Framing vintage personal art in San Francisco is something we love doing at Underglass and it always feels meaningful.
Not every piece that comes through our door is a signed limited edition print. This is a drawing a student made for a favorite professor. A note from a particular time in someone’s life. A piece that carries a story and shows its age beautifully.
The piece: a caricature of college professor in 1987
A vintage ink and watercolor caricature, signed and dated from the late 1980s. The paper has aged. The marker colors have faded to a pale, warm orange. The discoloration is visible and real.
Some framers would try to minimize that. We went the other way.
The design: honoring the age, not hiding it
We chose a reverse cut bevel mat. A standard bevel creates a gradual transition from mat surface to art. A reverse bevel does the opposite. It breaks that transition intentionally, creating a visible void between the mat and the paper edge.
That void matters here. It acknowledges the piece’s age and Iit says this paper has a history and the framing is not pretending otherwise. For a dated piece with natural discoloration, the reverse bevel is often the best choice.
For the frame we chose a heavy textured brown profile with a polished wood surface. The warm tone contrasts the faded orange of the marker without competing with it. Together the frame and mat give the whole piece a considered, classic quality that suits the era perfectly.
Conservation glass
We finished the piece with conservation glass. It filters 99% of UV rays and minimizes reflection. The fading from light that has already happened stops here.
Conservation framing is not only for expensive art. It is for anything worth keeping. A personal caricature from decades ago qualifies completely.
What forty years teaches you
After forty years in the Castro we have learned one thing above all else. The most personal pieces deserve the most thoughtful framing.
The signed prints and the fine art are easy to respect. The harder job is looking at a faded drawing on aged paper and understanding what it needs. That takes experience, patience and a genuine interest in the piece in front of you.
That is what we bring to every project at Underglass. Whatever you have been holding onto, bring it in. We will know what to do with it.
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Underglass Custom Picture Framing · Castro District · San Francisco Custom design · Conservation framing · Open 7 days