Shadow box frames for objects and keepsakes

What a shadow box is

A shadow box is a frame with space between the backing at the rear and the glass at the front. In an ordinary frame that space is almost zero: the picture is pressed between the back and the glass, which is exactly what keeps it flat.

In a shadow box the molding is deeper, so there is an inner cavity. The object sits in that cavity, fixed to the backing, and the glass passes over it without touching it at all.

The result looks different from the side too. An object in a shadow box casts a small shadow on the backing behind it, and that is what gives it the presence of something displayed rather than a picture of something. It is the difference between a keepsake that looks framed and one that looks exhibited.

Depth is the first decision

Before the molding, before the backing, before anything, we decide how much depth is needed. And that is a measurement, not a guess.

The rule is that the glass touches the object nowhere, not even at its highest point. A medal on a ribbon is not the thickness of the medal but of the ribbon folded beneath it; a folded jersey is higher in the middle than at the edges; a record in its sleeve is thicker than a bare record.

So we measure the object on the table and add clearance. Too little clearance only shows up after assembly, when the object touches the glass and leaves a mark on it, and then it has to come apart. For objects of uneven depth, the depth is set by the highest point, not the average. It is one of the reasons we prefer you bring the object rather than a description of it.

The backing changes the look most

The backing in a shadow box is not technical padding but part of the design, and it changes the result more than the molding does.

The simple rule is contrast: a dark backing makes a light object stand out and gives a museum-display feel; a light backing does the opposite and suits strongly colored objects. Medals and awards almost always look better on a dark backing, simply because the metal jumps off it. For an object with its own color identity (a team jersey, a unit emblem, a logo), you can pick a shade taken from the object itself.

Reversible mounting: it comes out as it went in

This is the point we are strictest about, and the question we hear most. We do not glue the object to the backing or fix it in a way that cannot be undone.

The mounting is done so the object can be removed in the future and returned to the state it arrived in, if you want to move it to another box, sell it, or simply use it again. For objects with collector value this is no small detail: glue lowers value, and sometimes it is what makes an item unsellable. The method changes with the object: fabric is fixed differently from metal, and a heavy object differently from a light one: a box hangs vertically, and everything inside must stay put for years, not just on the day it is assembled.

What goes into a shadow box

Almost anything with depth that can be hung. Jerseys and clothing: a signed soccer jersey is our most common job of this kind. Records: vinyl, sleeve, a gold record with a plaque. Medals, medallions and awards: military, sporting or professional, alone or as a collection on one backing. Personal keepsakes: boarding passes from a trip, a letter, baby clothes, the key to a first apartment, a watch. Collectibles: gloves, signed shoes, a signed ball.

When there is more than one object, the job stops being framing and becomes design: what sits in the center, what goes around it, and how much air to leave between them. Those decisions are made on the table, arranging and rearranging. A practical tip: if you have a pile of items from the same event and are not sure which belong, bring them all.

Price and ordering

A shadow box costs more than a flat frame of the same outer size: the molding is deeper, there is a backing, there is mounting work, and often a mat as well. The price depends on the final size, the depth needed and how much arranging and mounting goes inside.

Bring the object to the studio at 3 Naftali Palatin St., Rishon LeZion. No appointment, free parking nearby, open Sunday to Thursday 08:15–17:00. We measure it for height, width and depth, arrange it a few ways on the table, choose a backing and molding, and you get a quote on the spot. There is no need to clean, iron or prepare the object in any way.