Direct sunlight is very, very hard on any mat, but especially non-conservation matboard. Fading of mat color can occur extremely quickly in late spring, summer and early fall when sun is high, and is still a major concern at any time of year. The core of mat will go pre-maturely brown with high exposure. The artwork itself is also at risk, especially lower quality prints. Photos printed by high volume retailers can fade in a couple of days of strong sun. Photos from higher quality retail photo finishing shops are often of much higher quality, but will still fade with enough exposure to direct sunlight.

The cure is easy. Never allow framed art of any type to be exposed to direct sun. Period. Unfortunately florescent lighting has some of same harmful qualities of sunlight, though to a lessor extent. If artwork will be exposed to high volumes of this type of lighting, consider purchasing conservation quality glass. It is available at most glass shops and in custom framing retail stores. Prepare to be shocked, as price is very high. Regular and non-glare glass afford some UV protection, but not much. Acrylics, (plastic, plexiglass, etc.), have inherent properties that reduce some ultraviolet light but cannot be considered conservation quality.

The enemy: High relative humidity or excess moisture.

Definition of Relative Humidity: The amount of water vapor in air relative to amount of water vapor air is capable of holding at a given temperature. If temperature goes down, relative humidity will go up. If temperature goes down enough, air cannot hold moisture and condensation occurs.

Excess moisture in air will penetrate framing package, causing condensation. The problem is most apparent when a slight bit of cooling allows water vapor to condense on glass. Any adjacent surface will suffer water damage. If a mat is present at least artwork is protected from direct damage, which is an excellent reason to use mats. Most artwork will tend to become wavy.

Finding frames for artwork and photos is easy, with standard sizes available everywhere. Shadow box frames are a different story. Many require odd shapes, and depth necessary may be anything from a fraction of an inch to several inches. Some of larger Art supply outlets and Craft stores carry a limited supply of shadow box frames. Custom frame shops can design one to your requirements, but cost can easily run to several hundred dollars for larger frames.

Shadow box frames can be divided into 3 categories (B)1. Shallow frames, ranging up to 1/2 inch or so.

These can often use "off shelf" frames. Objects such as coins, metals, ribbons etc. usually do not require more than 3/8 to 1/2 inch of depth, and many normal frames will accommodate this. Some frames also come with a "double" rabbet and are usually for oil paintings. These can allow up to 1 1/2 inches of depth. Standards size "off shelf" frames are relatively inexpensive.

2. True shadow box (solid wood) frames.

These will allow depths of 4 inches or more, depending on design. A rabbet is usually put on bottom of frame for installation of back. Shadow box frames take a lot of high quality wood, are difficult to obtain, and generally quite expensive. The inner sides and back usually need to be decorated with a covering material, often matboard or similar materials.

3. Display boxes which fit into "off shelf" frames.

Display boxes are made to fit into rabbet of a normal frame. They normally come pre-lined with mat or paper materials and you can add your own lining if required. If used with a true Shadow box frame, steps of decorating sides and back are eliminate, and disassembly is easy. The advantage is that a very nice frame can be turned into a shadow box of any depth quite inexpensively. The back of display box will jut out from back of frame used, so a wide frame is desireable. Display boxes are normally manufactured for specific purposes, and thus are difficult to obtain.

Lining Shadow box frame 1. If mats are to be used, sides of frame may not be seen. Also, glass and mats can be held in by using framing points. Thus no work is required on sides.

2. If mats are not used, sides should be lined first with foamcore, and then with matboard or some other decorative material. (Wall paper, colored paper etc.) The top edge of foamcore will press against glass and hold it in place. Double sided tape or glue will hold foamcore and lining in place. Be sure foamcore and lining is not thicker than width of rabbet, or it will be seen from front of frame.

3. The rear of box requires a material less than 1/4 inch deep, or width of rabbet at bottom of frame. Thin plywood or a similar material is fine, but 3/16" foamcore is one of better materials. It is very smooth, and easy to attach to a lining. Use matboard or a similar material to line back and attach it with double sided tape or glue.