framing odd sized artwork - YouLookFab Forum

Since we have a lot of home decor fans here, I thought I'd see if anyone has a solution to my problem.

I've recently acquired several pieces of artwork in non-standard sizes, and I need to frame them. There are five of them and they are all different sizes. All are rectangular and flat though, so a standard frame, provided I can get one in a custom size, would be fine. I want just a simple, narrow black frame with glass. The glass is non-negotiable as I need to protect the artwork. (Some of it is ~40 years old and was displayed at some point without frames, so they're kind of faded already and I don't want to make it any worse.) The pieces are all already matted (also on non-standard sized mats) and I do not want to try to remove and re-mat them, nor would I want to cut the existing mats if at all possible.

Anyway, standard sized off-the-rack frames don't come in anything close to the right sizes. Custom framing places seem to charge an arm and a leg, and I don't want to be out ~1K to frame these things. (Also, I don't need anyone to actually frame/mat the artwork for me; I just want the frame and glass.) I have found a couple of places online that sell custom sized frames for reasonable prices but they don't come with glass.

So, has anyone done anything like this? What are my options? Is custom framing the only route? Is there somewhere that I can get pieces of glass cut to my specifications?

Some things that have been suggested to me already - has anyone tried these?
--look in thrift stores/discount stores for cheap framed art, which is often weird sizes, and just cannibalize them for the frames.
--do some kind of double mat situation that would allow me to fit them into larger, standard sized frames.

9 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Americanframe.com and pictureframes.com are my go-to's for customizable frames, mats, and glass (actually plexiglass). You can order custom sizes and they are easy enough to assemble (the metal frames are particularly affordable). Or a local frame store should be able to supply you with custom-cut glass or plexi for a reasonable price, even if you don't buy frames from them. Sometimes for the best deals, I'll end up buying frames from one supplier and plexi from another. I like plexi because it's lightweight and unbreakable, and you can get it in a non-glare, archival form, which shows work to its best advantage and also protects it from fading, even though it's more expensive than standard glass.

Aziraphale

Where do local art students go to buy supplies? Here we have a store called Opus Art Supplies and Framing, and you can frame something yourself in the store, for far less than you would be charged at a regular framing shop. There are sales assistants (mostly art students) who are there to help. Maybe you have a shop like this in your city.

Diana

Thanks, Janet! So you prefer plexi to regular glass? I was worried that it wouldn't be as clear as real glass, but it's been a long time since I've looked at it. I do like that it is lightweight and wouldn't break during moves, etc.

ETA: Which kind do you get? I see that american frame has 4 types - regular, UV, non-glare, and UV non-glare.

Aziraphale, I think people here go to Utrecht or Blick for art supplies. I know they sell the custom frame components (the kind you put together yourself) there, but I'm not sure about the glass. I will try to stop by and ask though!

viva

Definitely stepping aside to let the artists weigh in here (eg Janet). But I am intrigued about your acquisitions Diana and would love to know what kind of art it is. I have a little collection of small pieces (paintings, drawings, etc.) and am just interested in what you've found if you are inclined to describe them.

Vivian, one of the pieces is a painting that my brother-in-law brought back from South Africa. The others are some photographs taken by my dad back in the early 70's and a painting done by my mom around the same time. So, more sentimental than valuable, although I do think they are objectively excellent. I should take some pictures of them to share!

We also have several (already framed, thankfully) drawings done by my father-in-law, who is a landscape architect that still does all his conceptual drawings by hand.

I also have a couple of antique botanical prints that unfortunately are still in CA. I have not figured out how to transport them to Boston yet! (Those are also framed, and LARGE. They were a gift from my parents, hence why they are in CA.) I love old botanical prints and old maps and often think I should start collecting them seriously.

carter

I was going to suggest the double mat. I've done this before. I also had some luck at Ikea because their frame sizes are metric-based and just enough "odd" for what I needed.

On the plexi question above...UV non-glare would be my choice. UV to protect the art and non-glare so you can see it:-)

rabbit

Utrecht and Blick are relatively expensive imo -- although I haven't looked at framing there. Here we have a kooky locally owned shop called 'I've been Framed!' which sells discounted, used, and second run art supplies and does framing as well. Also Frame Central is relatively inexpensive in that they will do just the parts of the job you need (like cutting the frame) and then they have a work area where you can do the rest yourself -- sounds like what Aziraphale describes.

I used to get regular glass cut at a hardware store, but plexiglass is lighter and safer so I generally prefer that if you can avoid scratches.

Mochi

Diana, another option is this place in Brookline Village:
http://www.framersworkshopbrookline.com/

They do frame things for you (it can take a week or more in that case), but I've always used their service where you go in and they walk you through framing it by yourself. Definitely customizable. I recently framed and matted two 11 x 17 photos with simple black metal frames and paid about $70 per picture, with each piece taking under 40 minutes to complete.

I'd go with UV and non-glare -- easier to see the work, and since you are concerned about any further image degradation, I would want the protection. It's more expensive, but I consider it an investment if its original art (not a mass produced print). Just clean it with a slightly damp cloth, not Windex or anything like that.

Thank you all so much! I feel like YLF can answer all my random questions. Janet, you and Rabbit and others have convinced me to give the plexi a try. I think I'll order one from one of your online suggestions and see how I like it. It seems like it will be fairly inexpensive.

Nancy, good to know there is a local option as well! I'll definitely check them out. That sounds like it would be ideal for situations where I would have to cut my own mats, etc.

Diana, I love the idea of collecting old botanical prints and maps. It puts me in mind of snuggling up in a crackled old leather chair to read on a rainy afternoon.

Also, I really love that some of your artwork is by your family members. Most of mine is not, but I have a few pieces by my mother, and I cherish those, and a couple of beautiful watercolors by an elderly artist who is a close friend of my sister's. There is something very special about having the artwork of people you know. I think it brings good energy into the home.

Good luck with your framing!

rebekahphoto

in case you want one more to check, I just ordered frames & plexi from framingsupplies.com
They have the worlds ugliest website, but very competitive prices and excellent customer service. They also carry some frames that american frame didn't, so I always look at both places

have fun!

Thanks, Rebecca. More options are always appreciated! I've ordered some free samples from American Frame to look at.

One more question:
Do I need mounting/backing board if the pieces are already fully matted?

I always use a backing board, (acid free foam core) it fills a bit of the extra space in the back of the frame, before you put the metal tension springs in (if you are using a metal frame) and it protects the back as well.

I think backing board is always a good idea. You can even find foamcore at places like Michaels or Staples and cut it to size yourself (use an x-acto knife) to save some money.

Dgusanl

Active Member

Micheals and Hobby Lobby very often have 40% off coupons for custom framing. The easiest way would be double matting to a standard size.

Sarah A

Just chiming in to say that at least half of the art in my house is in frames I ordered from the American Frame website and I have been very happy with the pricing and results. I hope your framing project comes together so you can enjoy your sentimental pieces

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