At Suburban Frames in Atlanta, we understand custom framing is not an impulse buy. You’ve thought about it a lot and taken numerous things into consideration before even talking to a custom framing expert. You may have even spent time choosing a piece of art or a prized memory you want to showcase with a custom frame. Your next decision may be to decide where you will hang the frame and how it is going to coordinate with the room’s décor. Then, choosing the custom frame orientation is the next all-important step. It would be disappointing to custom frame a piece and then hang it horizontally when it should hang vertically!
Landscape vs. Portrait Custom Frame Orientation
The most basic fundamental is knowing which orientation is which. It’s not difficult to tell the difference, but it is important to distinguish between the two.
- Portrait Orientation is when a frame hangs vertically. This means the height of the custom frame is longer than its width. The name helps distinguish the orientation since most pieces featuring the orientation are portraits.
- Landscape Orientation: Landscape is the opposite. The width is longer than the height of the frame. It’s easy to remember because a landscape runs across the horizon or horizontally.
These names are simply a generalization since there are plenty of other creative and customized orientations to explore.
Ensuring You Frame the Right Direction
The most important part of getting a custom frame, after choosing what you’ll frame, is measuring the piece. Measurements literally determine all the other components of a custom frame. The measurements determine the opening, backing, cover, matting, and the orientation. As long as you keep in mind that a landscape orientation is horizontal, and a portrait orientation is vertical, your final result should be perfect.
Hanging Landscape and Portrait Custom Frames Orientations Together
Most of the time you will probably want to hang either horizontal or vertical pictures in an area. But there are other times when you may think hanging both orientations together offer an artistic flavor to your design. Hanging the two orientations together can be stunning if it’s done rightly with taste. You will need to guard against ending up with awkward positioning or odd gaps left between the pieces. Here are a few tips to help you get a combination that looks as stunning as you imagined.
- Place larger frames on top of smaller ones. This provides a smooth, equally weighted appearance.
- Remember to align vertical frames from the center and horizontal frames from the top. This will provide a cross-balance that yields an equal and aligned row that’s easy on the eyes.
- Establish the outer perimeter for your group of framed objects and make sure all the outer edges of the frames touch it.
- If you’d like a nice eccentric look, use a circle or oval as the perimeter. This is a nice touch for covering a wider space.
- Group out your framed photos, artwork, or other pieces on the ground before hanging them to be sure it’s the right format for you.
Atlanta’s Custom Frames
If you are ready to custom frame your favorite artwork or photograph, contact us at Suburban Frames. We have served the Atlanta area by providing high-quality custom frames since 1969. We can offer our years of experience and expertise to help you with your custom frame.