Finding affordable ways to frame your photos can be frustrating. Having them professionally mounted and put into frames costs a fortune. However, you do not want to just leave them sitting in a box or piled in the corner. If you are going to take the time to snap photos, you want to spread them around your home. Foam board is a great way to mount photos and create great looking photo displays. It is sturdy enough so your photos will display properly and it creates a professional look when hung on the wall. There are plenty of things that go into framing photos, protecting them, and making them look great.

Start by protecting your pictures against light, humidity, and exposure to the environment. Choose acid free products for framing, just as you would for scrapbooking. This prevents your delicate pictures from being exposed to the acids in paper and other products. Over time, this acid can wear down your photos, leaving them discolored and evaporating right before your eyes. Your goal is to display and protect your photo, so you need to make careful choices.

Choose lightweight products so they are easier to hang on the wall. A lot of photo frames are made of heavy, ornate woods. These look nice, but they are a challenge to hang properly. You also have to worry about how easily they will stay on the wall. If they fall, your photo might be damaged. Choosing lightweight materials makes it easier to preserve your pictures and keep them safe. Having your photo behind glass has positive and negative aspects. Keeping it behind glass adds an additional layer of protection. Your photo will not get scratched and the glass will help to diffuse some of the sunlight that fades the photo over time. However, you need to make sure the frame, glass, and photo remain dry. If any moisture gets between the photo and the glass, it can do a lot of damage.

When matting the photos, make sure you affix them with the right adhesive. This is one of the most important factors in creating a photo display. Affixing a photo to a background with white glue or tape is a huge mistake. It will damage the photo immediately or in the future. Even if it looks fine at the moment, years from now your photo is going to fall apart. Avoid chemicals that will damage photos. There are special spray adhesives that are meant just for photo mounting use. These are the best option and will help you protect your photos in the years to come.

Once your photo is mounted, you can add a frame and place it on the wall. A properly mounted photo might not even need an additional frame. Some have a finished look that can be displayed without an additional layer around the photo. Regardless of how you decide to display the photo, make sure you place it somewhere that you will see it all the time and be able to enjoy it on the regular basis.

Stewart Wrighter usually buys his children’s foam board online.

For more information about foam board go to
http://www.foamcoreheaven.com/ .

Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter usually buys his children’s foam board online.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: foam board