Frames, and the structure behind them
The frame decides how the piece looks. The back decides how it holds together, and whether it hangs, stands, or both.
Framed pieces take a decorative frame in wood — walnut, walnut-colour solid wood, ash — or aluminium alloy, and a rear support frame where size calls for it. Other materials are made to your request. The back can be fabric-covered or a PVC panel, fitted to hang, to stand, or both.
Frame materials
Almost every frame we make is wood or aluminium alloy. Other materials, profiles and finishes are made to your request.
Wood
Standard timbers are walnut, walnut-colour solid wood and ash. Reads warm and traditional. Profile and finish are specified per order.
Above: Moulding, stained and natural — the cut ends show the profile and the rebate the panel sits in. Below: A natural wood corner with a closed, even mitre.
Aluminium alloy
A finer, plainer edge that reads contemporary. A design direction rather than a performance grade — neither material is the stronger one.
Above: Profiles in a gold-tone finish, the ends showing each section. Below: A brushed gold-tone corner beside the profile it is made from.
Polystyrene (PS)
A light moulded frame used on some small pieces, such as desktop pieces and framed fridge magnets.
Above: Moulding in four finishes — dark and light woodgrain, gold and silver — the pale core visible at each cut end. Below: A gold-tone corner with a closed mitre, the artwork and its white border inside.
Profiles, colours and finishes
Samples of what has been made — not a catalogue. A timber, colour or profile that is not shown is an ordinary request.
Frames made to the piece
Different sizes, shapes and materials — each frame made for the artwork it holds.
The back: hang, stand, or both
The back is where assembly quality shows, and where a piece is configured for where it is going — a wall, a shelf, or either. Each option is listed on the order rather than assumed.
Reinforced corners and fixing points
Metal corner brackets reinforce the joints at the back, and hanging fixings are screwed into the structure rather than the backing.
A metal corner bracket across the joint, and a D-ring hanger screwed in beside it.
Fabric-covered back
A clean, finished back in fabric.
Red fabric backs on light wood frames, with metal brackets at the corners.
PVC back panel
A smooth PVC panel as the alternative back finish.
A black back panel held in by clips, with a fold-out stand.
Fold-out stand
So a piece stands on a shelf, desk or counter without a wall fixing.
The stand open, with the piece leaning back on the desk.
Pin stand
A single rod at the back instead of a fold-out stand.
A solid wood back panel standing on a brass-tone pin.
Hanging fixings
For the wall. A stand and a hanging fixing can be fitted to the same piece.
D-ring hangers on a fabric-covered back.
Where a frame is judged
Not on the material name. On the proportion between frame and image, the corner joints, whether the finish is consistent all the way round, and how the side return is resolved — the parts people look at from an angle without realising they are looking.
- Frame corners closed, with consistent joints
- No adhesive visible from the front
- No sharp edges
- No noticeable twist in the frame
- No visible damage to the surface
- Suitable isolation and cushioning where the frame meets the artwork
What a finished piece is made of
Four parts, listed separately on a quote so you can see what is and is not included.
Artwork panel
The ceramic piece itself.
Decorative frame
Optional. Wood or aluminium alloy; polystyrene (PS) on some small pieces.
Rear support structure
As required by size and weight.
Back finish and fittings
Fabric-covered back or PVC back panel; a stand, a pin, a hanging fixing, or a combination.
Framing questions
Which frame materials can I choose?
Wood — the standard timbers are walnut, walnut-colour solid wood and ash — or aluminium alloy, which between them cover almost every frame we make; polystyrene (PS) is used on some small pieces. Other materials, profiles and finishes can be made to your request; the configuration is confirmed against the piece and listed on the order.
Which frame is better quality?
Neither, as materials. Wood reads warm and traditional, aluminium alloy reads plain and contemporary, and that is a design decision. What actually makes a frame feel considered is the proportion between frame and image, the corner joints, consistency of finish and how the side return is resolved — not the material name.
Can a piece both hang and stand?
Yes. A fold-out stand or a pin and a hanging fixing can be fitted to the same piece, so it can go on a wall or a shelf. Which fittings a piece has is confirmed on the order.
Is the rear support frame the same as a hanging system?
No, and the distinction matters. The rear support frame gives the piece a stable structure and a connection interface. Hanging hardware, wall fixings and the installation itself are separate, and what is included in a supply is listed on the order.
Can the 9 mm panels be framed?
Yes. Every thickness can be framed and hung, 9 mm included. A 9 mm panel can also be fixed with tile adhesive as a mural or feature wall, and fixed that way it needs no decorative frame or rear support frame. Which suits a piece is decided per project.
Can the artwork itself be on wood?
Yes, as an optional material — mostly for 3D textured pieces. That is a separate question from the frame: a wood frame usually holds a ceramic piece, and the thicknesses, weights and installation guidance on this site refer to ceramic tile.
Are the frames suitable for damp rooms or outdoors?
We do not claim that. A wood frame is not automatically moisture-resistant, fire-rated or fit for outdoor use, and aluminium alloy needs protection matched to the environment plus isolation between dissimilar materials. If your position is unusual, raise it at enquiry so the frame is specified for it rather than assumed.
Send the piece and the room. We'll propose a frame.
Frame material, appearance, dimensions and fittings are confirmed for each project.