The books
Books
The Design Language of Custom Picture Framing
A comprehensive design-language reference created specifically for custom framers. Explore mouldings, motifs, period styles, design principles, and the visual decisions that turn framing into design.
The Design Language of Custom Picture Framing is a comprehensive guide to understanding the visual language behind custom frame design. Created for professional framers, designers, educators, students, and anyone interested in the art of presentation, the book explores how mouldings, motifs, patterns, finishes, proportions, and historical design influences work together to create successful framing.
Blending design principles with art and frame history, the book helps readers move beyond simply selecting a moulding and begin making more informed design decisions. Through hundreds of visual examples, it examines period styles, frame forms, decorative motifs, surface treatments, and the relationship between the artwork, the frame, and the surrounding environment.
Whether used as a reference guide, teaching resource, or source of inspiration, The Design Language of Custom Picture Framing offers a deeper understanding of why certain framing choices work—and how thoughtful design can elevate the presentation of art.
From $69.95 USD · Hardcover or softcover
Softcover or Hardcover — Which Edition Is Right for You?
Both editions are packed with the same rigorous design content, frameworks, and photography that define this book — the difference comes down to depth and format, not quality.
- Softcover — 333 pages. The complete core text: design theory, moulding language, mat science, and the practical frameworks you'll use at the design counter every day.
- Hardcover — 363 pages. Everything in the softcover, plus 30 additional pages of expanded historical context and background — for readers who want the fuller story behind the craft. It also includes exclusive reference material and the Pacitti Periodic Table of Picture Frame Design—a visual reference created to bring the book’s design language together in one comprehensive system.
Whichever edition you choose, you're getting the full substance of the book. The hardcover simply adds more of the story; it doesn't take anything away from the softcover.
Shipping
Softcover editions ship worldwide through Amazon. Hardcover editions aren't available for shipping to certain countries through Amazon.
More books coming
The Complete Guide to Framing the World of Art & Photography
Understanding the Art. Discovering the Design. Framing with Purpose.
In development — release date: December 2026
Beyond the Glass
In development — release date: January 2027
Get in touch to be notified when they’re released.