Floater frame

A floater frame holds the canvas from behind. The picture sits inside the frame rather than under its lip, so a narrow shadow gap runs all the way round and the canvas seems to float in the opening. Nothing covers the edge of the picture, and there is no glass in front of it to catch the light of a diya or a window.

Face
10 mm
Gap
6–8 mm, all round
Depth
35 mm
Stretcher
Solid pine, 25 mm

The four numbers are the same for every finish. Choosing a finish is a choice of colour only; the profile, the gap and the depth stay the same.

The four finishes

Corner of a natural wood floater frame, close up: the moulding face, the join and the canvas edge

Natural

10 mm face · 6–8 mm gap · 35 mm depth

Pale, close-grained, almost neutral. It reads as a border rather than a frame, which suits a picture that already carries a lot of colour: a dense Pichwai, a chinoiserie or a Mughal floral.

Corner of an antique gold floater frame, close up: the moulding face, the join and the canvas edge

Antique gold

10 mm face · 6–8 mm gap · 35 mm depth

A warm, softened gold rather than a bright gilt. It picks up the golds of a Mughal, Jadau or Pichwai piece and sits well beside brass. Of the four, it looks the most formal from across a room.

Corner of a walnut floater frame, close up: the moulding face, the join and the canvas edge

Walnut

10 mm face · 6–8 mm gap · 35 mm depth

A deep brown with visible grain. It sits naturally against teak, sheesham and carved wooden furniture without trying to match them, and it gives weight to a lighter picture.

Corner of a matt black floater frame, close up: the moulding face, the join and the canvas edge

Matt black

10 mm face · 6–8 mm gap · 35 mm depth

Flat, not glossy, so it does not throw light back. The quietest of the four: it draws a clean edge round the picture and then steps out of the way.

What the back looks like

Sawtooth hanger already screwed to the pine stretcher bar on the back of the canvas

The sawtooth hanger is fitted before the canvas is packed. One screw or picture hook in the wall and it is up.

Mitred corner of the stretcher bar seen from behind, canvas stapled under tension

The corners are mitred and the canvas is stapled under tension behind the bar, so the face stays flat and even.

Prefer no frame? See the wrapped canvas. For sizes, see the size & scale guide.