Framing My Photos

[carlosaustin]

Now that I've retired, I can devote more time and money to one of my favorite hobbies, photography. This is the only forum that I belong to and I want to thank you guys and gals for running such a spiffy site!

I searched this forum as well as youtube, but I couldn't find any relevant topics for the information I need.

I have enough "stunning" photos now that I want to frame in order to sell at fairs and galleries. They are 11X14" and I intend to frame on a 16X20 frame with an appropriate acid free mat. Not including the printing, it seems like it will cost $70 to put the picture on a mat, and frame it on a frame with a glass front. I find that a little pricy.

I was hoping that I could take the print and use photographic spray to mount it on an acid free mat. I can buy the acid free mat with the cut out for the front for 2 to 4 dollars at HL. That only leaves the frame. What do you guys do when it comes to using wood frames (black, gallery type) so that you don't pay through the nose? Where do you get them?

The last question I have is how the back of the picture frame should be done. Some I've seen have those little metal clips that rotate to hold the print in place. I'm wondering if that looks cheap. I've seen others that have something that looks like brown wrapping paper that seals the back of the frame. What are your suggestions for this part of the process?

Carlos

 

[ann]

My students mat and frame images all the time for less than $40. Acid free windows with backboard, along with metal rails and glass with an over all size of 16x20. They either dry mount or hing mount.

You can buy an 8 ply window with backboard at a lot of art supply houses for about $16 dollars. Metal rails come with all the hardware needed including wire . The spring clips hold everything together.

Brown Kraft paper is used by many when framing with wood.

Frankly , i would put the photos under windows, with backboard and use plastic sleves, forgoing a frame. Many people have their own style and taste when it comes to framing so why spend the extra money for something they may throw away.


I would never use spray, as it is not good for the enivronment, or your health.

 

[unpopular]

Don't use spray! If the matte becomes damaged, there is no way to get the photo off! The whole point of matting is to protect the print. Always hinge mount, or better (IMO), corner mount using archival hinges or corners.

I am assuming that you are cutting your own matte, right? If so, invest in a large matte cutter, large enough to cut down your own mattes from a 30x40" stock, that way you don't have to buy individual mattes. If you don't want to go this route, buying matte board in bulk helps too. Light impressions sells 16x20" matte in various grades and thicknesses in 25-packs. I am looking at a 4-ply for $95.

Don't get too extravagant with your frame, your customers are buying your print, not the frame it is in. Simple, elegant metal modular frames work just fine and are pretty inexpensive.

I am not totally sure that you need UV glass or not. Modern prints are pretty archival. Even UV glass isn't terribly expensive.

A very brief look at Light Impression's website:

Three 4-ply matte boards (25/box): about $4.00
Steel Frame: $21.20
Mounting Corners (100/box): $0.06
UV Glass: $15.00
or
Plate Glass: $9.00

Total: About $50.00

 

[manaheim]

Print at MPIX (www.mpix.com). Good quality, even for pros and great customer service.

Purchase framing materials at American Frame (www.americanframe.com).

Buy glass at your local hardware store.

For a 16x20 frame you're looking at probably $12 for your print on backing board, and $25-30 for a basic but very nice and professional looking frame.

That's including all acid-free materials, btw.

 

[WesternGuy]

I buy a lot of my framing material at Michael's. You can buy the premade frames, c/w glass and backing, and mattes can be had separately. These are not necessarily the best, but for me, I just hang the few that I do frame in my home, so I am not really picky about having expensive framing and matting. Michael's also sells components so you can make your own metal frames, but then you have to buy the glass, mattes and the backing seperately.

One thing you might want to try, particularly if you are going to have any reasonable volume, is to approach one of the smaller framing stores in your local neighbourhood, assuming you have one, and see if you can't get a deal by guaranteeing him a certain amount of business each month or year, as well, you might agree to let him place a sticker advertising his business on each of the images that he frames and he would get some "free advertising". In return, he might let you display some of your images for sale, in his shop...don't know. My 0.02¢ worth.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[ann]

DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM LIGHT IMPRESSIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

At one time they were a well respected and wonderful company, not so these days. It has become common for folks to place orders , which they charge you for immediately regardless if they have the product in stock and then aren't refunding monies in a timly fashion when your order isn't delivered. Timily being months or even over a year, if lucky. You can't believe how many complaints have been filed to the AG office in Calif. about this company.

I used them for years but never again. Am still waiting for a refund from backordered mat board that is outstanding after a year.

Go over to Apug.org and there is a very long thread about Light Impressions and the horror stories from folks losing hundreds of dollars.

American frame is very good, there is also a company called redi-mat that has high quality windows at good prices, especially if you buy in bulk.

Cutting your own is fine, expect there is a learning curve involved which can become wasteful if one is not handy with tools.

 

[carlosaustin]

OK, we are making headway here. I pretty much understand what you guys are saying about the whole process, except the hard backing that the picture goes on. I understand what you say about securing it from the corners or hanging from a hinge, but this could be a problem where I'm going to be doing the bulk of my work, Padre Island. It is extremely humid there and I've seen many a print warp or curl.

