Nielsen frames

NIELSEN FRAMES, FITTED PROPERLY.

Nielsen make some of the most precisely engineered frames in Europe — the Alpha aluminium profile and the Quadrum solid wood range. We stock both, and rather than handing you a boxed frame, we cut the mount, fit the work and finish it on the bench in Timperley.

Build Your Nielsen Frame Call 0161 669 1835

The maker

Ninety seconds on why framers rate them.

The Nielsen brand began in 1971 in Townsend, in the United States, founded by Helmar Nielsen. Ten years later he set up the German business with the entrepreneur Rainer Mönchmeier in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, and in 1984 the company bought its own aluminium press — the point at which it started manufacturing aluminium picture frames properly, in-house.

That German operation, Nielsen Design GmbH, still makes the Alpha profile in Rheda today, and supplies the UK through its English subsidiary. Nielsen describe themselves as the global market leader in aluminium picture framing — their words, not an independent measure, but the reputation among framers is real enough.

One point of confusion worth clearing up: you may find American pages for "Nielsen Bainbridge". That is a separate business — its US operations were acquired by Crescent Brands in 2021 — and it is not where the frames sold here come from. Ours are the German-made European ranges.

What we stock

Two ranges, eleven finishes.

Alpha — aluminium

Nielsen call it the 7.8 mm narrow picture frame with the perfect mitre, and the description is fair: the profile is slim enough to disappear, and the corners meet cleanly. Surfaces are anodised or finished in real wood veneer, and it is made in Rheda, Germany.

Best for prints, photographs and modern work where you want the frame to stay out of the way — and for larger pieces, where aluminium keeps the weight sensible.

Finishes we stock

Matt BlackJet Black PolishedDark Grey PolishedSilver PolishedBrushed AmberOakWenge

Quadrum — solid wood

A plain square-section wood frame in FSC-certified pine, which Nielsen describe as simple elegance — clear lines, harmonious colours. On the painted finishes the grain still reads through the surface.

Best where you want a warmer, more substantial surround than metal. Its deeper rebate takes double mounts comfortably, so there is room to give the work some breathing space.

Finishes we stock

BlackMatt WhiteOakWenge

Light and strong at once

Nielsen's own argument for aluminium is that it combines two things that usually trade off against each other — it is light, and at the same time very stable. On a big print that is the difference between a frame you can hang on an ordinary wall and one you cannot.

A slim profile

Alpha is 7.8 mm wide — the only profile dimension Nielsen publish. It reads as a fine line around the work rather than a border competing with it.

Room for a proper mount

Quadrum's deeper rebate takes double mounts and thicker contents, which is what lets a print sit back from the glass instead of pressed against it.

Sizes on the shelf

A4A3A2A130 × 40 cm40 × 50 cm50 × 70 cm

Not the size you need? Nielsen's own catalogue runs well beyond what we keep on the shelf, and everything we make is cut to measure anyway — bring the work in or tell us the dimensions and we will sort it.

Price one up in a minute.

Pick the range, the finish and the size, add your mount, and the builder shows you the price as you go — no waiting on a quote. Or bring the piece to the studio and we will hold the corner samples against it, which is still the best way to choose.

Build Your Nielsen Frame Bespoke Framing

Unit 6, Manway Business Park, Canal Rd, Timperley, Altrincham WA14 1TD
Free parking outside the door · walk-ins welcome