Frame them yourself, too - American Frame, which is out of Maumee, OH, has really good prices and offers good quality products. I like theirs much better than the DIY kits from Hobby Lobby.
Good framing is an art in itself and costs a LOT.
Just stay away from acids. Buy “museum rag” mattboards, they’re acid-free and the core is a good strong white that doesn’t yellow over time. Remember to use acid-free tape. The tape comes in an orange box. NEVER use masking tape on a surface near your art, it WILL burn.
I certainly agree that quality frames cost. I have been getting the occasional photo printed, matted and framed for over 25 years and it has never been cheap. The most expensive I have is a panorama I took of the British Parliament House from across the Thames. 36x8, should have been 3 inches longer, but that was the longest print they could do. Then had it matted and framed, ended up costing $200.00 by the time I was done. :eek:
Still, it looks good. I was going to enter it into a judged show last year but it was too big.
