This strikes me as a pretty factual question, so I stuck it in GQ. But if somebody thinks it would be better off in IMHO or CS, I won’t complain.
Last year, two friends had the same bright idea for gifts for me: posters from Andrew Bird shows. He’s probably my favorite musical artist, and he’s had some posters designed by really amazing people. These are pretty high-quality, as posters go–IIRC, they’re limited-quantity prints on some fairly sturdy stock.
One of them is already framed (just something like this). However, the other three are all odd sizes, and I can’t find any similar off-the-shelf cheap poster frames to fit them. Based on the cost of another piece I just had a professional custom frame job done on, I’d be luck to get all four of these framed for $500, and I’m feeling stingy. I’ll probably splurge on a real framing job for each poster at some point in the future, but for now, I just want something that will let me get the posters on my wall.
So, Teeming Masses, I turn to you!
1.) Where can I get the materials for a custom-sized frame? (I’m in Milwaukee, if that helps any.) Any clues as to how much I should expect to spend?
2.) What kind of materials will I need? Do the posters need to be matted? If so, how do I do that? How do I assemble the whole frame–are there tools I will need?
I like to make big frames from wooden moulding strips (dado rails, that sort of thing), just go to your local wood-things shop and find bits of wood that look like a picture frame. I cut the corners at 45 degrees (use a jig) and glue and clamp it under tension on a flat surface. Thin hardboard works just fine for the backing - recess it with a router if you have one and the frame allows, but I generally don’t and if the backing is a bit smaller than the external frame then it won’t show.
You could buy some really nice tools for $500… but you’d only need to spend about $50 for everything you need.
Milwaukee has a Michael’s Arts & Crafts Store. They will do very inexpensive framing, and also have lots of framing supplies that you may be able to adapt to the sizes you need. Some matting to surround the image will fill a frame that is otherwise too large.
Exapno Mapcase, thanks, I’ll check Michael’s out! So I take it that if I *were *to get a frame that’s the exact size of the poster, I wouldn’t need a mat? My main problem with the cheap frames was that all the standard sizes were *way *off in various dimensions–anything big enough to accommodate the whole poster was *much *too big in at least one dimension.
Can you give me any details about the supplies they would have? E.g., what about covering the front of the poster?
Thanks for this, but it all sounds quite past my capabilities. I’m looking for something more pre-made that I can slap together. My late grandfather used to do a lot of woodworking, but he’s been dead for a few years now, and somehow I don’t think Grandma would take too kindly to any attempts to exhume him.
Yes, but if it’s ever traced back to you, that could be very expensive indeed.
The Great Frame-Up may have a location near you. I framed 5 of my own prints there (do-it-yourself, but with people there to help you) for about $220 (about 8 years ago, so prices may be different now). It was fun to do, and they help a LOT. Like I saw one employee practically make the whole frame for someone who was really just hopeless.
If not, what you can do at Michaels, I would think, is get a mat cut for you, so the opening for the poster is the right size, and then the mat fits the frame regardless of the size of the poster. IMHO, matted posters look much nicer, anyway. It’s totally acceptable for something framed to not be the same distance all around, as long as it’s symmetrical.
How big are the posters? If they’re under 16"x20", I’d use a float frame (Michael’s carries 'em). It “floats” the thing you’re framing between two sheets of glass, and your wall shows through around the edges.
I like posters and prints mounted on foam board with a matt plastic film adhered to the front. I think it maximizes what the poster is about. It’s pretty cheap, too. But it might be too permanent…
If you Google ‘wooden frame’ or ‘metal frame,’ you come up with a bunch of websites that will do custom-sized frames for you. I no longer remember which of these we used several years ago, but as I recall, 16X20 black wooden frames with mats and backing stuff were something like $40-50 each.
In my thrift adventures I notice that a good chunk of the “art” they have in the 5-10 dollar range is comprised of various mundane posters in fairly expensive, heavy duty, professional looking metal frames with precisely cut matting etc. These frames would be very much more pricey if purchased from an art supply or framing store. I assume these come from upper middle class houses where the owner changed her decorating tastes.
A lot of these frames are in like new condition. If I had odd shaped posters it might be worth getting a few of these frames and cutting a mat that would center your pic inside the frame.
For posters, I have glass cut to size at the hardware store and Fome-Cor or similar backing cut at the art supply store. No matting for posters! Then I order metal (or wood) framing sections, cut to size, from someplace like pictureframes.com or WarehouseFramers.com. They’re very simple to assemble. Remember to put in the hangers before putting the last piece of the frame together.
They have an entire department devoted to nothing but various devices for framing everything short of a live apatosaurus. And the department is next to the custom framing section, and the people there will help walk you through any issues and will tell you how cheaply they could do it themselves. They seem to run 50% off sales every week.
It’s much easier to just walk in, look around, and ask. They’re used to beginners. You don’t get the attitude you sometimes find in dedicated framing stores.
Yup, I know. Any frames I was able to find were either too small in at least one dimension, or waaaaaaay too big in another–think, I need a 12" x 24" frame and instead I’m looking at 12" x 36".
Yeah, I’m familiar with these–I have another print a friend sent me framed in one. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong size for three of the posters, and I want to have them in framed that at least somewhat coordinate, as they’re all going to be hung in a cluster.
How does everything assemble? Could you describe the process? What do you use to hold everything together (glue, nails, ??)?
Michaels carries (at least here) some metal frame kits that you can make a frame any size. You buy the side rails individually. They come anywhere from 6" to 36" in 2" increments. They are already cut 45 deg on the corners to match up. They have a slot on the back that accepts an “L” bracket that has set screws in it. You just slip the “L” into each piece, slide it together tight and tighten the screws to form the corner. Put three sides together, slide your picture and backing in and then install the 4th side. You can use foam board as a backing and get glass or plastic sheeting to cover it.
Usually they have the frames in silver, gold and black and maybe wood, can’t remember. They have little spring clips that slide in the rail too to hold the picture tight and hanger clips also.
They are fairly inexpensive. Last one I did was a 24"x36" and I think with glass and foam board and all it cost me less than $50.00.
I know I probably didn’t describe this real good but once you look at the pieces, you will see how simple it is.
Did you toss your Sunday Milw. Journal? (Umm, I mean Journal-Sentinel, not the one with the Green Sheet :~})
There should be a Michael’s coupon for a big chunk off one item, and … let me check…Yes! Another coup for custom framing. If not, check their web site, but you might need to ask a neighbor for their paper… good way to meet old ladies in yo’ hood.
The people there are pretty good about helping, too – but make sure you specify cheap. Their frames run from heck-of-a-deal to can-I-get-financing-on-that?– and be sure to measure your posters. They have a lot of pre-made frames.
I order custom frames online from Frames By Mail - the website address is the obvious one. They have a large selection of frames and lots of options (matting, backing, etc ) and a website that makes selecting and ordering the frames really simple. I had two frames approximately 24" x 30" made up with a lot of options – matting, acid-free backing and glare free plexi and I think they were a little over $100 each but the price conscious shopper could do much better.
TXCowboy described it quite well. You put the (clean) glass on a table, lay the poster face down, then the backing. Now slide the frame sections onto the edges and use the L-shaped brackets (you put in a stack of two that are forced apart by the setscrew) to join the corners. Slide in your hanging hardware before putting the last section in place. Finally, push in the little spring clips to force the backing-poster-glass sandwich to the front of the frame. Takes minutes once you see the principle.
As mentioned, you can get these at Michael’s, but only one variety, in black or gold, and only certain dimensions. When you order by mail you can specify a wide variety of colors and materials, and lengths to the eighth of an inch.