Diploma Frame with Mat Buying Guide

Don’t let your diploma get buried in a storage box! You worked hard for that piece of paper-now it’s time to show it off. Custom framing is the best way to commemorate your accomplishment because it showcases and protects your achievement for years to come. This guide will help you navigate the world of diploma frames, ensuring you choose the perfect option to display and preserve your hard-earned achievement for years to come.

Why Frame Your Diploma?

So much time, money, and energy went into pursuing your degree. Framing your diploma not only proudly displays your achievement, it also protects and preserves it from the elements. Framing and matting a document or piece of art is important, and we must consider the value and purpose of the object being displayed.

Key Considerations When Selecting a Diploma Frame

Choosing the right frame matting can make all the difference in your display. Your diploma represents years of hard work and dedication, so purchasing a frame for it requires careful consideration. Keep these key factors in mind when evaluating your options:

What materials will your frame be built with?
What type of wood moulding will it have?
What colors will the mats be?
Where will you display it?
Make sure to choose a frame that complements your decor while highlighting your diploma as the focal point.
Do you need to frame multiple degrees?
Do you want to frame them in a double diploma frame, or display them separately?
Will your frame have your official school seal and name on it?
Is it officially licensed?
How long do you plan to preserve and display your degree for?

Essential Elements of a Diploma Frame

A frame is made up of several parts and each one contributes to the overall quality and protective nature of a frame.

Frame Materials

A handcrafted, custom frame will display your diploma in style and protect it from damage. You’ll want a graduation frame that protects your diploma and will prevent yellowing, brittleness, or cracking. Consider these factors when choosing frame materials:

Wood or Metal: Our wood and metal picture frames are made to resist bowing and corrosion.
Archival Materials: To preserve your diploma for decades to come, you should frame it using only archival, acid-free materials. More importantly, the acid-free framing materials that come into contact with your diploma are of the highest quality.
Acid-Free Matting and Backing Boards: All of our graduation frames feature acid-free matting and backing boards. Be sure your diploma is safely encased in acid-free and lignin-free materials. This will ensure you avoid the same fate for your valuable diploma.
UV Protective Glass: Framing with UV glass is essential to block harmful sunlight rays that can fade your diploma over time.

Glass Options

One of the most important factors in choosing the best diploma frame is UV light protection. We know how harmful UVA and UVB rays can be to documents. That’s why the right degree frames start with glass that will protect your diploma from sun damage. Each frame comes with standard glass, but there are glass upgrade options available for added document protection:

Reflection control
Conservation UV protection
Conservation UV and reflection control

You choose the glass that meets your needs. The best of both worlds and the Cadillac of glass is museum glass, which is both UV-protected and anti-reflective. If you know where your piece will go (especially if it's in an area with a lot of light), consider anti-reflective or non-glare glass. For frames with documents larger than 12″x16″, we recommend Plexiglass. It’s more expensive than standard glass because it offers better damage-free protection when being shipped.

Matting

We’re all for the full-bleed look for certain types of art, but diplomas look best with matting. Double matting adds a second layer of protection as well as added space between your diploma and the glass frame.Matting can be subtle and match the diploma or colorful to reflect your style or school colors.Mats wrapped in fabric give the piece a little extra sophistication.

Types of Mat Board

You’ll find that most frames are crafted using three different types of mats: standard, suede, or linen. All mats are archival-quality and will help safely protect your diploma from damage.

Decorative mat board: A decorative mat board is made simply from paper and is not conservation-quality. The back is buffered with calcium carbonate to make it non-acidic. However, non-acidic does not mean the same thing as acid-free. Over time, the mat board will return to its original state and can damage the artwork. Non-acidic is the least expensive and provides the greatest variety of colors and textures. However, it cannot be overstated: This is material should never be used. It will ruin documents that hold significant monetary and personal value.

Read also: Comprehensive Diploma Frame Guide
Archival Mat Boards: There are two types of conservation-quality mat board, rag and alpha-cellulose.
- Rag mat board: The only type of naturally acid-free mat board is rag mat board, which is made from cotton. One benefit of rag mat board is that it’s natural, environmentally friendly, and easily renewable. Standard rag mat board is made with a 100% cotton core and backing. And it has an acid-free, bleed-resistant colored facing paper. It’s more expensive than plain decorative mats. However, there are several color and texture mat options to choose from, such as suede mat board and linen. Standard rag mat board is recommended when framing fine art prints, photos, and valuable documents. When framing rare, historical, or antique artwork or documents, many conservators choose 100% rag mat board. This means the face, core, and backing are all cotton and a single color. Typically, it’s a white or neutral hue on the surface and all the way through.
- Alpha-cellulose mat board: The second conservation matting option is alpha-cellulose mat board, which is produced using virgin alpha-cellulose purified wood pulp. Virgin alpha-cellulose has been treated. This treatment eliminates acids and lignins which can degrade mat board and artwork. The face color on this type of board is created with bleed-resistant organic pigments. And the mats are available in more than 300 hues.

Mat Color and Design

Using multiple mats allows you to incorporate color into your display. Some people like to use their school colors, while others prefer classic black, gray, silver, or gold. Most of the time your school color(s) will be displayed in some aspect of your diploma, so use that color (or colors) to guide you in your design process. You can do this by using color in your matboard, either with a large single matboard or with just a hint of color in the second smaller matting. Alternatively, we offer frames in blue, red, and green that you can use to coordinate if that happens to be your school’s color. (If you happen to have attended Sweet Briar College, we even have a hot pink picture frame option!) In the event your school’s color is not incorporated into your diploma, you can still include it in the matting or frame to add a pop of color and show your school spirit.

