Big-box, online or a local framer: what to ask
The way to compare a big-box store, an online framer and a local frame shop is to ask each one about the same build: the moulding, the mats, the glazing, the mount, and who makes it. Whether you are looking at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, an online framer or a shop like ours, the questions are the same. We can only speak for our own counter, so here is what we would ask, and how we would answer.
Can I hold the samples against my piece?
Here, frames, mats and glazing are held up against the piece at the counter, in front of hundreds of corner samples and with one of our designers beside you. You choose standing next to the thing the frame is going to hold. “I've never felt rushed when choosing a final design. They are patient and engaged and really want your artwork to turn out as good as you do,” Becky S. of Long Beach wrote on Yelp.
Are the mats and the backing acid-free?
Acid in a mat or a backing board is what burns a brown line into the edge of a print over a few years, and it is not reversible once it has happened. Our store is completely acid-free. That is not a line on a price list, it is the material the work is built from.
What is the glazing doing?
Clear, UV-protective and museum-quality glazing do different jobs, so ask which one the quote includes. Regular clear glass keeps dust and fingers off the piece; museum-quality and UV-protective glazing is there to slow the fading that daylight causes.
Can the mount be undone?
A mount that can be undone and one that cannot are different builds, whatever the frame looks like from the front. For work that is not replaceable, we mount it so it can be taken apart again without damage.
Who makes it, and where?
Every frame we make is individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, and everything is specially ordered and cut to size. When no catalog carries the profile, the moulding is milled in our own wood shop. German, our chop-and-join specialist, has been with Best Framing for over 20 years, and the team has more than 200 years of combined experience.
What about the difficult pieces?
Ask what happens with a jersey, a wedding gown or something past 48 × 96 inches. We are known for creative solutions to framing 3-D objects, designed in person with the object on the counter, and we have ample experience with gigantic pieces. The print lab and the install crew are in the same building.
What happens if something is wrong?
Everything is cut to size and specially ordered. If there is an issue with your order, contact our team so we can review it and discuss the next steps. One customer who had a small problem with an order wrote: “They fixed it for us and made it perfect without any grief.”
When a custom frame is not the answer
Custom framing is not the cheapest way to frame something. It is the way that gets it right. A ready-made frame is built in advance to a standard size, and the art is fitted to it; a custom frame starts from the piece. For something you want to keep, that usually matters. Not everything needs the full build, and we will say so. What custom framing costs walks through each choice.
