framing and printing

[jimmy986]

I am trying to find the best option for framing, printing, canvases, etc. I am semi professional in terms of my photography. I am working on making it more of a priority.

I am looking for a good source for prints, canvases, framing, etc. I have used a site frameiteasy.com. It is inexpensive and you can tell a little bit. It has it's place for certain customers. I am looking for something that is good quality, i.e. no waviness even on large prints, looks and feels like quality to the eye/touch, etc.

I have looked at bayphoto. They have a lot of cool options. Some are very expensive. I have never used them before so I don't know if it there are less expensive but similar quality options elsewhere. For canvases I have used CG Pro Prints, which seems to be good quality and good pricing.

Has anyone used the bayphoto xpozer. It seems like a really cool option.

What I am doing right now is more fine art/retail selling. I have places to display my work some higher end, some not quite as much so there are a lot of choices to be made.

I love the idea of metal prints but don't know if the price is too high for more retail work. I run a medium to high end furniture store so we sell to high end customers but there is still sticker shock involved sometimes.

For people that sell in more of a retail setting, is there a typical mark up on the price of the print/framing that you normally use?

 

[john.margetts]

First you need to tell us where you are. No point in my telling an Australian about places in the UK.

 

[KmH]

Keep large prints flat by mounting the print.
There are several ways a print can be mounted.
Which method of mounting is used has a direct bearing on the longevity of the print.

A print that is not kept separate from the glazing will not last as long as a print that is separated from the glazing.
There are a couple of ways to make sure the print does not touch the glazing - spacers or a mat(s) between the frame and the glazing with a window cut in the mat for the print to show through.

The longest lasting mounting method, as long as high quality acid free materials are used, is a hinge mount backed by an acid free mount board and a double mat between the print and the glazing. The print 'floats' between the mount board and the front mat so the frame and materials can shrink and swell some minimizing stress on the print.

Cheap mounting materials are acidic and substantially reduce the life of a print.
All mounting materials get more acid over time, mainly from contaminants in the atmosphere.
Contamination from the atmosphere can be reduced somewhat by putting backing paper on a frame.

Mid-grade materials are acid-balanced and have less impact on print longevity.
The best materials are acid free, museum quality archival materials, but even the best materials deteriorate and have to be replaced periodically.

I only offered acid free, museum quality archival materials and high quality frames.
If you're using consumer grade materials my markup would have no bearing on what you might charge.