For a simple, classic look, you can’t go wrong with using black and white in an endless combination of ways. A black frame with a thicker white mat and a small black inner mat. That same frame with a single thick black mat. Gold or silver frames in either wood or metal with a white or black mat.

One of the great tools we have on our site is that not only can you experiment with all the combinations of frames and matting we offer, but you also get to instantly see what your finished frame will look like. Consider these factors when selecting a mat:

Mat Thickness: You’ll also want to consider the thickness of your mat. You can choose from a single mat or double thickness depending on how you want your art to look and feel. You may also need to invest in a thicker mat depending on the weight of your art.
Mat Color for Black and White Photos: If you are framing a black-and-white photo, consider choosing a color that makes it stand out. This will help the photograph draw more attention. You may even wish to add use a contrasting accent mat. On the other hand, you could go with a white core for a more cohesive, classic look.

Avoiding Matting

If you want to keep it really simple, don’t add any matboard at all. This will give your framed diploma a plaque-like look but still give it the protection it needs. Our Derby frame in Hazel or Dayton frame in Umber may be just the look you’re going for. Not only will this choice make your diploma uniquely stand out on your wall, but it may also allow you to display it in an area where space is limited. The advantage is that the paper will always be flat, but it’s not always a good idea. Diplomas with gold seals or those printed on real vellum or sheepskin should actually never be mounted.

Read also: Choosing the Right Diploma Frame

Frame Style

Avoid extra thin frame styles-a wider frame gives more weight to your finished piece and makes more of a statement. You can go modern, traditional, or somewhere in-between. Choose a frame that reflects your own personal style. One of the truly wonderful things about custom framing is that you can create a look unique to you. Some people choose wood tones that match the office. Some people choose color. Some people even choose glitter. There are thousands of frames to choose from, and with the help of a framing consultant, you can find one that compliments both your document and your style. And if your education is continuing on, you can even buy extra moulding of your selected style to have for future diplomas.

Additional Elements

Consider framing things such as awards, report cards, or even your senior pictures. You could even create a beautiful display of your friend group or sports memorabilia throughout the years. There are so many things you can frame to remember your accomplishments and commemorate the wonderful things you did. You could include other elements in the frame. In addition to framing your diploma, it is possible to combine other items with significance like the tassel from your graduation cap or a photo.

School Seal and Embellishments

When we get permission from a school to use its seal, we enhance the diploma frame in compliance with licensing rights. We create ornate medallions and elegant embossed versions of the school seal.

Medallion: Located at the top of the frame is a brilliant custom-minted medallion that features your school seal. They are available in silver or gold and can be enameled to increase their beauty.
Embossing: Using the finest gold and silver foils, we press your school insignia and name onto a matboard to create a raised impression. Framing success was the original innovator of custom embossed frames and we offer three colors to choose from. There is gold or silver leaf for darker colored mats and then we also offer a black leaf color for lighter colored mats.
Medallions: Medallions are three-dimensional die-struck brass or pewter emblems that are mounted within the mat opening of the frame. We offer engraved or handpainted color enamel options. Medallions provide a bold, elevated look and serve as a focal point of pride for your frame.
Engraving: A step up from embossing, we sell frames with silver or gold engraved school seals set into the mat opening of a frame. Or using our Create-A-Frame tool, you can add your name or graduation year to an engraved plate below your degree. Embossing choices include the traditional and popular gold or silver foil. For more colorful school seals, our line of modern diploma frames feature a state-of-the-art printing process.

The Importance of Archival Quality

Choosing the right mat and frame color, type, and quality is important to preserving the look of your art. It’s important to note that while many matting options are aesthetically pleasing, they may not be up to conservation standards. As a result, they could end up damaging your piece in the long run. When selecting a mat, you must consider the value and importance of the piece to be framed. Use this information to guide your matting choice.

To preserve your print and frame for many years to come, choose your mounting board carefully. Congress fine art trade guild stringent standards. This means that it’s acid-free, lignin-free, and is inherently neutral, not merely buffered to a neutral pH level. Luckily, the archival mat boards we use for each frame are conservation-quality and will protect your valuable document. We have a Professional Picture Framers Association member on staff and comply with the art trade guild PPFA guidelines.

The two major effects of using non-conservation pre-cut mats include acid mat burn and discoloration. Acid mat burn can damage artwork or documents. It causes yellowish-brown stains around the edges of the paper where it touches the mat. If an acidic backing is also used, these stains will spread over the entire paper. Mat burn will not only cause yellowing but will also make the paper brittle and weak. That means your work of art can tear easily, leaving it open to further damage. It’s why fade- and bleed-resistant mats are critical.

Of course, discoloration is not always caused by acid mat burn. Certain mat types do not meet the Library of Congress fine and highest levels of quality standards. As a result, colors will bleed through the mat onto the paper. Leather mats, for example, seem to be a high-end choice; however, they are not archival-quality. Over time, a leather mat can cause acid burn damage. Plus, the colorant in the leather mat is subject to bleeding. This can create streaks in the artwork or document being framed. When it comes to custom framing, Church Hill Classics only uses ragmat museum matboard. That’s because cotton rag mat board for framing is top-notch quality.

Museum Quality Seal

Your documents are valuable and should be protected. High-end materials will keep your work safe and well-preserved for years to come. Our premium frames carry the “Museum Quality” seal. This is your assurance that museum-grade matting, backing, and mounting materials are used. It’s a guarantee that your mats are lignin-free.

Where to Begin

Ready to give your diploma the custom framing treatment? Head to your local FastFrame, where our talented designers will help you create a frame worthy of your hard work.

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