Printed Originals — Framing
Framing
Original
Posters
Made for the poster.
Built to protect it.
Every poster we frame is treated as its own job. The frame is made to measure, and the materials are chosen for what sits against the paper as much as for how it looks. The aim is simple: make it brilliant on the wall, and leave the original underneath it unharmed.
A frame has
two jobs.
It should make the poster look great on the wall. And it should help protect the original for the years ahead.
That matters when you're framing original printed paper. Posters can be decades old, fragile, linen-backed or restored, and the materials they come into contact with inside a frame matter just as much as the moulding you see on the outside.
That's why we use conservation materials and framing methods designed to reduce the risks from light, moisture, unsuitable backing boards and adhesives. Anything in direct contact with the poster should be stable, appropriate and reversible.
None of this means hiding a poster away. Posters were made to be seen. Good framing simply lets you enjoy them while taking proper care of what's inside.
02 — The process
How we frame
your poster
Take a look
We start with the poster, not the frame. Size, condition, fold lines, old repairs — anything worth knowing before a single length of moulding is cut.
Make the frame
Every frame is cut and joined to that poster's own dimensions. Nothing is adapted from a standard size, which is why we can take on formats that don't exist off the shelf.
Mount & protect
The poster is secured using reversible, conservation-conscious methods, with a Fine Art Trade Guild standard mount in front if you've chosen one, and a 1100-micron barrier board behind.
Glaze
1.5mm clarity glazing goes in, which is UV-protective. Light is the biggest long-term risk to a poster on a wall, and this is the layer that deals with it.
Finish
Sealed at the back, checked over, and fitted with the hanging hardware appropriate to the finished weight.
Pack
Wrapped, corner-protected and boxed for transit, so what arrives is what left the bench.
03 — Materials
Our materials
— a closer look
What's behind the frame matters. Some of the most important parts of conservation framing are the bits you stop noticing the moment the poster is on the wall — from the glazing at the front to the board sitting against the back of the paper.
Clarity glazing
1.5mm, UV-protective
Light is one of the biggest threats to an original poster over time. Our conservation glazing helps protect against damaging UV while remaining exceptionally clear, so you get the protection without compromising how the poster looks.
Real wood mouldings
PEFC & FSC sourced
Real wood. PEFC- and FSC-sourced, so we know where the wood came from and that the forest it came from is being replanted.
Conservation mounts
Fine Art Trade Guild standard
Vacuum-cut, Fine Art Trade Guild conservation standard. High micron white core, meaning the bevel won't yellow over time.
Barrier board
1100 micron, behind every poster
Sits behind the poster, between the paper and everything outside the frame. It's also why our frames come apart cleanly: the poster rests against the board rather than being fixed to it.
Everything in contact with the poster is acid-free and conservation grade. That's the whole point of the list above.
The frame
should protect
the poster.
Not change it.
04 — Mouldings
Choosing
your frame
Black, white, natural oak and walnut are the four you'll find ready to select on every poster listing. They're there because they work across an enormous range of original posters — but they're the starting point, not the limit.
One profile. Four finishes.
All four are the same section — a flat face with a rebate cut into the back. That rebate is the space everything else lives in: glazing at the front, then the mount, the poster, and the barrier board behind it.
Four options is where we start.
There are eight more just below — colour, warm woods and metallics — and if none of the twelve is right for your poster, we’ll build something that is.
More framing options
A little
more character
Looking for something with a little more colour or character? Our wider framing collection includes rich colour, warm woods, metallics and more decorative finishes — all made to measure for your poster.
Something else?
Request a
bespoke frame
Looking for something different? If you have a particular colour, finish or style in mind, choose “Other (Please Specify)” when ordering and tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll be happy to explore a bespoke option for your poster.
05 — Size
Big posters
welcome.
(And small ones too.)
Because every frame is made for the poster rather than the poster squeezed into a frame, standard sizes don't really come into it.
Small-format US lobby cards and Italian locandinas at one end. French Grandes, Italian 2-Fogli and 4-Fogli, three-sheets and oversized advertising posters at the other. We've framed most of them.
Very large pieces do need more planning — frame strength, glazing weight, wall fixings and how the finished thing actually reaches you all matter more at that scale. Send us the dimensions and we'll talk it through properly before you order.
06 — Mounts
To mount,
or not to mount?
Both look brilliant. Which one is right depends on the poster, and on how you want it to sit on the wall.
Framing to the edge is clean and direct, and it suits posters with strong borders of their own — plenty of film posters already have a white margin built into the design. It also keeps the finished size down, which starts to matter on larger formats.
A mount gives the artwork space to breathe and separates the poster from the glazing. It's often the better call for smaller pieces that would otherwise look lost on a big wall.
Mounts are available for posters up to 40 × 40 inches. Add one with the Add Mount option when you order.
Not sure which way to go? Ask us. We're happy to suggest an approach based on the poster itself rather than a general rule.
07 — Folds
Yes, you can
frame a folded
poster.
Most original film posters were printed, folded and shipped folded — that's simply how they were distributed to cinemas. The fold lines are part of the poster's history rather than a fault waiting to be corrected, and a great many of them frame beautifully exactly as they are.
