Frame materials compared: polystyrene, wood and aluminium

A photo frame is more than its moulding. At ArtzFolio each frame has a clear front sheet with a protective film, an engineered wood back, and a moulding in polystyrene, wood or aluminium. Polystyrene is the most standard of the three. The back carries adjustable hangers or a stand, and a photo mount is optional.

The front sheet changes with size. The smaller standard sizes use 0.5 mm clear PVC and the larger ones use 1 mm clear acrylic, with a matching engineered wood back. That choice is made by size, not by moulding material, so you can compare moulding materials without changing anything else in the frame.

Polystyrene mouldings are light, do not swell in damp rooms and take a wide range of colours. Because the material is consistent from piece to piece, matching one batch to the next is easier than with natural materials. That matters for a brand that reorders the same range through the year.

The trade-off is feel. A polystyrene frame is lighter in the hand than wood and will not have real grain. For most online and retail frame ranges that is acceptable, and the lower weight also helps with packing and carriage.

Wood suits brands that sell warmth and craft. It has real grain, so no two pieces are identical, and it is heavier. Wood can move with humidity, so ask how the corners are joined and finished, and check a sample in the climate your customers live in.

Aluminium suits a slim, modern, gallery look. It is rigid and stays straight, and thin profiles are easier to hold in metal than in other materials. Aluminium mouldings are usually offered in metallic and painted finishes, and a cut corner shows the metal edge, so check how the join looks up close. Ask which finishes are available for aluminium when you request a sample.

• Polystyrene: light, damp-tolerant, many colours, consistent between batches.
• Wood: natural grain, heavier, warmer look, can move with humidity.
• Aluminium: thin, rigid, modern; confirm finish options when you enquire.

Use this table as a starting point for your brief. It is general guidance about the materials, not a statement of price.

Start from your customer and your channel. A range sold online in many colours and sizes usually favours polystyrene, because it travels well and stays consistent. A boutique range may justify wood. A clean modern range may call for aluminium.

Then brief the factory clearly. Name the material, the profile, the colour and the inside picture size, because the outside of the frame is larger by the moulding width. ArtzFolio makes four profiles, Fine, Slim, Classic and Broad, in six standard colours: Black, White, Dark Brown, Natural Brown, Golden and Antique Gold. Any other colour is made on request.

Price, minimum order and lead time depend on the material and the finish, so ArtzFolio confirms them in the quote; typical ranges for photo frames are on the pricing page. Samples are paid, and by agreement the sample cost can be reimbursed or adjusted in your final order. Ask for two materials side by side if you are unsure; it is a low-cost way to decide.

The commonest mistake is choosing from a photo. Mouldings look similar on screen, and the real differences are weight, edge sharpness, corner joins and colour depth. Hold a sample before you commit a range, and look at the corners and the back as well as the front.

A second mistake is changing material late. A different moulding can change the outside size, the weight of the carton and the finish, so settle the material before you fix packaging. A third is mixing materials in one set without checking the colours side by side, because a painted polystyrene black and a stained wood black rarely match exactly.

Finally, plan the range as a family. Frames are easier to sell when the same sizes come in every colour, and a customer knows what to expect. Choose one main material for the core range and treat a second material as a premium line.