Jersey framing, deep enough that nothing touches the glass.
Best Framing frames sports jerseys in custom shadow boxes in Costa Mesa, Orange County, signed or unsigned, from baseball and hockey to any other sport. Each one is designed at our counter with the jersey in front of us, so the depth, the layout and the mat are decided on the real thing.
Why does a jersey need a shadow box?
Because a jersey is not flat. It has shoulders, a collar, a number that has to read straight, and a weight that will pull it out of shape over a few years if nothing is holding it. A shadow box gives it depth, so it can sit the way it sat on a body.
Depth.
A shadow box is a frame with a box behind it, deep enough that the glazing never touches the fabric. Fabric pressed against glass marks, and the mark does not come out.
The colors.
Mats get lined to the jersey rather than to the room. A navy and gold jersey gets a navy and gold fillet, and suddenly the frame is reading the same colors the shirt is.
The frame.
Chosen from the hundreds of corner samples on our moulding wall, held against the jersey itself, or milled in our own wood shop when no catalog carries the profile.
Will framing damage a jersey or lower its value?
We mount it so it can be undone. Gluing memorabilia down can permanently alter it, so a jersey is supported from behind in a way that lets it come out of the box again.
Supported, not glued.
The jersey is held from behind so it keeps its shape and the number stays where you put it.
Laid out on the real thing.
The depth of the box, the way the sleeves fall and how the piece will hang are all decided with the jersey itself on the counter.
Acid-free behind it.
Our store is completely acid-free, mats included. Acid in a mat or a backing board burns a brown line into what it touches, and that is not reversible once it has happened.
Fitted by hand.
Every custom frame we make is individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, a few steps from the counter where it was designed.
How do you keep a signature from fading?
With the glazing, and with distance. Daylight fades ink and pigment slowly and unevenly, so a signed jersey goes behind UV-protective or museum-quality glazing chosen with you for the piece, and the box keeps the signature off the glass.
UV-protective glazing.
Chosen with you for the piece. It is the difference between a wall that is good for a signed jersey and one that is quietly fading it.
Museum-quality glazing.
For a jersey you could never replace, ask for museum-quality glazing and we will hold the options against the jersey at the counter.
Nothing touches it.
The box is deep enough that a signature on the number or the chest is never pressed against the glazing, and nothing rubs it.
Can a photo, a ticket or a name go in with the jersey?
That is what the mat cutter is for. It can cut several openings, shapes and lettering into one mat, so a ticket, a photograph or a name can share the frame with the jersey. How it all fits is worked out at the counter, with every piece in front of us.
Openings, shapes and lettering.
Multiple openings, lettering, shapes and art designs can all be programmed into the mat cutter on our production floor.
Memorabilia, in the moulding aisle.
“Always having fun projects going through our shop.” Medi with two baseballs, from the memorabilia reels on our Instagram.
Why do we design it with the jersey on the counter?
Because a photograph cannot tell you how thick a jersey is. An in-person design consultation is required for framing three-dimensional objects, so the jersey comes to the counter and the decisions are made with it there.
Walk in with it.
No appointment required. The counter at 1671 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm, and booking a time is there if you want one.
See it before it is built.
Mouldings, mats and glazing are held against the jersey rather than picked from swatches on a screen, so you see the combination before anything is cut.
From Yelp
“They not only do a stellar job, they have creative ideas when you are framing something unique.”
Jenny Y. · Huntington Beach · December 2023
YelpWhat does it cost to frame a jersey?
Every jersey is quoted in person, at the counter, once we have seen it. There is no published price list; the price follows the choices below, and you leave with a quote and a turnaround.
- Size
- The outside dimensions of the shadow box, set by the jersey and how it is laid out.
- Depth
- How far the box stands off the wall, set by the jersey and anything framed with it.
- Moulding
- Any profile from the hundreds of corner samples on the moulding wall, or one milled in our wood shop.
- Glazing
- Museum-quality or UV-protective glazing, chosen with you for the piece.
- Mat and layout
- A mat lined in the jersey’s colors, and any openings or lettering cut for a ticket, a photograph or a name.
- Turnaround
- Quoted at the counter when the jersey is designed with you. If it is a gift, tell us the date.
The questions people ask at the counter, answered.
From what can be framed and choosing the right glass to mounting jerseys, printing artwork and protecting the pieces that matter, we answer the questions our customers ask us every day.
- How to frame a jersey, step by stepHow to frame a jersey: a shadow box deep enough that the glass never touches it, mounting that can be undone, a mat lined to its colors. From Costa Mesa.Read Article
Museum glass vs regular glass, and what the glass over your art is doingMuseum-quality and UV-protective glazing vs regular glass: what each does for your art, plus acid-free mats and conservation framing. From Costa Mesa.Read Article
What can you actually frame?Photos, posters, diplomas, jerseys, kimonos, oversized art and mirrors: what a custom frame shop in Costa Mesa can take on, and what each one needs.Read Article
Summer is hereSummer camp crafts, maps, ball game tickets, souvenir T-shirts, seashells and snapshots: ideas for framing your summer, from our Costa Mesa counter.Read Article
Jersey framing, asked and answered.
How much does it cost to frame a jersey?
Every jersey is quoted in person once we have seen it. The price follows the size and depth of the shadow box, the moulding, the glazing and what goes in with the jersey, and there is no published price list.
How long does jersey framing take?
The turnaround is quoted when we design it with you at the counter, because it depends on the piece. If the jersey is a gift for a birthday or the holidays, tell us the date when you bring it in.
Will framing damage my jersey or lower its value?
We mount it so it can be undone. The jersey is supported from behind rather than glued down, everything behind it is acid-free, and the box keeps the fabric off the glazing, because gluing memorabilia down can permanently alter it.
Can you frame a signed jersey without fading the signature?
A signed jersey goes behind UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, chosen with you for the piece, and sits back from the glass so nothing rubs the signature. Daylight fades ink slowly and unevenly, which is why the glazing is the choice that matters most.
Can you add photos or tickets to the case?
Our mat cutter can cut several openings, shapes and lettering into one mat, so a ticket, a photograph or a name can be framed with the jersey. The layout is worked out at the counter with every piece in front of us.
Do I need to bring the jersey in?
Yes. An in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects, and a photograph cannot tell us how thick a jersey is. Walk in Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm, no appointment required.
Still wondering? Come in and ask. No appointment required.
Print and frame what you love. Visit the showroom.
No appointment required.
- Call
- (949) 791-8780
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
Sat 9am-1pm
Bring us the thing you love.
Walk in with it and talk it through with a designer. No appointment required, though you are welcome to book one.
1671 Placentia AvenueCosta Mesa, CA 92627
- Call(949) 791-8780
- HoursMon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-1pm · Sun closed
- Talk to a designer nowStart a Video CallSomeone is on the floor Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and Sat 9am-1pm, Costa Mesa time
- Book an appointmentPick a time with a designerAppointments are optional. Walk-ins are welcome.