Where a poster needs more support than its own paper can give it, or where you'd genuinely prefer a flatter surface, linen backing can be the right call. It's a decision to make poster by poster — not something a fold automatically requires.
08 — Ordering
14working days
Made to order
takes a little
longer.
Every frame is made for one specific poster, so please allow up to 14 working days for framing before dispatch. In practice we're often quicker than that — but we'd rather give a frame the time it needs than rush it out of the workshop.
Because frames are made to order they're non-refundable unless they arrive damaged or incorrect. Unframed posters are covered by our usual returns policy.
Framed. Packed.
Ready for the wall.
- Purpose-built packaging. Wrapped, corner-protected and packed into reinforced cardboard with padding — built around the frame rather than the nearest box to hand.
- Ready to hang. Every frame arrives sealed at the back with hanging hardware already fitted. Nothing to assemble.
- Free framed delivery in the UK. Internationally, framed delivery is a flat £155 — a glazed made-to-measure frame needs specialist packing and handling, so it isn’t covered by our free shipping. Ask us before you order for anything unusually large and we’ll confirm what’s possible.
- Prefer it unframed? Shipping’s on us. Every unframed poster ships free worldwide, by DHL Express — see shipping & delivery.
09 — Reversibility
Whatever we do,
we should be
able to undo.
However you choose to frame it, the principle stays the same: the framing shouldn't permanently change the original.
Posters move. They get reframed a decade later, passed on, sold, or simply moved into something that suits a different room. So what happens inside the frame is designed to come apart again — the poster lifts out without having been glued down, permanently taped or trimmed to fit.
That matters for conservation. It matters just as much for value: a poster that has been irreversibly mounted is a different object to the one that went into the frame, and condition and grading reflect that.
Already have
the poster?
We can frame
that too.
Our framing service isn't limited to posters bought from us. If you already own an original you'd like framed, send us a few details — dimensions, condition, and roughly what you have in mind — and we'll talk through the options.
Framing
questions
What is conservation framing?
Framing that treats the poster inside the frame as the thing being looked after. In practice that means conservation-grade, acid-free materials wherever they touch the paper, UV-protective glazing to reduce the effect of light, a barrier board behind the poster, and methods of securing it that can be undone later.
Will framing permanently alter my poster?
No. Our framing is designed to be reversible: the poster can be taken out of the frame again without having been glued down, permanently taped or trimmed. That matters for conservation, and for value if the poster is ever sold or reframed.
Can you frame a poster I already own?
Yes. The service isn't limited to posters bought from us. Email contact@printedoriginals.com with the dimensions, the condition and what you have in mind, and we'll come back to you with options and a price.
Can you frame folded posters?
Yes, and very often that's exactly the right thing to do. Most original film posters were issued folded, and the fold lines are part of their history. A folded poster can be framed as it is.
Does a folded poster need linen backing before framing?
Not as a rule. Linen backing can be appropriate where a poster needs additional support, or where you'd prefer a flatter surface, but it isn't a requirement and it isn't automatically an improvement. It's worth deciding poster by poster — there's more on it in our conservation & restoration guide.
Can I choose a frame other than black, white, oak or walnut?
Yes. We offer twelve framing options, all made to measure for your poster. Our four core finishes are Black, White, Natural Oak and Walnut, with eight additional options — Red, Green, Blue, Teak, Gold, Black + Gold, Antique Gold and Silver. Looking for something different? Choose “Other (Please Specify)” when ordering and tell us what you have in mind.
Can I add a mount, and what's the maximum size?
Yes — tick Add Mount when you order. Mounts are Fine Art Trade Guild conservation standard, vacuum cut with a high-micron white core, and are available for posters up to 40 × 40 inches.
Can you frame directly to the poster edge?
Yes, and it's a popular choice. Leaving the mount off gives a clean, direct finish and keeps the overall framed size down — useful on larger formats. Simply order without the mount option.
What glazing do you use?
1.5mm clarity glazing, which is UV-protective, on every framed order as standard. It reduces the ultraviolet light reaching the poster — the main cause of fading over time — without dulling the artwork. If you have a particular glazing requirement for a specific piece, tell us and we'll quote for it.
Can you frame very large or unusually shaped posters?
Yes. Every frame is made to measure, so we aren't working from standard sizes — we frame everything from small lobby cards to French Grandes, Italian 4-Fogli and oversized advertising posters. For anything very large, get in touch first with the dimensions so we can talk through frame construction, glazing and delivery. Our sizes & formats guide covers the common formats.
How long does framing take?
Please allow up to 14 working days for framing before dispatch. We're frequently quicker, but each frame is made individually for that poster.
Can framed posters be shipped internationally?
Yes. Framed delivery within the UK is free. Outside the UK, framed delivery is a flat rate of £155 — unlike unframed posters, which ship free worldwide, a glazed made-to-measure frame needs specialist packing, insurance and handling. For anything unusually large please contact us before ordering and we'll confirm what's possible. Full details are on our shipping page.