The difference between clip frames, box frames, and float frames — explained

The short version is this: a clip frame sandwiches a flat image directly behind glass with no surround, a box frame is deep enough to hold three-dimensional objects away from the glazing, and a float frame suspends a work so its edges stay visible rather than hidden under a mount. Each solves a different problem, and choosing the wrong one is the most common framing mistake people make at home.

Once you can name what each frame is actually doing, the right choice for a given piece becomes obvious. Below is what separates them, and when each one earns its place on your wall.

What is a clip frame and when should you use one?

A clip frame is the most stripped-back option there is: a sheet of glass or acrylic, a backing board, and small metal or plastic clips that hold the two together around the edges. There is no moulding, no border, and no visible frame at all. The image presses flat against the glazing, which is exactly why clip frames look clean and cost very little.

That same simplicity is also their limitation. Because the work touches the glass directly, there is nowhere for air to move and nothing to stop paper sticking to the glazing if any damp gets in. For a film poster, a child’s drawing, or a print you can reprint tomorrow, none of that matters and a clip frame is a perfectly sensible choice. For anything you would be sorry to lose, it is the wrong tool. Treat clip frames as temporary or disposable framing, not protection.

What is a box frame and what is it for?

A box frame is built with depth, so the gap between the glass and the backing is large enough to hold an object without crushing it. Where an ordinary frame is essentially flat, a box frame creates a small lit cavity, which is why you see them used for medals, jewellery, dried flowers, a christening gown, a football shirt, or any keepsake that has thickness to it.

That depth changes how you read the contents. An object in a box frame casts its own shadow and sits in its own space, which makes it feel displayed rather than merely pressed flat. The trade-off is that box frames are heavier, more expensive, and ask more of your wall fixings. They also reward careful mounting, because anything loose inside will shift and announce itself the moment the frame is hung. If your piece is genuinely three-dimensional, though, nothing else does the job. A good local framer will advise on the right depth and on conservation-grade mounts, and many of the framing specialists listed in this directory, such as Art of Framing or Artisan Framing Ltd, handle exactly this kind of work.

What is a float frame and why do artists prefer it?

A float frame holds the artwork slightly raised off its backing so the whole piece, edges included, appears to float within the frame. Instead of a mount covering the borders, you see a narrow shadow gap all the way round, and the full sheet or canvas reads as a complete object.

This matters more than it sounds. Many works on paper have a deckle edge, a hand-torn margin, or a printed plate mark that is part of the work’s character, and a conventional window mount hides all of it. Floating the piece keeps those edges in view and signals that you are looking at an original rather than a cropped reproduction. Canvases benefit too: a float frame, sometimes called a tray frame for stretched canvas, surrounds the painting with a thin recess so the edges stay visible and the frame never overlaps the painted surface. It is the option that interferes least with the work, which is precisely why so many galleries default to it.

A clip frame hides the frame; a float frame hides nothing but the join.

How do you choose between them?

Start with the work, not the frame. If the piece is flat, replaceable, and you mostly want it up cheaply, a clip frame will do. If it has depth or sentimental weight, a box frame protects and presents it properly. If it is an original on paper or canvas whose edges deserve to be seen, a float frame is almost always the most respectful choice.

Cost and weight follow naturally from that. Clip frames are the cheapest and lightest, box frames the most demanding on both budget and wall, and float frames sit in between while looking the most considered. Two more things are worth fixing in your mind regardless of type: use UV-filtering glazing for anything valuable or in bright light, and never let an original touch the glass without a mount or spacer. Beyond that, the rule is simple. Match the frame to what the work needs, and the result will look deliberate rather than accidental. If you would rather hand the decision to someone who frames for a living, a dedicated framer such as Allframe can talk you through glazing, mounts, and the right style for each piece.