Build a simple glass-free picture frame

Start with an inexpensive print

This frame displays a replaceable print without glass. It is a learning project, not an archival enclosure for valuable originals. Choose a print you can replace and decide how much of its edge should be hidden by the frame opening.

For a 150 × 100 mm print, an opening of 142 × 92 mm overlaps the paper by 4 mm on each side when centered. A 210 × 160 mm front gives a 34 mm border around that opening. Check the image composition so important details are not covered.

• Front panel: 210 × 160 × 9 mm plywood.
• Backing: approximately 170 × 120 × 3 mm plywood or suitable stiff board.
• Small turn-buttons or compatible removable backing clips.
• Hanging hardware selected for the completed frame and wall.

Lay out the opening from centerlines

Draw the horizontal and vertical centerlines on the front panel’s back. Mark the opening 71 mm to either side of the vertical centerline and 46 mm above and below the horizontal centerline. Check both diagonals of the rectangle and compare the border widths.

Clamp the panel to suitable support while cutting the opening with a tool and method you understand. Keep the support clear of the cutting path. A slightly undersized opening can be refined gradually; an oversized cut cannot be restored by sanding. Practice the corner approach on scrap first.

Fit the print and removable back

Smooth the opening’s inner edges without rounding them so much that the overlap becomes uneven. Place the print behind the opening and center it using removable positioning tabs suitable for the print. Do not glue an irreplaceable image directly to the wood.

The backing must cover the print and fit beneath the chosen clips. Arrange the clips around it so they hold the backing flat without crushing the paper. Predrill small screws with a depth stop and confirm that their points cannot emerge through the front. Install hardware only after any finish has cured.

Evaluate display and mounting

View the frame straight on and at an angle. Check that the opening reveals the intended image evenly and that no raw splinters touch the print. A glass-free frame leaves the image exposed to dust and handling, so choose its location accordingly.

Use hanging hardware and wall fixings suited to the completed weight and substrate. Check for hidden services before drilling. Do not hang an experimental frame above a bed or where a fall would create a hazard. Inspect the backing clips periodically and replace a print that becomes damaged rather than trying to clean it with products meant for the wood.