Where do you buy frames for your printed photos?

phinix

phinix

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What kind of frames do you guys use for your photos?
I mean bigger ones, like A4, A3 etc good quality prints.
 
Recently I've bought frames from The Range, I need to get a lot more.

In the past I had a simple bespoke moulding cut in Sapele, I them had around 70 20"x16" frames mad some larger 30"x24". The framer maker was essentially a trade supplier, he had contracts with various galleries. Bulk meant the cost was reasonable. The glass and backs were bought in ore-cut, I stained the Sapele, and added the fittings myself. I've always done my own mat cutting.

These days, Chinese made frames have wiped out many of the smaller framers, and those left are more expensive.

Companies like The Range have frames with overlay inserts for A4 & A3 prints.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
Recently I've bought frames from The Range, I need to get a lot more.

In the past I had a simple bespoke moulding cut in Sapele, I them had around 70 20"x16" frames mad some larger 30"x24". The framer maker was essentially a trade supplier, he had contracts with various galleries. Bulk meant the cost was reasonable. The glass and backs were bought in ore-cut, I stained the Sapele, and added the fittings myself. I've always done my own mat cutting.

These days, Chinese made frames have wiped out many of the smaller framers, and those left are more expensive.

Companies like The Range have frames with overlay inserts for A4 & A3 prints.

Ian
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Me too. Some of their frames are really nice IMHO.
 
I’ve got a collection of Hobbycraft frames for my exhibitions, they’re decent quality.

I also got some made by an online frame manufacturer which were at best OK, the quality was suspect on some of them and I ended up going to their shop in Manchester to inspect the second batch before accepting them.

These have all been for frames where I’ve been replacing the prints regularly. If I was going to permanently frame a print I’d go to a local framing shop and get it done properly. I’ve certainly done this for some paintings I’ve bought and they look superb.
 
+1 for the range. Recently bought 2 A4 and 3 A3 frames for my office. Nice and simple black frames, with white mounts.
 
viewfromthenorth said:
I’ve got a collection of Hobbycraft frames for my exhibitions, they’re decent quality.
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You make an important point about a collection of frames, that is essential if you are exhibiting, you can't mix & match, size yes, but not style.

Over the years I've built up 2 large sets of frames, and I'm halfway through a third.

Ian
 
For everyday use, I tend to use Neilsen frames in black aluminium. Otherwise, I make my own wooden ones, & cut their custom mounts. The common theme is that I use real glass for everything. It's (1) very scratch-resistant and (2) utterly recyclable.

Acrylic is a step behind in both those regards, and polywhatsit, as in the cheapest readymade frames, is utterly forgettable.

I'd think about patronising your local framing shop - that'll be their craft, after all - but discuss the specification with them. And pay for their expertise.

But if you just want wrapped MDF & soft plastic "glass", the choices are everywhere ...
 
I get mine from car boot sales

big daft sized frames for a couple of quid, and A5, A4, A3 50p to a pound.

You just have to ignore some horrible paintings. :)
 
Nielsen frames like Droj uses are excellent quality, a photographic group I’m in use them in the permanent exhibition space we have at a venue. If you’re swapping photos out regularly, then Nielsen’s are great as they have a simple mechanism for releasing the back board.

My hobbycraft frames all use glass which is fine, except the glass in a 30x20 frame broke, thankfully on the way home from an exhibition, so I’ve now got 3 glazed and 1 unglazed.

Which reminded me of something someone suggested once - do we really need glass in a frame? If it’s for an incredibly expensive print from someone famous, it will certainly help preserve it. But for your own work on your walls at home, surely if it fades you could just print another one out at low cost? And you wouldn’t have to bother about reflections etc.

I own at least one painting that is unglazed, but I’ve never tried it with my own photos - thought it was worth mentioning.
 
Build my own .............. I did a course in 2010 and things went from there. The company I trained with were called DIY Framing, now they are called All About Framing. Lovely people to deal with.

I cut my own mounts, I buy in the moulding in 3m lengths, I buy the glass and cut it myself (very satisfying) and I bought some decent kit to get all the jobs done.

