How to Frame a Poster: Step by Step Guide
Posters are a timeless and fun way to express our interests, personal style, and bring to life virtually any room of our home or apartment. Often they become collector’s items or a reminder of events we enjoyed in our youth.
Like most people, you likely want to put it on your wall. But because you’re no longer a teen and are a responsible adult (with good taste), you know that simply pinning it to the wall with tacks or tape simply won’t do.
Well then, how about framing your poster and hanging it on the wall like a piece of art? You’ve had photos, family portraits and even your college certificates framed, so why not a poster.
Framing a Poster
Quick List:
- Decide on mat vs no mat
- Choose the right frame
- Undo frame hinges and remove contents
- Clean glass and let dry
- Attach poster to foam board
- Slide glass into place
- Fit mat (if applicable) under glazing
- Slide poster into the frame behind mat
- Add poster backing (if applicable)
Step 1: Choose your Mat
A mat can accent your poster’s colors and provide an extra border that provides a space between the poster and frame. Mating can also be used to manage sizing if you don’t order a custom frame that perfectly fits your poster.
Step 2: Pick the right frame
Options are diverse, including budget plastic frames, to high-quality metal or composite. Well made wood frames or other high-quality frames can provide protection for a vintage poster or collector’s edition.
Step 3: Remove frame hinges or clips
This step includes removing the frame hinges or clips and taking out the contents of the packaged frame
Step 4: Clean the glass or plexiglass front and let dry
It's important to clean the glass here to remove any debris or residual materials
Step 5: Attach poster to an adhesive foam board
In many cases, rolled-up posters won’t sit flat easily. Attaching it to a thin foam board can make framing easier and provide an extra layer of protection.
Step 6: Slide the glass/plexiglass piece into place in the frame
As stated, slide the glass or other glazing into place in the frame. Remember, when framing a poster you are layering the materials ie. glass/glazing, mat board, poster, backing board, etc.
Step 7: Fit your mat (if applicable) into the frame
If you decide to use a mat, then place your mat into the frame behind the glass.
Step 8: Gently slide the poster/foam board into the frame
In this step, slide the the poster into the frame behind the mat if you chose to use one. Do this carefully to avoid any folds or damage to the poster.
Step 9: Add poster backing (if applicable)
Picture frame backing defends your art against dust and dents.
Step 10: Attach the hanging mechanism
When you buy a complete poster frame from Framedestination.com we will supply you with a free hanging kit.
Alternative Framing Options
Local Picture Framing Store
You could take the simple (but expensive) path of taking your poster to a local custom framing retailer to have them frame it for you.
Given that posters tend to be large in size, having a local picture framer do this for you will likely be quite expensive.
The downside to local home decor or craft stores that carry poster frames is that they often have a limited selection of suitable frames to choose from. Most picture frame stores tend to have ample “picture” frames in stock, but their stock of larger poster sized frames may not necessarily be your style of the best choice and fit for showing off your poster. Also, many chain retailers import pre-manufactured frames which can result in less than desirable quality or workmanship.
Specialty Online Framing Store: Learn How to Frame it Yourself
The internet brings everything within the reach of just a few clicks of mouse. Online specialty framing stores such as Frame Destination bring decades of experience and a wide selection of high-quality goods to the table. Best of all, because we’re online, we have lower overheads and can provide you with competitive prices that won’t break the bank.
At Frame Destination we provide our visitors with step by step instructions, expert advice and helpful resources to ensure your new frame perfectly fits and is guaranteed to impress.
We make it easy for you to select the right poster frame that best suits your needs, as well as your personal taste and style. You can customize a frame in our Build-A-Frame section or find the perfect pre-configured poster frame in our Find-A-Frame section just for posters. So don’t panic if you’ve never framed a picture before. We have lots of short videos and tutorials on our website that show you exactly how to frame a poster.
Choosing the Right Frame for your Poster
When selecting and fitting a frame for a poster, you need to consider two key aspects of your poster:
- Is it black and white, or color, and what are the standard poster sizes?
If your poster is black and white (or greyscale) then a neutral frame may be a great way to showcase the image. If you have a decor theme, framing a poster with a frame profile of a color within your theme will help you coordinate your art within the room. If your poster has a lot of color in it, then a complementary colored frame may aid in accentuating the art.
As it relates to the size – if your poster is a standard large size such as 24” x 36” or 27” x 40” – then a thin profile frame is likely to look better than a wide frame unless you have a large space to fill and really want to make a statement. If you have an off-size or small event poster, adding a mat and frame will kick it up a notch and make it look more like an art piece.
When you buy a frame from Framedestination.com we will supply you with all the fittings you will need – as well as with step by step instructions to show you exactly how to frame a poster.
See our guide to framing concert posters and how to frame a movie poster!
Finding the right frame for your poster and getting it framed isn’t as hard as you might have first thought. With a little guidance and help from Frame Destination, you’re just a few short steps from having the perfect frame ready to be hung with care on your walls and prepped for showing off. Choose the Find-A-Frame ordering option for a selection of standard size and color frames or the Build-A-Frame ordering option to have complete control over the frame style, size, mat, glazing, and backing.
Written by Mark Rogers
Mark Rogers is the President and Co-Founder of Frame Destination. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Mark has become a leading authority on framing techniques and best practices, and has earned a reputation for his innovative approaches to custom framing and frame services for photographers and artists.