I like the idea of using some hardback material or gator board (too expensive) for the picture. The only question I have at this point is, why can't I use acid matte board (4 ply?) sprayed on? I read where unpopular indicates that if the matte gets damaged, you would have trouble getting the print off. Wouldn't you have the same problem if gator board or the other stuff the lab uses got damaged?

What Precision Camera in Austin offers is FOAMCORE or GATORFOAM as a hardback for mounting your pictures. Can't I do the same with sprayed on acid free matte board unpopular mentions?

Thank you guys very much for such valuable information!

 

[ann]

You can use a 2ply archival board for the backboard.

Sprays are dangeous, for you and the environment.

These are inkjet prints, correct? they shouldn't curl as will analog fiber base papers, also when you use archival corners, a corner is place on each corner of the print, not just the top two. After placing the window on top, it should remain flat.

Yes, any tip of spray or dry mounting can be an issue if the board is damaged as the print can't be removed. Hinging or tipping in avoids this issue.

 

[manaheim]

I don't think hanging pictures with just a backing board on them is a good idea. There was a time when I was buying these all-glass frames which was essentially just a step up from that. It was a picture in a piece of glass. It was inexpensive and easy... and really looked like crap compared to even the most basic frame.

I now have like 20 of these frames. Anyone wanna buy 'em cheap so I don't throw them into a landfill? $5 each!

The lesson I've learned from this whole framing fiasco is that you do not want to cut corners where aesthetics are concerned. There is something to be said for elegant simplicity, but tragically the frame has a huge impact on the look of the piece.

Trust me... I'm sititng here grinding my teeth because I know all of my pictures are framed using this very simple black metal frame, which looks very nice, but some of my pieces really deserve to be dressed up more and I need to bite the bullet and do it.

It's really a black hole. Watch your step.

 

[ann]

presentation is everything, especially when selling to an uneducated public (meaning folks who know little about archival processes and even framing).

I have seen some godawful framing that is so bad it took away from the image. So as the above states, be careful.

 

[KmH]

OK, we are making headway here. I pretty much understand what you guys are saying about the whole process, except the hard backing that the picture goes on. I understand what you say about securing it from the corners or hanging from a hinge, but this could be a problem where I'm going to be doing the bulk of my work, Padre Island. It is extremely humid there and I've seen many a print warp or curl.

I like the idea of using some hardback material or gator board (too expensive) for the picture. The only question I have at this point is, why can't I use acid matte board (4 ply?) sprayed on? I read where unpopular indicates that if the matte gets damaged, you would have trouble getting the print off. Wouldn't you have the same problem if gator board or the other stuff the lab uses got damaged?

What Precision Camera in Austin offers is FOAMCORE or GATORFOAM as a hardback for mounting your pictures. Can't I do the same with sprayed on acid free matte board unpopular mentions?

Thank you guys very much for such valuable information!

It's mat, not matte. Matte is a low sheen photo finish.

The spray on glue defeats having an acid free mount, regardless if it's a cotton rag mount or foamboard. That is because acid free mat board doesn't stay acid free forever. Over time it absorbs acids from the atmosphere. How quickly it does that depends on the environment where it hangs.

So both the mat and the mount have to be changed periodically. The mount cannot be changed if it's glued to the print.

Most foamboard is not acid free. Some that is termed 'acid-free' are only referring to the paper fronting and backing, Not the foam itself. There is only type of Gatorboard that I am aware of that is truely acid-free.

Northeast Document Conservation Center —*How to Do Your Own Matting and Hinging

 

[carlosaustin]

KmH, thank you for the correction. I really do want to know when I'm saying or doing something wrong. These terms (under this context) are new to me and I'm trying to learn everything I can. Like I alluded before, this site is a wealth of information!

Thanks to everyone for your input. I know now a whole lot more about the techniques required to put a good frame together.

Carlos

 

[table1349]

Now that I've retired, I can devote more time and money to one of my favorite hobbies, photography. This is the only forum that I belong to and I want to thank you guys and gals for running such a spiffy site!I searched this forum as well as youtube, but I couldn't find any relevant topics for the information I need.I have enough "stunning" photos now that I want to frame in order to sell at fairs and galleries. They are 11X14" and I intend to frame on a 16X20 frame with an appropriate acid free mat. Not including the printing, it seems like it will cost $70 to put the picture on a mat, and frame it on a frame with a glass front. I find that a little pricy.I was hoping that I could take the print and use photographic spray to mount it on an acid free mat. I can buy the acid free mat with the cut out for the front for 2 to 4 dollars at HL. That only leaves the frame. What do you guys do when it comes to using wood frames (black, gallery type) so that you don't pay through the nose? Where do you get them?The last question I have is how the back of the picture frame should be done. Some I've seen have those little metal clips that rotate to hold the print in place. I'm wondering if that looks cheap. I've seen others that have something that looks like brown wrapping paper that seals the back of the frame. What are your suggestions for this part of the process?Carlos

Let's look at it from a consumer perspective. If it isn't in a frame I like I'm not wasting the money to buy it. You would be better off to mat them on backer board and shrink wrap them. Let the customer frame them.