer printer that operates by propelling tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper. They are the most common type of computer printer for the general consumer due to their low cost, high quality of output, capability of printing in vivid color, and ease of use. |
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Lag Time In photography, lag time is the time between the photographer pressing the shutter release button and the camera actually taking the shot. |
| Limited Edition In printmaking, multiples of a print struck from the same plate, limited to a certain number of copies. Also refers to other forms of published artwork that are identical, usually published at the same time, and limited to a quoted number. For prints, edition numbers are conventionally marked in pencil using fraction format: the bottom number indicates the total number of prints in the edition, and the top number indicates the order the print was signed in. The publisher undertakes not to produce more than edition size. The smaller the edition size, the more rare the print, and hence the higher the potential value. Edition sizes range from an edition of 2 to thousands. In practice, editions over 750 have little if any extra value. |
| Liner A frame molding used within the outer molding. May be covered with fabric, such as velvet or linen. Many liners are made from fully finished frame stock, including gold or silver. Sometimes called an insert. If over 2 1/2 inches wide, it is called a panel. |
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Mahogany A tree which grows in West Africa, South America and Central America. The wood is quite hard and lightweight, and has a coppery-red to reddish-brown color. Mahogany wood is valued for its color, workability, and because it does not shrink or warp. |
| Mat(ting) A thin, flat, paper-based board used in picture framing to separate the artwork from the glass. A window is cut into the center of the mat board, usually in a rectangle, creating a border around the artwork. The mat border also serves as a spacer or separation between the picture and the frame. |
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Non-glare glass Glass where one or both surfaces have been treated chemically or mechanically to slightly roughen the surface, causing reflected incident light to be dispersed in all directions. Because the glass surface is not smooth, art images behind the glass tend to be softened. The softness depends on how far the art is from the glass. No more than two or three mats are recommended to be used with non-glare glass. If clarity is desired, objects in deep frames (shadow boxes) should not be displayed with non-glare glass. |
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Panorama A broad, wide-angle view of a space. Usually scenic. |
| Pigment A pigment is a material that changes the color of light it reflects as the result of selective color absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which the material itself emits light. Many materials selectively absorb certain wavelengths of light. Materials that humans have chosen and developed for use as pigments usually have special properties that make them ideal for coloring other materials. A pigment must have a high tinting strength relative to the materials it colors. It must be stable in solid form at ambient temperatures.
For industrial applications, as well as in the arts, permanence and stability are desirable properties. Pigments that are not permanent are called fugitive. Fugitive pigments fade over time, or with exposure to light, while some eventually blacken. |
| Pixel: A pixel is a small dot that represents a single element of a display. |
| Polarized light Light waves vibrating in one plane only as opposed to the multi-directional vibrations of normal rays. This is a natural effect produced by some reflective surfaces, such as glass, water, polished wood, etc., but can also be simulated by placing a special screen in front of the light source. The transmission of polarized light is restrained by using a screen at an angle to the plane of polarization. |
| PVC Polyvinyl Chloride. A type of plastic. |
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Rabbet The inner lip of a frame in which the picture framing materials, including the glass, mats, artwork, and backing, are held. |
| Ready-made frame A frame ready for purchase as is, as opposed to a custom-made frame. Ready-made frames are usually produced in standard sizes, e.g., 8x10, 11x14, 16x20. |
| Resolution Every digital image is made up of picture elements (pixels). The number of pixels determines the resolution.
The more pixels your photo has, the clearer your photo remains as you increase its size. |
| Restoration Cosmetic repair of an object to recreate its original appearance. |
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Stretcher bar A stretcher bar is used to construct a wooden stretcher frame used by artists to mount their canvases. They are traditionally a wooden framework support on which an artist fastens a piece of canvas. They are also used for small-scale embroidery to provide steady tension, affixing the edges of the fabric with push-pins or a staple gun before beginning to sew, and then removing it from the stretcher when the work is complete. Stretchers are usually in the shape of a rectangle, although shaped canvases are also possible.
Since a stretcher is simply a frame, it can be constructed in a variety of ways. The differences in construction have to do with how the corners are built. Commercially available pre-fabricated stretchers come in segments with interlocking corners that can be fit together like puzzle pieces. |
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Thermal printers A thermal printer produces a printed image by selectively heating coated thermo chromic paper, or thermal paper as it is commonly known, when the paper passes over the thermal print head. The coating turns black in the areas where it is heated, producing an image. Two-color direct thermal printers are capable of printing both black and an additional color (often red), by applying heat at two different temperatures. |
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United Inch United inches is a term used in the framing industry used to describe the size of a print for the purpose of pricing. The number of united inches in any given image is the sum of its length and its width (one side only for each). Thus, in effect, it represents 1/2 of the perimeter of the print. For example, an image that is 10 x 20 has 30 united inches whereas a 24 x 36 inch print has 60 united inches. |
| UV Ultraviolet light. UV rays are beyond the visible spectrum of humans. UV radiation comes from a variety of sources, including the sun, lamps, LEDs, lasers, etc. |
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Vignetting Underexposure of image corners produced deliberately by shading or unintentionally by inappropriate equipment, such as unsuitable lens hood or badly designed lens. A common fault of wide-angle lenses, owing to reflection cut-off, etc. of some of the very oblique rays. May be caused in some long-focus lenses by the length of the lens barrel. |
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Watercolor painting Watercolor painting is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork, in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water soluble vehicle. The traditional and most common support for watercolor paintings is paper; other supports include papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum or leather, fabric, wood, and canvas. In East Asia, watercolor painting with inks is referred to as brush painting or scroll painting. In Chinese and Japanese painting it has been the dominant medium, often in monochrome black or browns. India, Ethiopia and other countries also have long traditions. Finger painting with watercolor paints originated in China. |
