rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Tempe Imaging Center. The only place I have any print work done.

--Bob

TheeGambler Loc: The green pastures of Northeast Texas

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Framing and matting costs often times price your photos too high, so they cannot compete in the market. It is one of those things where the photog does all the work and the framers gets all the profit. Unless you are selling your work for $1500, you are just supporting the frame shops.

Mark7829 Loc: Calfornia

Online it is BayPhoto. The have the complete package from printing, matting and framing. No matter what you do, it is going to be expensive with non-reflective glass being expensive but not as expensive as museum quality. You can print at BayPhoto and take to Michael's or Hobby Lobby to save a few but those are added steps and wait. Custom framing is another added cost and wait.

markmiller1198 Loc: Reno, NV

Check out Logan mat cutters, framing and mounting are expensive.

TheeGambler Loc: The green pastures of Northeast Texas

Sounds like you have a handle on this. In Houston there are frame outlets (warehouses) that will sell at good prices.. That has saved me many times the cost of framing at places like Michaels.

Garyminor Loc: Raleigh, NC

You can buy frames, molding, or mats at Pictureframes.com.

32" x 40" mats, in a pack of 16, your choice of colors, is slightly over $100. Look on their web page for a 10% discount code.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Be sure you use a quality framer. I was shocked to learn that my local Hobby Lobby didn't use acid-free mat board and "didn't know why it was necessary." I hope others are better informed. Michael's hires people off the street to do framing without a lot of training. The framing managers usually know what they're doing, but the others may not. (That's according to a friend who worked for Michael's for some time.)

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

No, I am not running an arc lamp, but my dining room, living room and family room all see a fair amount of sunlight at various times of the day, and that does contain UV.

That being said, I don't use or worry about special glass. I should live so long! :) :)

Creta1 Loc: Vancouver, BC

Michaels is way over priced. Try looking for a mom & pop place.

zoso

Thanks, some great advice

zoso

Thanks, some great advice

zoso

Great info, thanks

Collie lover Loc: St. Louis, MO

Go to Michael's and see if they have frames in the size you want and just do it yourself. Or check online for frames in the size you want. You'll save money by doing it yourself and not paying someone.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

More to all this than it might seem. Why framers get a decent buck.

The mitre for frame corners is finished with a guillotine type contraption as the final finishing that leaves a mirror and perfect surface, and the degree is critical. to make them meet up fair, is not a perfect 45°. THus, You have to invest on some very expensive equipment. Forget making your own frames unless you have cabinet making skills and equipment, or can live with imperfect joints. .

I have found Hobby Lobby is difficult to beat, especially with the 40% coupon. I arrived at this kicking and screaming. Pictureframes.com are a good value, i'm going to check out some of the other places mentioned myself! .

For a really nice frame, it will cost. You can buy them unassembled and they are pretty nice.

For Mat board, acid free using a buffering agent on wood pulp core boards will eventually fail. You may have seen white paper mat board or black paper with white core that this core has turned a yellow.. the board is reallty three items... paper surface is a sheet of paper glued to a core of wood pulp. This core may or may not have had a buffering agent applied. the yellow has come for the acid used to manufacture wood pulp and can be a natural effect for the pulp as it ages. .Real good mat board is made from cotton, and is only one item, no layers. (unless you get colored, then you have a cotton sheet of paper glued to a cotton board). Read up why cotton board is used- Also called museum board. Museum board has a 200 year lifespan.

Mat cutter. The real places use computer controlled cutters- they cost 30G's or so. You punch in the cuts on a computer and they are perfect. All the fancy kiss cut designs etc. A good mat cutter like the Fletcher 2200 are new about $1700 but you can find them on ebay for way cheaper. These are what framers used to use and work beautiful! I got one for $200. Note that when you cut your own mats, you can use the cut outs for a smaller print, thus you buy one board for three progressively smaller images, there is some economy on top of doing it yourself.

Then you should seal the board from acids that may be present in the wood frame with a special tape, then backed with a true acid free foamboard, or similar, and sealed with acid free framing tape. A little more expensive then regular tape, but works better and obviously truly acid free. Finally hanging hardware and wire good enough to support all this stuff.

Mounting the print. Several ways of doing this. Buy a book to read up on it. You want to use a reversible glue, and hinge it, or fold corners, or dry mount, but drymount needs something to cook it, if you use hot dry mount tissue, ( Not sure some prints will take the heat) ther is cold dry mount tissue, but you need a roller to squeeze the whole thing nice and even.. the good stuff is sort of expensive. Or use a mounting spray. All have advantages and disadvantages.

Finally glass. Glass from Michaels or Hobby Hobby is going to be steep. I have discovered if you go to a typical glass company, the ones that sell glass for your house windows, explain what you are doing, you can absolutely destroy the prices you find at the commercial framing stores- even for picture grade glass. I even found the fancy non-glare UV free glass is available from them at fantastic prices.

So you begin to see why framing costs... it isn't just a couple of mat boards.

zoso

Thanks for the education...I had no idea