Now that you’ve selected your oval picture frame it is time to prepare your photo to be placed in the frame. This is not difficult to do, but here are some tips to keep in mind to make the process go smoothly.

1. Before you cut your picture to fit an oval frame, always make sure the photo looks good in an oval shaped frame first. The best way to check is to take the frame apart so you can place just the frame over the photo. To do this, first remove the frame back and then take out the glass and set it carefully to the side. Place the oval frame over your picture and center the frame around the subjects in your photo. This step will help you decide if you like how your picture looks inside an oval picture frame.

2. Next, take the glass from your oval picture frame and carefully place it over the photo where the frame had been. Carefully adjust the glass until the positioning looks good. Be careful when moving the glass so your photo doesn’t get damaged.

3. Be patient as you adjust the glass as you want the subject or individuals in the picture to be straight in the frame.  Aligning a subject in an oval frame isn’t as simple as aligning a rectangular or square picture frame so make sure it looks right. Ideally, the individuals in the photo should be centered in the frame and have equal amount of space around them. For vertical spacing, the subject’s head should be about 2/3′s of the way up from the bottom of the picture. Positioning the subject’s head in the center of the frame leaves too much space above and throws off the picture’s eye appeal.

4. When you’ve found the perfect position for your picture, carefully trace along the outside of the glass with a thin pen. Thick pens or markers may bleed onto the picture so avoid using them.

5. Now you are ready to cut. Use a sharp pair of scissors and cut along the line you traced. If you have a mat knife you can certainly use it, however most people only have scissors available. Make sure your scissors are sharp because dull scissors can bend or crease your picture. Once your photo is cut, make sure to clean the glass and give it plenty of time to dry so it won’t cause any moisture damage on your picture.

6. Check to see if your oval picture frame came with frame backing. If it did, all you have to do is put the glass, photo and frame back on and you’re all done. If it didn’t come with backing, you can use an archival mat board or a piece of cardboard to make your own. The purpose of the backing is to securely keep your picture and glass in place. If you need to make your own frame back and your picture is important to you, then you should only use archival mat board. The problem with cardboard is that it has acid in it that can degrade your photo over time.

The first step to making your own frame back is to place the oval frame face up on the cardboard or mat board. Next, you’ll need to trace along the outside edge of the oval picture frame back so it will fit perfectly in your frame. Once you have cut it out and placed it in the frame, you’ll need to use brad nails about 1/4 inch long to secure the frame backing. You do this by placing the brad nails on the board and pushing them into the molding on the back of the wood picture frame. Once the brad nails are securely holding the frame backing you’re all ready to hang your oval picture frame.

As you can see, preparing and assembling an oval picture frame does take a little time but can be a simple process if you follow these basic steps. And once your oval picture frame is hanging beautifully on the wall, you’ll be glad that you took the time to do it.