Shadow box framing, for the things that are not flat.
Best Framing builds custom shadow boxes in Costa Mesa, Orange County, for jerseys, medals, flags, wedding gowns and the keepsakes that are not flat. Each one is designed at our counter on Placentia Avenue with the object in front of us, then built by hand in our own shop.
What is a shadow box?
A shadow box is a frame with a box behind it, deep enough that the glazing never touches what is inside. It is how an object with depth gets framed: mounted inside the box rather than pressed flat like paper, so it keeps the shape it came in with.
Three vintage swimsuits
Each one floated in its own white deep box, so the knit and the ruching keep the shape they came in with.
Two antique children’s garments
A braided coat and an embroidered jacket, each in its own dark shadow box, on easels in the showroom.
What can go in a shadow box?
Almost anything that is not flat. We frame wedding gowns, sports jerseys, jackets, service pins and sashes, plaques and medals, ceramics and sea fans, to name a few, and Best Framing is known for creative solutions to framing 3-D objects that might be impossible at other custom framing stores.
Jerseys and sports memorabilia.
A jersey, a race suit, a pair of boxing gloves. A jersey is supported from behind so it keeps its shape and the number stays where you put it.
Military memorabilia.
Service pins and sashes, plaques and medals, and flags. Several pieces can share one box, the way six swim fins share one of ours, laid out at the counter with every piece in front of us.
Wedding and christening gowns.
A wedding gown, a christening gown, the garments a family keeps. A full gown can run past standard sizes, and framing over 48 × 96 inches is something we are equipped for.
Instruments.
A guitar in a custom white oak frame, designed to highlight the instrument while keeping the focus on the story behind it.
Things from the shore.
Sea fans, vintage swimsuits, surf pennants, delicate seashells, and a set of swim fins that came off a rack in the garage.
Ceramics, shoes and keepsakes.
Ceramics, a pair of shoes, a jacket, a keepsake covered in roses. If what you are holding is not on this list, that is not an answer: bring it in.
How is an object held in a shadow box?
It is supported from behind, in a way that can be undone. Gluing memorabilia down can permanently alter it, so the mounting is chosen for the object, and the box is built deep enough that nothing touches the glazing.
Deep enough for the object.
The depth of the box is decided with the object on the counter. A photograph cannot tell you how thick a jersey is.
Kept off the glazing.
Fabric pressed against glass marks, and the mark does not come out. That gap between the object and the glazing is the whole point of the box.
Glazing chosen for what is inside.
Museum-quality or UV-protective glazing, chosen with you for the piece. Daylight fades color slowly and unevenly, which is why it is easy to miss until a piece comes off the wall.
A mat lined to the object.
Mats get lined to the object rather than to the room. A navy and gold jersey gets a navy and gold fillet, and the frame reads the same colors the piece does.
Acid-free behind it.
Our store is completely acid-free, mats included, so nothing behind the object burns a brown line into it over the years.
Why does a shadow box have to be designed in person?
Because so many variables must be taken into consideration. An in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects: the depth of the box, the way the piece is mounted and how it will hang are all decided with the object itself on the counter.
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. Booking a time is an option, never a requirement.
Hold the choices against it.
Corner samples from the moulding wall, mats and glazing are held up against the object itself rather than picked from swatches on a screen.
Built a few steps away.
Every custom frame is crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, and when no catalog carries the profile, the moulding is milled in our own wood shop.
From
“I gave them something that was a bit out of the ordinary and they found solutions that sounded great and looked even better than I thought they would.”
Penina Joseph · August 2016
What does a custom shadow box cost?
A shadow box is quoted in person, at the counter, once we have seen the object. There is no published price list, because no two boxes are built the same. These are the choices that move the price.
- Size
- The outside dimensions of the box, set by the object and the space around it. Pieces past 48 × 96 inches are oversized work.
- Depth
- How far the box stands off the wall, set by the thickest part of the object.
- Moulding
- Any profile from the hundreds of corner samples on the moulding wall, or one milled in our wood shop to match a finish.
- Glazing
- Museum-quality or UV-protective glazing, chosen with you for the piece.
- Mounting and mats
- How each object is supported, and the paper or fabric mat it sits on, lined to the object if you want.
- Turnaround
- Quoted at the counter when the box is designed with you. If it is a gift or has a date, tell us the date.
Shadow boxes we have built.
A few of the objects that came through the shop in Costa Mesa, each in a box built for it. Orange Coast Magazine, in its 2018 guide to the Westside Costa Mesa block, described a shop whose employees “hand-cut and join custom solid-wood frames and shadow boxes.”
A race suit“One-of-one race suit frame.” A tall black shadow box, the suit mounted at full length.
A rose-covered keepsakeFloated in a deep white shadow box, so nothing presses it flat.
A swimsuit on a dining wallA vintage swimsuit in a shadow box among pennants, prints and oars, all in pale mouldings.
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- 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
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
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
Shadow boxes, asked and answered.
How deep does a shadow box need to be?
Deep enough that the glazing never touches the object, which depends on the object. The depth is decided at the counter with the piece in front of us, because a photograph cannot tell you how thick a jersey is.
How do you attach objects without damaging them?
Each object is supported from behind in a way that can be undone, chosen for that object. Memorabilia is not glued down, because gluing can permanently alter it.
Can you frame a folded flag with medals?
Yes. Military memorabilia is part of what we frame, from service pins and sashes to medals and flags, and several pieces can share one box. The layout is designed in person, with the flag and every medal on the counter.
Can you frame a wedding dress?
Yes. Wedding gowns are among the large pieces we have framed, and framing over 48 × 96 inches is something most frame shops are not equipped to handle. A gown is designed in person, so bring it to the counter.
How much does a custom shadow box cost?
It is quoted in person once we have seen the object. The price follows the size and depth of the box, the moulding, the glazing and how the object is mounted, and there is no published price list.
Do I need to bring the items in?
Yes. An in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects, since so many variables must be taken into consideration. No appointment is needed: walk in Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm.
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.