07/14/2025
by Michael McCarty
Founder, Tribeca Printworks
Watercolor paintings have a distinct beauty, an almost ethereal elegance that draws the eye. It’s a demanding medium, with artists walking a fine line between delicate beauty and skillful rendering. Considering the passion and effort invested in each piece, frames for watercolor paintings are intentional choices for aesthetics and preservation.
Why Watercolors Require Special Framing Considerations
When deciding how to frame a watercolor painting, there are some special considerations for choosing a watercolor frame. These include:
Watercolor Sensitivities
Even more than other painting types, watercolors are sensitive to light, moisture and acidity. When choosing frames for watercolor paintings, you can account for these sensitivities by using archival materials.
For instance, if you opt for a frame with glass, you can use UV-protective glass to minimize light damage. Frames also leave a space between the painting and the glass to prevent moisture accumulation. You’ll also need acid-free mats and backing boards to avoid acid damage.
Support Requirements
Unlike many painting types, watercolors are generally painted on paper. As a result, they require firm support to prevent the paper from curling, folding or otherwise warping. It’s vital to choose a frame with a solid backing.
Choosing the Right Frame for Your Watercolor
There are many watercolor painting frames on the market, and you need to consider several things before choosing the ideal option for your painting.
Wood vs. Metal Frames
When finding a frame, you’ll need to choose between wood and metal. Wood frames often offer better aesthetics for watercolor paintings than metal does. While you can invest in matte metal options, they tend to be flashier and more distracting.
Wood is a heavier frame option, which means it’s sturdier and often carries more visual weight. Metal can be more repairable, though it’s possible to replace a portion of a wooden frame in case of damage. Ultimately, it comes down to which option suits your painting, but it’s worth noting that you can buy wooden frames with a metal finish.
Frame Style Recommendations
Choosing the right frame for your watercolor painting requires a clear idea of which style would suit your painting. Some of the best options include
- Minimalist: Minimalist frames offer simple sophistication that highlights the complexity and beauty of your watercolor painting.
- Gallery: Gallery frames have the same features as those used in galleries and museums — basic frames with rounded edges.
- Float frames: Floating frames make your painting look suspended, which is ideal for smaller, more complex paintings.
- Shadow boxes: Shadow boxes are deeper frames that accentuate the depth of a painting and highlight striking pieces.
To Mat or Not to Mat? Matting for Watercolor Artwork
Using matting for watercolor art offers some significant benefits. The most important advantage is that the matting prevents the artwork from touching the glass or the frame. As a result, the watercolor painting is protected against condensation, sticking to the glass and other potential issues.
Matting is optional, but it can help to accentuate your artwork. The key is to choose the appropriate matting color. White is generally preferred since it doesn’t distract from the painting. However, if the painting features many light colors, you can use a darker color to create emphasis.
As a general rule, pick a light color or a color that complements the colors in the painting. If you’re trying to create an accent but don’t want a wide, colored mat, consider double matting. In this approach, you use an unobtrusive color like white or off-white for the outer mat and a narrow, bolder color mat as an interior accent point.
Glass or Acrylic Glazing for Watercolor Paintings
When deciding how to frame watercolor art, consider whether you need glass. A growing trend among watercolor collectors is to use glassless frames.
One advantage of a glass frame is that it offers protection against UV damage. If the watercolor is valuable to you, either financially or sentimentally, you may invest in museum glass. It provides additional security and has anti-reflection qualities, making it easier to see the painting underneath.
Acrylic is a good alternative to glass because it is considerably lighter. Compared to standard glass, acrylic also has superior UV-protection qualities.
Custom Framing vs. Ready-Made
When you have an idea of how you want to frame your watercolor piece, you can purchase a premade frame or opt for a custom frame.
Custom framing is a better option since it offers better preservation and protection. There are several reasons for these differences:
- The frame is ideally sized to match the painting, even if the painting isn’t a standard size
- You can choose a frame design and color that complements the watercolor
- The painting experiences additional protection due to the selection of materials and options
If you decide to purchase a ready-made option, you should look for specific traits, like:
- Acid-free materials that will preserve the watercolor artwork
- Appropriate sizing that will completely fit the painting with some buffer space
- A style and design that complements the painting without distracting from it
Tips for Displaying and Hanging Framed Watercolor Art
Once you have your watercolor paintings in frames, you can display them. Use these tips to preserve and showcase your favorite pieces.
Avoid Light Damage
Watercolor paintings are uniquely susceptible to damage from excessive lighting, specifically exposure to direct natural light. One way to offer protection against sun damage is to use anti-UV glass when framing. You also want to avoid hanging your artwork on walls where it gets direct sunlight.
Offer Ample Spacing
Watercolor artwork makes a beautiful display when you’re creating a gallery wall. However, with their beauty and detail, there are two keys to accentuating them:
- Keep the spacing consistent between frames to create a cohesive display.
- Allow enough space to emphasize each painting rather than crowding them.
Generally, you want to aim for 2 to 3 inches of space between frames. You may also consider supplementing the watercolors with understated images that create contrast and help draw the eye to your paintings.
Framing Your Watercolor With Tribeca Printworks
Tribeca Printworks offers meticulous custom frame consultations. When looking for the ideal frame for your watercolor painting, you can rely on us to provide high-quality archival materials and gallery-quality finishes.
Contact us to discuss your needs and experience the quick turnaround and NYC-based expertise of a premier framing company. You can also get started with our online print-and-frame services.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the best way to frame a watercolor painting?
When getting frames for watercolor paintings, the best option is to take the painting to a professional framer. Depending on your preference, you may choose a full frame or a glassless approach. Most people prefer framing watercolor paintings with matting and behind glass to protect them from smudges and damage.
Should watercolors be framed behind glass?
There’s no right or wrong answer to this question — the right frames for watercolors are a matter of preference.
Some watercolor collectors prefer the protection from dust and damage that glass or plexiglass provides. Others like the uncovered approach, using something like a shadow box to protect the picture and accentuate its beauty.