All types of art, from the Mona Lisa to family snapshots, look better when placed in a nice frame.
To enhance, protect, and display your paintings, photos, and other prizes, you’ll need to find a good shop to do the work, or buy supplies or DIY. Many local framing shops will offer expert advice, take care of your valuable items, and won’t charge you high prices. If you want to make your own frames, online companies offer products and instructions. Alternatively, you can purchase materials at an arts and crafts store and watch instructional videos online to help you put everything together.
If you have someone else do the work, you’ll need a seasoned professional to give you sage advice. The staff at the best shops will take the time to consider your frame options (single or double mat? Metal or wood? Plexiglass or real glass?) and ultimately deliver a great-looking final product. Masu.
Through Nov. 5, Checkbook is offering Minnesota Star Tribune readers free access to area framing shop reviews through Checkbook.org/StarTribune/framing. Checkbook surveyed its own subscribers and other randomly selected individuals. We find that there are significant differences between stores when it comes to customer satisfaction and prices.
You can have a local shop frame it for you, ship your work to an internet-based costumer, or do some or all of the work yourself. DIY options are usually the cheapest. You can buy inexpensive frames at stores like Target, Pottery Barn, and IKEA, and they often look pretty good.
“I’m building children’s artwork walls for some clients, and inexpensive frames like this are a great option,” says art consultant Alison Marvin. A company called Sightline is an art consultant that helps people purchase and install art.
Be sure to use an acid- and lignin-free mat that won’t damage your artwork over time. Look for this quality sign when buying costumes online or opting for inexpensive ready-made frames. Most professional framers only use acid-free materials.
If you have oddly sized art or want a customized frame or mat, several websites let you enter your measurements and purchase from hundreds of frames. Additionally, you can purchase custom-cut mats, glass or plexiglass fronts, and more. The store will ship the product to you and you will be the one to assemble everything. In our experience, this is a relatively simple, but not completely secure transaction.
