ULTIMATE PICTURE FRAME

The problem of having too much art is far from the worst problem to have, but it can rapidly become an exceedingly expensive one when it comes to framing.

When faced with the problem of needing All The Frames in All The Sizes, I put my stubbornness and creativity to work instead of opening my wallet. What started as a simple need for a couple of frames that I could easily and cheaply produce for my own use quickly escalated into an exciting game of Design What If.

What if a frame could be entirely 3D printed? What if it could be virtually any size? What if it could made without a bunch of screws and glue?

What if I could solve this Framing Problem for more than just me?

Several months, tons of maths and countless test prints later, the Ultimate Picture Frame was born. In the final iteration there are four different versions, each one tackling a unique frame sizing convention without overlap to prevent potential issues with modularity.

They all work around the same concept however, and they all allow the building of frames from a minimum size (four corner pieces) all the way up to whatever size frame you can possibly dream of.

The frame was designed entirely in Autodesk Fusion 360, with each set utilising a unique set of measurements to ensure a huge range of sizing combinations. The pieces fit firmly together using straight and corner dovetail joints, giving a tight fit without the use of glue. An inner channel along the inside of the frame allows for the addition of a clear pane of glass or acrylic if desired, but also works great without. A small back panel can be fitted in the corners with screws for extra stability and provides a range of hanging options.

(In the end, I couldn’t avoid ANY screws, but managed to keep them to a minimum.)

Throughout the design process, I was driven by the intoxicating pull to accommodate as many potential framing options as possible. I found myself thinking about the kinds of options you may be given at a framing shop and tried to incorporate as many of those things in as I could without ruining another aspect of the design.

Thanks to the nature of FDM 3D printing, you can easily customise your colour and material options as easily as you can change spools of filament. The print orientation makes it easy to create multi-colour frames with an accent on the inner edge, or stripes down the length. I created the files with a range of tolerances and test pieces so nobody and no printer should get left out of the fun due to differing levels of mechanical precision.

I really did my best to think of everything. It’s called the Ultimate Picture Frame for a reason, after all, and I’m thrilled to be able to offer the files for sale to anyone who also wants to fill their home with custom framed art!