This course is designed to give an insight to those people who are interested in taking up picture framing on a full-time basis, or thinking of opening their own business.

During your day with us, you will get a detailed insight into the art of picture framing. You will be shown all the machinery involved, shown demonstrations of each piece of equipment and then get hands on practical time. By the end of your day, you will have framed a small print with a double mount, glass, backing board, and have completely finished it off, by taping the back and adding hanging fittings.

At the end of the day, you will not yet be a framer, but you will have a good idea what being a professional framer is really about.

Before the practical elements of the course, you will be given a short talk on workshop safety, machine maintenance and the Fine Art Trade Guild's 5 Levels of Framing. (Framing Standards)

COURSE CONTENT (Students are also advised to take notes)

1. Talk on workshop safety, introduction to all the main machinery and machine maintenance

2. Using Prints (Provided) - How to calculate Image Size, calculate Mount Sizes / Border Sizes and choose Mount Colours using colour co-ordination (A talk on the Identification and Handling of Artwork will be given here, with examples)

3. Demonstration of Mount Cutting - Using Keencut Ultimat Gold 48' - Practical Squaring Mountboard, using both the Keencut Ultimat and the Fletcher 3100 wall Cutter. Single & Double Mount Cutting, Mount Cutting with a Deeper Base + Talk On Mountboard Standards and assessing the perfect cut(A talk on the differing qualities and makeup of mountboard will be given here)

4. Demonstration of Glass Cutting, using both Fletcher 3100 Wall Cutter and hand held glass wheel - Practical Glass Cutting with both pieces of equipment and the safe disposal of glass

5. Demonstration of MDF (Backing Board) cutting, using Fletcher 3100 Wall Cutter and hand held Stanley type knife - Practical MDF Cutting with both pieces of equipment and the health risks involved using knives

6. Morso Guillotine - How to use safely, how to use the rebate supports and right arm measuring arm - Demonstration of Mitre Cutting - Practical(s) Mitre Cutting, assessing the perfect mitre

7. Demonstration of Underpinner, Using Cassese how to set up, (front and back stops) use of good quality wood glue on all mitres - Practical(s) underpinning of moulding, assessing the perfect join

8. Demonstration on how to attach the print to the mountboard and or undermount, using the correct tapes for different framing levels.

9. Talk on Conservation Framing, its uses and reasons why, and the care, handling and protection of customer's art + 5 Levels of Framing (Framing Standards), and reference to the legal responsibilities of framing))

10. Demonstration of how to clean the glass, and the final step of pinning the mounted print, mount, glass and MDF / Backing Boards into the frame skeleton and taping the back using gummed tape - Practical(s) of finishing

11. Talk on workshop set up, equipment involved in basic start up. Short talk on the student's requirements for the future and answer any questions, and for those wishing to progress to a further course, a copy of the Fine Art Trade Guild's GCF Study Guide is available to purchase at the low cost of Ł14.50. (Available in the Guild office, London, 020 7381 6616, or email