Frames styles come and go every decade or so. We have seen so many over the years, 
from the ornate to the glossy aluminium, from the gaudy, ornate gold to the plain white, and many more. Yet there is something incredibly functionally simple and elegant about clip frames. The design has stayed remarkably consistent over the years, perhaps because it is so uncomplicated and basic. It has no visible wood or metal edge or border and consists of a backing board and a pane of glass with the artwork sandwiched in between, all held together by clips. One of the curious aspects of this common product is often its widespread, but incorrect, nomenclature.
The clip frame is but a clip frame. It is not a snap frame, a clack frame, a click frame, frameless frame, borderless frame or glass frame. Each of these terms is further explored below:
Clack frames. We don't really know what those are supposed to be. If Google is searched, ordinary picture frames display as results. However we notice online and store searches for them and Customers also occasionally ring us up asking for them. We suspect that a clack frame is a clip frame misnamed. By the way, we do sell lots of clip frames, on if which is shown under here:
Click frames. Again, we are not sure what these are meant to be. However Google searches predominantly show results for snap frames, so we guess that's what people mean. Incidentally, we also sell snap frames and below is what these look like.
Frameless frames. That's as a splendid an oxymoron as we have ever heard. How can something frameless be a frame? That being said Google results invariably show clip frames, so we guess that's what many people call also call them.
Borderless frames. Term synonymous with frameless frame except that Google search results are a bit of a dog's breakfast and tend to show not just clip frames but several other types and kinds of picture frames.
Glass frames. Again, if we search online for this term all we seem to get are results for optometrist selling glass frames for spectacles, so the term has nothing to do with clip frames. We think however that when people search for "glass frames", they are most likely searching for the double-sided glass frames such as the one below and which is not like a clip frame at all.
Sometimes Customers ask us if they can have clip frames with stands, or standbacks, to keep them upright on shelves and tables. Unfortunately, and from past experience, stand do not work very well with clip frames because or a few problems. perhaps the first drawback is that the Swiss clips, or the metal clips at the sides of the clip frame, protrude form the edge of the frame, and being made of metal, tend to scratch polished wood surfaces.
Another problem is that clip frames do not have the relative protection of a wood frame around them and when moved or knocked over and onto floors tend to chip, break or shatter quite easily. Perhaps a last reason as to why clip frames usually are not usually imported with a strut or standback option Customers sometimes choose not to stand them and to hang them on walls instead. Problem is, that once clip frames are fitted with standbacks, these will not sit flat on walls and will look crooked and untidy once hung.
Clip frames are versatile products that proffer several benefits to Customers. These are are removable, quickly opened and new art is easily inserted. which is great for transient shows and temporary displays.
Compared to illuminated light boxes, clip frames are also far more cheaper and easier to install and run. There are no electrical wires, cables or power points to worry about. If placed in a retail or showroom environment, their neutral appearance easily lends to re-branding meaning that different colour and content advertisements may be placed and replaced in them at will.
Any paper stock can be inserted inside a clip frame, from cheap discount cards to professionally printed could photographs.
These are also available in a multiplicity of sizes, from the small, 4"x6" size to the larger and popular A1 size. Larger clip frame sizes are difficult to find and even harder to manufacture because these normally are made with quite thin MDF backings.
It follows that if an A0 size were to be made in that size, the backing would flex and bend too much and would not sit or rest straight against the wall when hung. Customers would reject the product as unattractive or unappealing.
Perhaps another supposed drawback with clip frames is that these still have a little a lingering, bad reputation of "always falling off the wall" . The reason for this was a design fault which has now largely disappeared from modern clip frames. In the past, many clip frames were sold as hangerless, or without proper hangers, and as shown below:
Generally, these were 2-Dollars or discount shop products and when traders were queries as to how these should be hung, the answer was to hang them from the little square slot at the back if the metal Swiss clip. However the slots were always a bit to small to properly accommodate nails, screws or walls and this is most likely reason of hanging failures
Another topic worth mentioning is the clip frames' persistent decor popularity. And while it is generally acknowledged that the the early 1980's were the clip frame's heyday, reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated. Our clip frames have remained steady and consistent over the years.
Contributing to this popularity endurance is the clip frames' price advantage over conventional picture frames and custome picture frames. An A1 poster custom frame may cost upwards to a few hundred dollars, depending on its components, materials and configuration. But an A1 clip frame? At the time of writing it will cost a mere $24.49 !!
A reason why clip frames are not as popular as these ought to be is the difficulty of safely shipping them without damage or breakage. This is the most likely reason why department stores and online traders tend not to stock them. So far as ee are concerned though, shipping clip frames anywhere and everywhere is not a problem. Incidentally, we have published a post about shipping clip frames before.
Packing parcels with glass clip frames so that these may be transported safely, is actually a fairly detailed and skilled task. Visitors can visit the following link on how to how to pack parcels with glass photo frames and glass clip frames. Lastly, and while we do not claim to be experts, we have managed to reduce our goods transit breakarate down to a negligible 1% or so.
As a penultimate point worth mentioning concerns our frameless clip frame with a clear plastic glaze instead a clear glass glaze. We sell this product to several organizations which elect to mail out their certificates already framed to students or graduands. However, not only do clear glass clip frames tend to easily break while transiting the postal system, but also, Australia Post Staff generally decline to accept parcels containing glass items, citing health and safety concerns.
This is why we introduced our clip frame with clear plastic glaze and as shown below. The plastic is clear, sharp, light and pretty much unbreakable.
A last point is the availability of other glazing for clip frames. Customers occasionally ask about having clip frames glazedwith non-reflective, non-glare, or diffused glass. However, this type of glass is not requested often enough or in sufficient quantities to warrant large-scale or commercial importation.
Perhaps clip frames with non-glare glass could be custom made locally, however the price would be so out of kilter with the price of imported frames so at to make these virtually unsaleable. Unfortunately this is an entrenched, long-standing and intractable problem besetting the manufacture of most household goods in Australia.
Where I’m from, Germany, where these are very popular, we call these rahmenlose bildhalter, or cliprahmen. I had them in my old apartment in Bad Staffelstein overlooking nearby hills and like they say here, these were cheap and cheery. These are more difficult to find in Australia but I found the sizes I wanted, the A5 and A4 clear glass clip frames here. I recommend them to anybody – much, much cheaper than locally-made, custom picture frames.