Aluminum and metal frames

Aluminum vs. wood

The first difference is the line. An aluminum molding can be thinner than wood can go without looking fragile, so it gives a frame that almost disappears and leaves all the attention on the picture. Wood, by contrast, always brings presence and warmth with it.

The second difference is style. Wood goes with furniture, parquet floors and warm spaces; aluminum goes with straight lines, concrete, glass and modern or professional spaces. An office, a studio or a showroom will almost always look right with aluminum.

The third difference, which people think about less, is consistency. On a gallery wall of eight pictures, eight identical aluminum frames look like a single system. Eight wood frames, even in the same shade, will always carry slight differences in grain and tone.

Colors and finishes

Matte black is the most popular choice and it almost always works: it outlines the picture with a crisp line without adding any color of its own. It's especially strong on black-and-white photography and graphic design.

White does the opposite and blends into a pale wall, which makes it a good choice when you don't want the frame to show at all. Silver and natural aluminum give a clean, technical look. Gold is possible in aluminum too: a thin, modern gold line that is something completely different from the ornate gold of classic wood moldings.

The finish itself, matte or glossy, matters more than you'd think. A matte finish absorbs reflections and stays quiet; a glossy one catches the light and draws the eye to the frame itself.

Aluminum for large pictures

Here the advantage becomes practical, not just aesthetic. As a frame gets bigger, its weight becomes a real consideration, and an aluminum molding is significantly lighter than a wood one of the same size.

That means a large picture in an aluminum frame is easier to hang, puts less strain on the hanging hardware, and can even go on a drywall partition that wouldn't hold a heavy wood frame of the same size.

And aluminum keeps its shape over time across a large span. That's why you see aluminum far more than wood in showrooms and offices.

When wood is the better choice

It's only fair to give the other side too. For an oil painting, a watercolor, embroidery and traditional artwork, a wood molding will almost always look more right: there's a match between the material of the work and the material of the frame that aluminum doesn't provide.

For certificates, awards and items you want to give weight and seriousness to, wood with an ornate finish does something aluminum doesn't even try to do.

And for family photos in a home with wood furniture, aluminum can feel cold. There's no single right answer, so the best thing is simply to hold a sample of each against the picture and look. See also our wood frames page.

Aluminum frames for mirrors

A mirror in an aluminum frame is one of the most common uses of this molding, and one of the least obvious. In a bathroom, a hallway or an entryway, aluminum does something wood doesn't: it doesn't react to humidity, doesn't swell and doesn't peel.

In terms of looks, a thin aluminum molding around a mirror gives a clean line that emphasizes the glass rather than the frame, which is exactly what you want from a mirror. Matte black outlines it sharply, silver and natural aluminum almost disappear, and white blends into a pale wall.

We cut mirrors to size in the same studio, so you can take care of both in one visit: the mirror is cut to the size you need and the molding is cut to the mirror. See our custom mirrors page.

Made to measure, like everything else

We cut aluminum molding to measure exactly as we do wood. There are no standard sizes you have to adapt the picture to: the picture dictates, and the molding, the glass and the mat are cut to fit it.

Come to the studio at 3 Naftali Palatin St., Booth 147, Rishon LeZion with the picture or its measurements, hold samples against it, and get a quote based on the size and the molding you choose. No appointment is needed.