The lines found in your pictures and framing can convey different meanings that are deeply rooted in our psyche. Curved lines tend to imply femininity where straight lines can portray strength and simplicity. Combinations of lines in your framing can strengthen or soften the overall result.

Balance in pictures and framing is a visible harmony of shapes and distances. Very often the widths of borders around pictures can be varied to achieve different effects. Usually the bottom of a border is wider than the top and two sides. This can create a reassuring feeling.

The judgment of size when framing a piece is also important. Pictures can look cramped in if the matting is too narrow and sometimes a feature piece can lose that importance if the frame is too small.

The rhythm between the framing, matting and picture can create interest. This is usually done by introducing a variety of textures and shapes which compliment the picture and the room.