The application software which we developed with Lowy includes a "picture-in-frame" capability. This allows a client to view a digital image of a piece of art as it would look in a particular frame. The process is described below with an example.
Because the frame may not be precisely the right size for the work of art, it may be necessary for one of Lowy's craftsmen to modify it to make it larger or smaller. Needless to say, this is something one does not undertake lightly with a valuable, antique, picture frame. By performing a digital approximation to this operation on the image of the frame, an approximate image of the final result can be viewed before actually altering a frame.
(Click on any of the images to see a larger version.)
The process starts with a work of art which is to be framed. If the art work itself is available, it is scanned. If only a color print or chrome is available, then that is scanned.
One or more candidate frames are selected, using the computerized record of the frame inventory. The search criteria may include size of the frame, as well as period, country of origin, and style.
Three candidate frames are shown below.
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Finally, the computer software digitally inserts the image of the art into the image of each frame. If a frame is the wrong size for the art, it is digitally cut down or expanded by removing or replicating portions of the frame where appropriate. This may be seen most easily in the large view of the middle picture below. Look for two slight discontinuities in the outer decorative woodwork on the left edge of the frame, at 1/3 and 2/3 along the outer side of the frame.
The results for the three candidate frames are shown below. The client may now study the images on the computer display, or produce high-quality prints of the images, to help in deciding which frame best complements the work of art.
Notice that in these images, the frame images have all been rotated 90 degrees to better fit the painting.
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