When you have a favorite picture or piece of artwork, you want to display it in your home for your guests to see. In order to do this, you want to have it framed. Custom frames can be expensive, so you find yourself asking, “Is there a quality frame store near me that I can trust?” When you find yourself asking why it is so expensive, there are a few things to consider.
Why are Frame Stores Near Me So Expensive?
Quality is king. The reason it can be so expensive to have something custom framed comes down to materials, labor, and time. If the costs associated with this increase, the cost of your service goes up. When you search for a “frame store near me”, there are a few things to keep in mind when comparing prices. Some stores may be cheaper, but remember, you get what you pay for.
Labor & Time
The amount of time it takes to do a custom frame job is directly linked to the cost of labor. In order to get the job done, employees need to be paid. The bigger the project, the longer it will take. This means the cost will go up depending on how quickly you need your picture framed. Rush orders tend to cost more because businesses have to move other stuff around to accommodate the order.
Materials & Size
Materials often come from third parties. Many frame stores simply do not have the space to store everything required. This means they have to order from a supplier. Suppliers will mark up their price to make a profit. These costs roll down to the store and then to the consumer. In order to make a profit, your frame store will have to increase their price. The bigger a project is, the longer it will take and the more materials will be needed. This will add to the cost of your project.
Glass and Mats
Mat boards are used to display your artwork. They used to be cheaply made and the acids in them would burn the artwork. Now, many places use high quality, acid free mats that used to be reserved for museums. This adds life to your artwork, but they are not cheap. Some places add extra mats for fun and design. However, most of the time this is not necessary and it just adds to the cost.
Glass is another costly item. There used to be two options: clear and non-glare. Non-glare glass has an etched surface that would cause colors to fade over time. There are now numerous glass options available specifically for framing that will protect your artwork. This glass is optically coated to protect against UV damage. Museum quality glass has a non-reflective coating similar to eyewear.
Moldings
There are a variety of different choices when it comes to the molding for your frame. From gold leaf finishes to recycled, sustainable materials, there are a variety of sizes and choices. The molding is usually the most expensive part of the entire custom framing job.
Tools
Where they used to use hand saws and miter-boxes, they now use double miter saws and carbide tipped blades. Instead of manually measuring and designing, workers use computer aided design that can cut any shape desired. These tools are not cheap to own or operate. Workers will need special training.
Extras & Upselling
There may be extra work needed before the framing process begins. This can be time-consuming and difficult because the artwork or matting may have bonded and will need extra care to remove. There are also a variety of items that can be added during and after the process. A few things that take extra time and supplies include shadow boxes, backing boards, mounting materials, and ovals.
A lot of places will try to upsell you on extra features. Many of these will be unnecessary, such as extra matting, larger size, and museum glass instead of basic non reflective glass. Even though a quality frame job is expensive, save on costs by choosing only features that you need. When you search “frame store near me”, read reviews and see what others have said about service and over charging. A little research goes a long way.