At Gold Leaf Gallery we have state of art equipment to custom frame your treasures. Our Wizard computer generated mat cutter is the latest technology to insure the finest mat cutting anywhere. One can choose from hundreds of designs and be assured of a mat cut exactly as ordered for your custom frames!

Our Cassese underpinner joins picture frames without the unsightly appearance of side pinned nails. We use several sizes of "wedges" to assure that the picture frame will be joined with sufficient strength.

We have two cutters to miter a custom picture frame to exact size. With metal moldings, our double mitered, carbide tipped blade, CTD cutter is a must at Gold Leaf Gallery. With most wood moldings, our ever faithful Jyden chopper is used.

For dry mounting, we depend on a "VacuSeal" vacuum-heat mounting press. It removes air by a vacuum suction pump before the art touches the heat plate which seals and mounts the pictures. A wall-mounted glass cutter is used in glass cutting to insure accurate cut and fit.

From sales desk to a finished custom framed picture, you can trust Gold Leaf Gallery that your art treasures will be framed to perfection. We recommend archival framing for most art, along with conservation glass which blocks all UV ray penetration, and protects art from fading and deterioration. Look no farther than your one stop art shop, GOLD LEAF GALLERY.

Why custom picture framing?
When you have a piece of art, a photograph or an item that you want framed, you have several options as to how to go about getting it done. With a photo, you can easily buy a ready-made photo frame at almost any store. For a poster or print, many retail stores offer standard poster frames that are available in a variety of colors and sizes to fit your decor, As an alternative, you could also visit one of the many "do-it-yourself" picture framing centers where, with the help of the employees, you can cut your own mats and build your own picture frames.

With all these options available, why are you in a custom picture frame shop?

This brochure will tell you a bit more about the many jobs that a professional picture framer performs when it comes to your treasured works of art and precious memories.

Designing your framing package
Although a good artistic eye is something that can't be taught, there are certain rules of custom framing which lead to good design that can. When followed, these guidelines, well known to your custom picture framer, produce a beautiful, well-balanced framing presentation that enhances the work without overpowering it.

For example, did you know that the width of the mat border should never match the width of the picture frames? This tends to draw the eye away from the art they surround. Or that a poorly placed decorative element, such as a French line, can detract from the beauty of the finished package? Good design based on commonly accepted picture framing principles is one of the many reasons to custom frame.

Protecting your artwork
Perhaps the best reason to custom frame your personal and well-loved works of art is that a professional picture framer has the skills and materials necessary to preserve and protect them as closely as possible to their original condition. Acid- and lignin-free mat and mount boards like Tru Vue UltiMat contain no impurities which can damage the art they surround. Special LAI-filtering glazing such as Tru Vue Conservation Series glass can he used to protect art from the irreversible damage caused by light exposure.

Professional picture framers have the training and skills required to use these materials to beautifully present your treasured item in a way that will not only enhance their appearance, but protect them for your enjoyment for years to come.

Why a custom framer?
If you were planning to build a new home for your family, would you ask the person working in the lumber department of your local home improvement store to draw up the plans? Or, if you were sick, would you ask the check-out person at your drug store to diagnose and treat your illness? Probably not.

The same reasoning applies to your decision to use a custom framer's services. A professional picture framer is a person who has been formally educated to know how to preserve, protect and beautify works of art, regardless of their known value. Many hold the professional degree of "Certified Picture Framer" or "CPF." This notation can only be used with one's name after a rigorous, standardized test has been passed. CPF is to framing as Dr. is to medicine.

What are you really buying when you use the services of a custom framer?
Talent ... yes, and the knowledge and ability to select the proper framing materials for your particular project.  This means helping you choose the right colors, the right frame style, and most importantly, the right materials to protect your art, photo or memorabilia, There's the matboard, the frame, backing board and mounting materials to consider. And of course, the glass. And glass is glass, right? Wrong, All glass is not created equal. In order to preserve, protect and get the most out of your artwork, you have some choices to make. And with a little knowledge, those choices will be very easy.

ALL GLASS IS NOT CREATED EQUAL!
What determines the glass I should use?
Your custom framer should help you select the right glass for your project. Talk to him or her first about the value of your artwork. If the item you are framing is one-of-a-kind, rare, irreplaceable, of great monetary or sentimental value, or if the room you are hanging it in receives above average direct sunlight or fluorescent light, then your project should be framed with conservation glass.

What other glass choices do I have?
Perhaps you have a very bright room in which you will display your artwork, or you intend to hang the piece opposite a window or lamp. Anytime you think reflection may become a distraction from the enjoyment of your artwork, you may want to ask for Reflection Control glass.

Many framers are conditioned against using reflection control glass. This is the result of poor quality glasses that have traditionally been available. These low-tech "non-glare" glasses have a highly frosted appearance because they are etched on both sides. The resulting fuzziness and distortion made for many dissatisfied framing customers, which soured trainers on the idea of reflection control.

An innovative new product has cleared up the matter for once and for all. Called "Tru Vue Reflection Control" glass, it employs etching on only one side, eliminating the reflection problem with only a subtle softening of clarity. (This "soft focus" actually enhances some images such as portrait photography and impressionist landscapes, where an atmospheric effect is desirable.)

Reflection Control Glass is available with and without a protective UV coating ... ask your framer to see a sheet of Reflection Control over your piece and judge it for yourself.

Of course, some framed artwork almost demands a crisp, modern treatment.  A premium clear glass should be used in such instances, when clarity and detail are essential to the enjoyment of the piece.

Remember, whether you prefer a clear glass or a reflection control glass, whenever high levels of UV light will be present, the added precaution of conservation glass is strongly advised.

The most important thing to remember when framing your artwork is to consult with your custom framer. The more he or she knows about your project the better they are able to use materials that will ensure your enjoyment for years to come.

What is Conservation Glass?
We've all heard about the dangers of ultraviolet light - particularly to organic materials. Exposure to UV light causes organic material to break down. This is visible in the form of fading colors and embrittlement and yellowing of the materials that bare the artwork. These effects, once started, are cumulative and irreversible. The best way to preserve your art is to protect it from exposure to UV light from the onset. For starters, don't hang your art in direct sunlight or light it with fluorescent light. Ask your framer to use conservation quality glass, such as Tru Vue Conservation Clear or Tru Vue Conservation Reflection Control.

Conservation series glass effectively blocks 97% of the dangerous UV light - protecting your artwork without affecting the visible light spectrum so your colors show true as nicely in a year as they do the first day you frame them.

South Park Shopping Center
1928 ESE Loop 323
Tyler, Texas  75701
Phone:  903-597-2645
Fax:  903-597-3105
Toll Free:  1-800-957-8397

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