Framed or unframed changes what arrives at your door, what it costs, and how much work is left for you. Here is how to decide before you order — and why originals and prints usually go opposite ways.
Mask Art Painted — an original, framed and ready to hang
Key Takeaways
- Originals arrive framed. The frame is part of the artwork, not packaging.
- Prints ship unframed and roll into a tube — cheaper to send, and you pick the frame.
- Relief work needs depth behind the glass. A standard slim frame will not fit it.
- Buy the print in a standard size and framing stays simple and cheap.
Why originals come framed
A relief sits off the surface. The layers are cut and bent outward so the piece throws its own shadow, and that only works if the frame gives it room — two or three centimetres of depth, sometimes more.
So the frame gets chosen while the work is being made, not afterwards. The colour of the wood, whether it is painted, how wide the edge sits — all of it is part of the composition. Sending a relief unframed and asking you to solve it would mean handing over an unfinished piece.
Blue Paper Pulp Relief — about 3 cm deep, framed in wood with an oak edge
Why prints come unframed
A print is flat, so it can travel rolled in a tube. That keeps shipping cheap and the risk of damage low, and it leaves the frame to you.
This is usually the better deal. Frames are heavy, expensive to send, and entirely a matter of taste — you know your walls better than I do. Every print size matches a standard frame, so you can buy one anywhere:
- 21 × 30 cm is A4 — the cheapest and easiest size to frame.
- 30 × 40 and 50 × 70 cm are the standard Scandinavian sizes, stocked everywhere.
- 70 × 100 cm makes a statement, but check the wall first — it is bigger than it looks on screen.
Choosing a frame for a print
Oak is the safe answer and works with almost everything. Black sharpens a graphic image and suits bold, high-contrast work. White disappears, which is what you want when the artwork should do all the talking.
A passepartout — the card mount that sets the image back from the edge — costs a little more and makes almost any print look considered. If you are framing one thing properly, that is where the money goes.
Shadow Sculpture Art — pieces where the frame has to allow for depth
One thing to check before ordering
Measure the wall, then measure again with tape on it. A 30 × 40 print looks generous on a screen and small above a sofa. If you are hanging one piece on its own, go a size up from what feels right — it is the most common regret I hear about.
Have a look
- Cardboard originals — framed and ready to hang.
- Art prints — standard sizes, shipped unframed in a tube.
- Paper type — what the prints are printed on.