The Radiant Frame comes in three different styles, a wood frame with natural oak finish, a wood frame in matte black finish, and a glass frame in a somewhat contemporary design. The frames are approximately 8” x 10”. They come with matting that accommodates a 4” x 6” picture.  The frame itself is backlit, powered by either the included AC power adapter or a set of 4 AA batteries.

The Radiant Frame comes with several sheets of special ink jet printer paper, which looks and feels like a translucent parchment-type paper. You print your photo on the special paper. Then you remove the back of the frame, which comes apart just like most ordinary picture frames. Insert your photo into the frame, reattach the back of the frame, and turn it on. The combination of the special paper and the back light really make the picture pop. While garden and landscapes looked very good, I found the frame really brought out the best in pictures featuring people. It made them look much more lifelike.

The paper was easy to print on. I tried it out on both a Canon and a Lexmark printer with excellent results. The included instruction sheet walks you through the proper printer settings. For an even more customized look you can create you own personalized matting. Several matting ideas are presented on the Radiant Frames Web site. I would love it if they would include a template to you could create these custom mats more easily. Radiant Frames also offers an image processing service which you can use to send them an old or new photo or digital image and have them print it on the Radiant paper.

What’s not to like? The frame was well-constructed and sturdy, but the arm that the frame rests on was a little skimpy. While this did not cause any problems in my testing, I would like to see a thicker arm with a little more substance to it. Also, the frame comes with only three sheets of paper. Unless you are giving it as a present with one of your pictures in it, you will definitely need more paper. While you can order additional paper from the Radiant Frames Web site (ten sheets for $9.99), I would like to see more paper included with the frame itself. According to the manufacturer’s information, my other wish, for frames in larger sizes, will come true later this year.

The lighted frame has a nice glowing quality so it can also be easily used as a nightlight. It is a distinctive way to show off your digital photos with a special brilliance. The RadiantFrame makes a unique present, as well.

Manufacturer:  Radiant Frames

Price:  $19.99