What custom framing costs, and why.
Best Framing designs and builds custom frames in Costa Mesa, Orange County, and quotes every piece in person, at the counter, once we have seen it. This guide explains what moves that price, so the quote makes sense before you walk in.
How much does custom framing cost?
Custom framing has no single price, because every frame is cut to the piece it holds. Five things set the cost: the size of the piece, the moulding, the mats, the glazing and how the piece is mounted, and a three-dimensional object generally costs more to frame than a flat print, because it needs a deeper box and more work to mount. At Best Framing in Costa Mesa there is no price list: we quote each piece in person, at the counter, once we have seen it.
- Size
- A larger piece takes more moulding, a larger mat and more glazing, and past 48 × 96 inches it needs a shop equipped for oversized work.
- The moulding
- Hundreds of profiles on our moulding wall, from slim black to carved gilt, or one milled in our own wood shop when no catalog carries it.
- Mats
- How many, how wide, and what is cut into them: multiple openings, lettering and shapes are cut by our computerised mat cutter.
- Glazing
- The clear layer over the piece. UV-protective and museum-quality glazing are chosen with you for the piece.
- Mounting
- How the piece is held: flat, dry mounted, floated, or built into a shadow box around an object.
Exhibition and rush work is quoted in person at the counter, like everything else.
Why do the moulding and the mats change the price so much?
Because they are most of what you see, and the range is wide. The moulding wall holds hundreds of corner samples, pale pine, walnut, black, gilt and carved, and you choose it standing next to the piece it is going to hold.
When no catalog carries the profile, or the finish you are matching, we custom mill the moulding in our own wood shop and have it hand finished to your specifications. That is more work than cutting a stock length.
Mats add a layer of choices: how wide, how many, and what is cut into them. Multiple openings, lettering, shapes and art designs can all be programmed into our mat cutter. Our store is completely acid-free, mats included, so every mat we cut is acid-free.
Why do the glazing and the mounting change the price?
Because they decide how the piece ages. The glazing filters the light that fades pigment, and the mounting holds the piece flat, or holds an object in shape, without harming it.
Paper can be dry mounted in our press to acid-free foamcore so it stays crisp and flat, and a three-dimensional object is built into a shadow box around it, which is why objects are designed in person.
Glazing
Museum-quality and UV-protective glazing, chosen with you for the piece. Daylight fades pigment, and the glazing is the part that slows it down.
Mounting and depth
A jersey goes into a shadow box deep enough that the glazing never touches the fabric, and it is supported from behind in a way that can be undone.
What drives the price of the pieces people bring in most?
The same five things, weighted differently for each piece. These are the questions we ask at the counter for the jobs we see every week.
- A photograph
- The size, the mat and the glazing. If the original is fragile or one of a kind, our print lab can scan it at up to 600 dpi and frame the reproduction instead.
- A poster
- The size, and how far you want to take it. A poster for a games room does not need the same build as a signed lithograph, and we will say so.
- A diploma
- The moulding, the mats and the glazing, held up against the paper itself, in the same acid-free materials as the art.
- A canvas
- A stretched canvas can hang as it is. In a float frame, the size of the canvas and the moulding set the price, and we stretch canvas in house if it needs it.
- A jersey
- The depth of the shadow box, the mounting that keeps the jersey in shape, the mat and the glazing. It is designed in person, with the jersey on the counter.
- A mirror
- The overall dimensions of the space and the frame you choose. We provide quarter-inch glass, with or without a bevel, typically ready for pickup within two weeks.
Why does custom framing cost more than a ready-made frame?
Because 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: the moulding is cut and joined to its measurements, the mat is cut to its edges, and the glazing and the mounting are chosen for what it is.
Every frame we make is individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, and everything is specially ordered and cut to size. It is not the cheapest way to frame something. It is the way that gets it right.
Comparing quotes from a big-box store, an online framer and a local shop? Compare the same build: the same moulding width and material, acid-free mats or not, clear, UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, and a mount that can be undone or one that cannot.
It was rather expensive. But they did a very high quality job.
How do I get a quote, and how long will it take?
Bring the piece to the counter at 1671 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm. No appointment is required, and we quote it in person once we have seen it.
Custom framing turnaround depends on the piece, and it is quoted when we design it with you at the counter. Custom mirrors are typically ready for pickup within two weeks, and we confirm the date when you order. Exhibition and rush work is quoted in person too, so call first if the date is tight.
- Start by phone
- +1 (949) 791-8780 during shop hours. Measurements and a photo help.
- Objects
- In person only. An in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects.
- Trade projects
- Quoted from your plans, your drawings or a site visit.
They were super helpful and kept me within a reasonable budget.
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.
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
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
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
How to measure for a custom mirrorMeasure the wall, not the mirror: the space to fill, what sits under it and where the sconces go. Quarter-inch glass, usually ready in two weeks.Read Article
Framing costs, asked at the counter.
How much does custom framing cost?
There is no single price, because every frame is cut to the piece. The size, the moulding, the mats, the glazing and the mounting set the cost, and objects usually cost more than flat pieces. Best Framing quotes every piece in person, at the counter in Costa Mesa, once we have seen it.
Why is custom framing so expensive?
Because nothing is made in advance. Every frame we make is individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, and everything is specially ordered and cut to size for the piece it holds, from the moulding to the acid-free mat and the glazing.
Is custom framing worth it?
For a piece you want to keep, usually yes, because the materials decide how it ages: acid in a mat can burn a brown line into a print, and daylight fades pigment. Not everything needs the full build, though. A poster for a games room does not need the same build as a signed lithograph, and we will say so.
How much does it cost to frame a jersey?
It is quoted in person, because the depth of the shadow box, the mounting that keeps the jersey in shape, the mat and the glazing all set the price. An in-person design consultation is required for framing three-dimensional objects, so bring the jersey to the counter.
How much does it cost to frame a diploma?
It is quoted at the counter, with the mats and glazing held up against the paper itself. The size, the moulding, the mats and the glazing set the price, in the same acid-free materials we use for art.
How long does custom framing take?
It depends on the piece, and the turnaround is quoted when we design it with you at the counter. Custom mirrors are typically ready for pickup within two weeks, and we confirm the date when you order. For a tight date, call first.
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.