How to frame a coloring page: cut, trim and fit a standard 8 x 10 frame

Cut along the dotted line at the spine, trim to the four corner marks, and you have a 7 x 9 inch print. It fits a standard 8 x 10 inch frame with a small border all around, or an 11 x 14 frame with a mat.

What size is a finished page once cut out?

Every drawing in Quiet Ocean and Quiet Winter sits inside a 7 x 9 inch area marked by a cut line and corner marks.

Choosing a frame

An 8 x 10 frame takes the print with about half an inch to spare on each side. For a gallery look, use an 11 x 14 frame with a mat whose opening is slightly smaller than 7 x 9 inches, so the mat overlaps the edges of the print.

Cutting and trimming

1. Finish the page and let any ink dry fully.
2. Cut along the dotted line near the spine with a craft knife and a metal ruler, on a cutting mat.
3. Trim the other three sides to the corner marks.
4. Check the fit before you take out the frame's backing for good.

Mat or no mat

Without a mat the print sits close to the glass, which suits a simple, modern frame. A mat gives the drawing room and keeps layered pencil off the glass.

Protecting the color

Keep it out of direct sun, which fades pencil and marker. Glass protects against dust and fingers. For soft pastel or heavy wax pencil, a light spray of fixative before framing helps.

In short

Cut on the line, trim to the marks, use an 8 x 10 frame. Then post it and tag @nibfern: it might end up on Framed by you.

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