Technical sheet - Photoframes and porcelain photo

General features

One of the main elements of an headstone is the portrait photo-frame that makes it precious the image of the dear departed. Real Votiva produces picture frames for headstone in bronze (created with die casting or lost wax techniques), porcelain (with a wide range of colors in marble or hand-decorated) and steel.

The photo-frames can have oval or rectangular shape and are produced in various formats, including the most widely used 9x12 cm and 11x15 cm. Typically, they are fixed through two back pins directly to the surface of the tombstones but there are also different models applicable to the ground, ideal for cemetery monuments or horizontal graves.

The frames have standard formats perfectly adaptable to the photos in porcelain which can be produced on demand.

The frames are covered with a special coating that ensures weatherproof and are very useful especially for graves planted outdoors.

Photo-frames sizes

The frames sizes indicated in the catalogue refer to the inner edges. The dimensions are always indicated in cm L x H, where L represents the width and H is the height.

Porcelain photo sizes

Porcelain photo sizes available in our catalogue vary from 4x6 cm up to large sizes like 50x70 cm. They are available in oval or horizontal shape and can be used in combination with photo-frames.

Size matching between photo-frame and porcelain photo

Usually porcelain photos are used in combination with photo-frames of the same size so it’s important to be sure that the relative sizes are corresponding. Actually, between the size of the inner edge of the frame and the size of the porcelain photo exists a slight difference of a few millimeters so that the overlapping frame can serve as support to the porcelain photo.

Conventionally, the catalogue sizes of frames and porcelain photo are standardized, so that ordering a photo-frame and a porcelain photo of the same nominal dimensions assures the perfect correspondence between the two elements.

How to apply the frame on the porcelain photo 

Before fixing the photo-frame on the tombstone surface, the porcelain photo is secured to the frame by means of two flexible steel fins placed in the back of the frame.

How to mount the photo-frame

Photo-frames can be mounted by means of two pin in the back. The application requires to carry out two small holes in correspondence of the pins. The frame is fixed with mastic for marble or other type of adhesive depending on the application surface. It is advisable to drill the holes using a drill bit with a diameter slightly greater than the pins diameter in order to allow the application of the mastic into the holes. At the end blow into the holes to remove residual powder inside.

Preparation of the mastic. To facilitate the application of mastic inside the holes, it is recommend using a liquid but viscous mastic. Using clean tools, take out from the tin the amount of mastic to use and add the right amount of catalyst paste (according to the quantities indicated on the package, e.g. from 1 to 3 grams of hardener per 100 grams of product); mix the two components by means of a spatula. Note that the curing time will shorten with temperatures above 25° C and will be longer with lower temperatures.

Photo-frames with base for floor mounting

As an alternative to the vertical application frame (P), are available various photo-frame models with ground attack (T) i.e. on a horizontal surface, suitable to be mounted on monuments or tombs on the ground. In this case the frame is applied onto a tilted L-shaped base which is fixed by means of two pins at the base (see images below).