There is something about a bespoke frame, the weight, the feel, the quality is another level. (y)
 
I get mine for the Range too or occasionally Ikea. The Range has loads of nice frames to choose from that are well made and affordable.
 
droj said:
For everyday use, I tend to use Neilsen frames in black aluminium. Otherwise, I make my own wooden ones, & cut their custom mounts. The common theme is that I use real glass for everything. It's (1) very scratch-resistant and (2) utterly recyclable.

Acrylic is a step behind in both those regards, and polywhatsit, as in the cheapest readymade frames, is utterly forgettable.

I'd think about patronising your local framing shop - that'll be their craft, after all - but discuss the specification with them. And pay for their expertise.

But if you just want wrapped MDF & soft plastic "glass", the choices are everywhere ...
Click to expand...
I thought glass wasn't used as much because UV filters aren't generally inserted into glass as easily as they can be into the plastics and that protects the prints from sun bleaching?
 
I buy mine from 2 places, Hobbycraft when they have a sale like Black Friday, Easter, Summer sales etc, and also when they send me money off vouchers.

The sizes I stick with are 40x50xm to put A3 prints in with the stock inner mount, and 30x40cm for A4 prints using the stock inner mounts. I have also started getting the Hobbycraft standard inner mounts cut to fit larger A4, or A4 frames. The gallery frame shop I use for inner mounts only charges me £2 to cut the hobbycraft inner mount, Which is better than paying £7 plus for their mounts. The shop have mentioned that the Hobbycraft inner mounts are thinner that their supplied ones ! !

The seconded place I by frames from is my local under cover market as their is a father / daughter stand that sell frames, cards, hooks, D rings etc. They also make to measure bespoke frames on request. The noticeable difference in the frames from hobbycraft, and the market stool is the frame depth. With hobbycraft being the slightly wider, and deeper frame.
The market stool is way cheaper than hobbeycraft, and as I mentioned I only buy honnycraft in sales, or money off voucher.

As mentioned above I do want to have the same frames if I am display multiple prints in the same gallery, and the market stall are slighty different fom hobbycraft.
1769955024636.png

Both the market stall, and hobbycraft are glass frames, as I prefer that over plastic.

Hope this helps....
 
viewfromthenorth said:
Nielsen frames like Droj uses are excellent quality, a photographic group I’m in use them in the permanent exhibition space we have at a venue. If you’re swapping photos out regularly, then Nielsen’s are great as they have a simple mechanism for releasing the back board.

My hobbycraft frames all use glass which is fine, except the glass in a 30x20 frame broke, thankfully on the way home from an exhibition, so I’ve now got 3 glazed and 1 unglazed.

Which reminded me of something someone suggested once - do we really need glass in a frame? If it’s for an incredibly expensive print from someone famous, it will certainly help preserve it. But for your own work on your walls at home, surely if it fades you could just print another one out at low cost? And you wouldn’t have to bother about reflections etc.

I own at least one painting that is unglazed, but I’ve never tried it with my own photos - thought it was worth mentioning.
Click to expand...
How would you stop the photo from rippling / crinkling in the long run though?
 
Bodian said:
How would you stop the photo from rippling / crinkling in the long run though?
Click to expand...

The heavier the printing paper the better. We have found to our dismay (because our Epson wasn't working properly) that by going through Snappy Snaps or DSCL to get our prints done for exhibitions that although the print quality was excellent in both cases the paper was quite thin and rippled very quickly in spite of my efforts to ensure the backing card was attached (and sufficient spray mount applied). Prints we made on the Epson (we've now bought a new printer..) have not rippled, as we printed on our own Permajet paper which is much thicker.
 
A mixture of places

When I first started
- Dunelm
- Ikea

As I progressed
- From a framer for larger frames or orders

I still use A4 frames from Matalan that are glass fronted with a wood surround. I bought a large quantity of them a few years back. It allows for more affordable options.

I also buy the odd frame from charity shops, although often the surround can be in poor condition, they can be reconditioned by a framer if needed. Several times I have picked up a frame for a fiver, paid £15 to have the paint touched up and cleaned. Buying the same new from a framer £150+

I also have the gear to frame images myself, so I can take apart frames and put them back together if needed for switching out prints.
 
Tysonator said:
Where doyou guys buy inner mounts from ! ?
I have a local shop that will make them measure, not cheap, not over priced either. The main down side is the work can take over a week sometimes, so I have to allow plenty of time !
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ProCut Global on Amazon.

I've bought mounts from them but no fames.
 
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