With digital photos, scaling the image size refers to increasing or decreasing its size. You can use the same scaling technique to create fresh new displays with your picture frames.
3 Ideas to Change the Scale of Photo Displays
Mix the indoors with the outdoors by layering frames
Layering photo frames lets you show more in less space by placing larger prints to the back of smaller pieces. This can be done with wall hanging frames and freestanding photo frames, such as those on a mantel, shelving or stood upright on a table.
Personal photos of family and friends could be given a new viewing perspective by placing larger framed prints of the outdoors behind the smaller personal photos.
As an example of the layering technique using a mixed photo display, you could have portrait photos to the front with nature prints with trees and flowers, or the golden hue of sand on a beach as the backdrop layer.
Scale only the frame size
For gallery wall displays that are beginning to feel stale, you can change it up with different sizes of frames without resizing the image. Take any size of print, then place it in a larger frame with a bigger picture mount.
The picture mount acts as a window to the art or photo, and as a border that surrounds it. These can be swapped out with any colour too. All that is required is an acid-free mount board to keep the same level of protection.
Crop prints without actually cutting bits out
Just as you can use mount boards to surround smaller prints in larger frames, you can get creative with different layouts.
As the purpose of the mount board is to prevent the print from coming into contact with the glazing, the print is displayed behind it. You can use that to your advantage to hide parts of the print.
As an example, using our picture mount design software, you could create a custom mount with a narrower left and right border than the top and bottom. Once placed in your frame, the wider top and bottom margins would hide the upper and lower parts of the print.
This is a handy technique for photos that have the object or person in the middle of a photo as it hides the ground or flooring on the lower part and the shade of the sky above. When viewed in a different size of aperture window, the viewing perspective will be noticeable. Often, things just become bland to look at the more often you see them.
Each of the above techniques can be done with any number of picture frames to change the display for freshness.
On existing gallery walls, changing the layout will dramatically change the feel of the design. Changing the colours of the mount board, the size of the aperture windows or even just the order that your existing frames are in, adds a new viewing perspective. Each can help keep your existing displays visually interesting.