Wierd Optical Illusion

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mickdermesser

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Mar 9, 2006
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Houston
This week we framed a wide Bev Doolittle print 46X12. It had a 4 inch double mat, so it was a very wide short frame. The customer chose one of the LJ mouldings in the La Hacienda line. It has spiral swirls that resemble rope on the front.

Anyway, the customer brought the framed print back to us saying that the mat was cut at a bad angle, and that one side was shorter than the other. She said that she hadn't noticed it until she hung it and viewed it from far away.

I measured the frame, the mat, and the image on each of the corners and in the middle. Everything measures the same! I then put it on an easel and held a long mat scrap over the top moulding and the mats and image looked straight. Apparantly, the spirals in the moulding caused an optical illusion.

We have used this Moulding on smaller frames and did not notice the effect. It could be that the wide dimensions increased the illusion.

When I explained this to the customer, she was very skeptical; but eventually she agreed that the effect went away when you cover the spirals. We are going to reframe the print in a different moulding at no additional charge.
 
we actually just threw that sample in the garbage last week!! We did up a sample and no one would buy it, it was driving US crazy and someone came in looking for a donation so we gave it to them. THey brought the stupid thing back saying it was crooked!! (the nerve!!)

So anyways, we just threw those two samples in the trash - they are beautiful frames - but not worth the bother!!
 
mickdermesser;
We had a very similar experience a long time ago but with a wood grained moulding similar in shape and profile to the bull nose Mica mouldings.

We did all the things you said including placing a 90deg. triangle in every corner to prove that the frame was square.

Then I told them it was the grain in the wood ( or appearance of it) that gave the illusion that the moulding was slanted ,but only on one leg. My wife proved the folly of this by covering each leg while the customer viewed the work from a distance. when the right leg was covered the illusion went away. I told them I try ONE more time ( after already redoing it foe a 1/16 of an in. slip of the mat) to change the leg but the grains were placed by Someone with a lot more talent than I had so if it didn't resolve the illusion I couldn't help.

When that leg was changed ,Miracles of miracles , the illusion went away. you probably won't be this fortunate since the rope pattern is on every leg. But if you could cut a small mat and hold it up to cover the roping and ask them to view it again ,I'll bet the illusion goes away.LOL
BUDDY
 
I made a stock frame out of Zebra wood about a year ago, this thing looked like it was a couple of inches out of square, it was ridicules. I stained the frame dark walnut and sold it a few months later. The walnut stain straightened it up perfectly.

John
 
Bad design...used it before, then sample went in the trash. They suggest using a fillet with no design in order to make it better, does not happen. You would have thought before they made thousands of feet, it would have been checked!?

PL
 
What particular number are we talking about here? I've used this line with no troubles so far. Is this the wider profile with the flat panel covered in loops?
:cool: Rick
 
That mouldign was discontinued. It was in a flyer I got a few weeks ago.

Also in that line discontinued was 124134, 525134, 697134, 381136, and 697136.

There were about 70 mouldings listed int he flyer. It was dated April 17, 2006.
 
Ooooh... different line. I was thinking of the Tuscany line, which is fairly new. Glad they aren't discontinued.
:cool: Rick
 
I love the new Tuscany line! I have sold a tremendous number of frames using this molding.
 
We only carry three moulding that have a rope design, but they are near the outer edge, so they seldom present the problem you describe.

What drives me nuts are diplomas that have a italicized script fonts. I can never center a mat to them by eye.
 
When the line came out the LJ rep pulled them out and told us not to use them, SO in the trash they went.
 
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