Great info here. Thank you ALL
Art Supply stores a lot of times will have the matting and framing supplies you need. They many times give classes on art framing or will give free instructions on how to frame your photos.
Ruthiel wrote:
I went to Michaels with a coupon and chose frames and mats in stock. Nothing custom. It’s expensive! Where is the best place to have this done? I’m not framing the Mona Lisa just some nice photos. Comments please 😇
I found frames from Walmart that are not bad, package of 4, 14x17 with mats and glass for around $15 including shipping.
Try matboardandmore.com
I have ordered multiples three times so far. The products are very well packed to protect the contents and the arrival time is quick.
Hsch39
Loc: Northbrook, Illinois
ngrea wrote:
I shop at thrift stores for framed art. Frequently it has mats. I take the art out, touch up the frame and rarely pay more than $10. The hard part can be finding the perfect frame for a particular photo. But I have found that sometimes it is a surprise how photos and frames will go together. I keep a supply in my garage, especially simple/plain frames.
I do exactly the same. Our thrift store has an unlimited supply of unwanted art work. I also have 10-15 frames waiting for my images.
canon Lee wrote:
Always have a mat when framing. The mat keeps the print from sticking to the glass.....
If a picture looks better without the mat, or if you simply prefer not to use a mat,
you can place a spacer on the inside of the glass, so that it is hidden behind the edges of the frame.
The same store that sells you the frame and glass, will be able to advise you on the spacer.
In lieu of framing, you could print on canvas, coat the print with protective spray and mount on stretcher boards. Stretcher boards run in the $2 - $4 range for the sizes you mention so your cost would be around $16 plus the cost of getting the print made. A different process than you asked about, but certainly less expensive.
Ruthiel wrote:
I went to Michaels with a coupon and chose frames and mats in stock. Nothing custom. It’s expensive! Where is the best place to have this done? I’m not framing the Mona Lisa just some nice photos. Comments please 😇
I think it is a matter of volume. If you only need to frame one or two non-standard sizes a year, hire it out. If you start doing a lot, invest in the tools and DIY.
There have been a few times in my life when I wanted something special in a frame, a certain texture to complement the image or protective qualities for framed family heirloom pieces. But otherwise I stick to standard sizes. I have thought about both the metal and canvas print options, but have not tried them yet. The canvas option has become more appealing now that extending the image in post to provide a few inches of wrap material has become so easy.
NCMtnMan
Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC
Big part of the reason so many do canvas prints instead of framing. I use Easy Canvas Prints for much of my work. They have great sales and the work is very good. Customer service is excellent as well.
I have been mounting 12" x 18" prints on 18" x 24" foam board (use spray adhesive) and then adding an 18" x 24" matt from Blick art supplies.
https://www.dickblick.com Very economical and no hassle with cutting matt board. This seems to be a standard size for poster frames and you can usually find something for around $25.
Pictureframes.com offers custom frame sizes at a reasonable cost. Prices vary with frame material but there are some nice black frames for photographs a a reasonable cost.
I personally don't like "framed" photos myself but Amazon is king when it comes to framing if you know exactly what you want (look at reviews though).
I bought some "clip glass" frames from Hobby Lobby and Michaels and they were junk - the clips wore away in the back if you even adjusted them once rendering the frames useless. I found the following on Amazon and they are amazing and an amazing price!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072R1BW1Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They look great too :)
I tend to spend a little more on the printing of my photos and get them done at my local camera store Dury's which are on archival paper and don't seem to stick to the glass - if I was printing my own, I prob would have to use a mat.
AndyT
Loc: Hampstead, New Hampshire
Ruthiel wrote:
I went to Michaels with a coupon and chose frames and mats in stock. Nothing custom. It’s expensive! Where is the best place to have this done? I’m not framing the Mona Lisa just some nice photos. Comments please 😇
Ruthiel. I've had many photos framed at Michael's. They've always done a really nice job on what I think are really nice prints that I've brought them. Those frames and mats don't assemble themselves, and the workers need to be paid a fair wage not counting the cost of frame, glass mats and hardware. Surely your work must be worth it.
Ikea has a large selection of inexpensive frames.
Ruthiel wrote:
I went to Michaels with a coupon and chose frames and mats in stock. Nothing custom. It’s expensive! Where is the best place to have this done? I’m not framing the Mona Lisa just some nice photos. Comments please 😇
For personal use, or small batches, you probably can't do better than Michaels. Go and watch for their BOGO sales. I have rarely paid full price for their frames.
If you are going to sell photos and need to mount and mat a lot of them, look into RediMat. They have packages that include backing, windowed mat, and clear plastic envelope for each mat at a price you cannot match by going local or cutting them yourself. Even with the shipping from California to Connecticut, the cost per mat is substantially less than buying local (wish I could buy local, but apparently the suppliers around here don't get it).
Assembling your own frames from stock that you see in custom shops is also possible. Check out Grignons on the web for info on how to do it. You can get a much larger choice of frames and they are not hard to assemble.
Last, I sell a fair number of prints at craft fairs. I spent a lot of money framing some and displaying them. I have not sold more than a few framed ones, so now instead of lugging them to festivals, I just offer the option of framing.
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