How to Frame a Pet Portrait

You've created a beautiful pet portrait. You printed it on high quality photo paper. Now you need to frame it. And suddenly you're standing in the frame aisle at Michaels, overwhelmed by 200 options, wondering if the gold one is "classy" or "tacky" and whether you need a mat board or not.

Framing doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. But it does matter. The right frame elevates a good portrait into great wall art. The wrong frame undermines it. Here's how to get it right.

First Question: Do You Even Need a Frame?

If you printed your portrait on canvas, you probably don't need a frame at all. Gallery-wrapped canvas prints come with the image wrapping around the edges of the stretcher bars, creating a clean, finished look that hangs directly on the wall. This is the easiest and often most affordable path to wall-ready art.

When canvas works best: Oil painting styles, Renaissance, pop art, abstract, and any bold or richly colored portrait. Canvas texture adds warmth and the frameless look feels modern and gallery-like.

When you should frame instead: Watercolor, pencil sketch, minimalist line art, and any style with soft edges or lots of white space. These delicate styles benefit from the visual boundary and breathing room that a mat and frame provide. Printing on photo paper and framing also produces sharper detail than canvas for fine line work.

Frame Materials: What Each One Does

Mat Boards: The Secret Weapon

A mat board is the border of thick paper that sits between the portrait and the frame. Most people treat it as an afterthought or skip it entirely. That's a mistake. A mat board does three important things:

It creates breathing room. A portrait crammed edge-to-edge into a frame feels claustrophobic. The mat gives the eye space to transition from the wall to the art. This is especially important for delicate styles like watercolor and line art.

It adds perceived value. A matted portrait looks more professional and intentional than an unmatted one. The same print looks significantly more "finished" with a 2 to 3 inch mat around it.

It protects the print. The mat keeps the print surface from touching the glass, which prevents moisture damage and sticking over time. For archival preservation, this is essential.

Mat Color Guide

White: The safest, most common choice. Works with every portrait style. Creates clean contrast. When in doubt, use white.

Off-white / Cream: Slightly warmer than white. Better for warm-toned portraits (watercolor, oil painting, earth tones). Prevents the mat from looking sterile against warm art.

Black: Dramatic. Works with bold styles (pop art, Renaissance on dark backgrounds) and in modern spaces. Can feel heavy with delicate styles.

Double mat: Two layers of mat board, usually a thin inner mat in a contrasting color surrounded by a wider outer mat. Adds a subtle border that looks exceptionally polished. The classic combination is a thin gold or colored inner mat with a white outer mat.

Glass and Glazing Options

Regular glass: Affordable and clear. The default choice. Reflects light, which can cause glare in bright rooms or near windows. Breakable. Fine for most situations.

Non-glare glass: Treated to reduce reflections. Slightly more expensive ($5 to $15 more). Worth it for portraits hung in rooms with strong natural light or opposite windows. Can look slightly hazy up close.

UV-protective glass: Blocks ultraviolet light that causes colors to fade over time. Essential for portraits hung in direct sunlight. Add $10 to $30 depending on size. A worthwhile investment for prints you plan to display for years.

Museum glass: The premium option combining anti-glare, UV protection, and exceptional clarity. $50 to $100+ per frame. Overkill for most situations but gorgeous for a single statement piece you want to preserve perfectly.

Acrylic glazing (plexiglass): Lighter and shatter-resistant. Better for large frames and homes with kids or pets who might bump into walls. Slightly less optically clear than glass but much safer. The practical choice.

What Framing Actually Costs

The budget sweet spot: A ready-made frame from Target or Amazon ($15 to $35) with a pre-cut mat board from Michaels or Amazon ($5 to $10). Total: $20 to $45 for a polished, professional-looking result. This is what most people should do.

When to splurge on custom: Non-standard sizes, conservation-grade framing for heirloom pieces, or when you want specific frame profiles that ready-made doesn't offer. Michaels runs 40 to 60 percent off custom framing promotions regularly, so never pay full price.

Which Frame Matches Which Portrait Style

Step by Step: Framing at Home

• Step 1: Print to standard size. Order your PawFav portrait printed at 8x10, 11x14, or 16x20 so it fits ready-made frames without cutting.
• Step 2: Buy frame and mat. Target, IKEA, or Amazon for the frame. Add a pre-cut mat board in the same print size if your frame doesn't include one.
• Step 3: Clean the glass. Remove the glass from the frame and clean both sides with glass cleaner. Even a small fingerprint will be visible once hung.
• Step 4: Assemble. Layer glass, then mat board, then print (face up), then backing board. Most ready-made frames have small metal tabs that bend to hold everything in place.
• Step 5: Add hanging hardware. Most frames come with a sawtooth hanger or wire. For heavy frames, add D-ring hangers and picture wire for more secure mounting.
• Step 6: Hang at eye level. The center of the portrait should be roughly 57 to 60 inches from the floor, which is standard gallery height. Use a level. One crooked frame will bother you forever.

"I framed a PawFav watercolor portrait of my golden retriever in a $12 Target frame with a $5 mat from Amazon. Total: $17. My friend asked if I had it professionally framed. The secret is the mat board. The mat makes everything look intentional."

Framing for Gallery Walls

If you're building a pet gallery wall, framing consistency matters more than any individual frame choice. Here are two approaches that always work:

Identical frames: Every portrait in the same frame style, size, and finish. This creates a clean, museum-like grid that looks polished regardless of whether the portrait styles vary. Black metal frames are the most popular choice for uniform gallery walls.

Same finish, mixed sizes: All frames share the same material and color (all natural wood, all matte black) but vary in size for a salon-style arrangement. The shared finish creates cohesion while the size variation adds visual interest.

What doesn't work: random mix of frame styles, materials, and colors. A gold ornate frame next to a thin black metal frame next to a white wood frame creates visual chaos, not eclectic charm. Pick one lane and stay in it.

The Frame Is the Final Step

You chose the portrait style. You got the colors right. You printed at the right size. The frame is the final piece that transforms a beautiful print into a finished piece of wall art. It doesn't need to be expensive. It just needs to be intentional.

When in doubt: white or off-white mat, simple wood or black metal frame, standard size. That combination works for 90 percent of pet portraits, costs under $30, and looks like you know what you're doing. Because now you do.