posted on December 21, 2005 05:04:28 PM new
if you take a print to be custom framed,they charge you for frame,matting,museum mounting and glass.
is labor included?or is there a separate charge for labor??
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on December 21, 2005 05:14:36 PM new
Interesting timing -- Just took 2 pics in for framing today. One was my Mom, taken in 1931 or so -- and one 11x14 of our one cat. With double matting and a medium cost frame stock, the cost of the 8x10 was about $120 and the cost of the 11x14 was around $135.
They don't break out the labor for me, but they do it for themselves -- down to whether they mount the item or not.
Don't cut costs when getting your prints done. You'll hate yourself if you do.
Wayne
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on December 21, 2005 05:43:51 PM new
well,every time I go there,I am given a different price depending on whether I talk to a salesman who only works on Saturday,the boss or the boss's wife.
Any way,this is what I paid for an eskimo print 33.75 by 24.75 inches-
Black frame 84 ( 7 dollars per ft)
regular glass 18
3 inch matting 19.50
museum mounting 27
labor 15
total comes to 177.20,tax is 13.50
posted on December 21, 2005 06:15:06 PM new
What is your sales tax rate in Texas? If it's in the 7-8% range, it looks like they are charging you sales tax on labor. Might be legal in Texas, but definitely illegal in many states.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on December 21, 2005 06:31:29 PM new
Take it to be framed by one of those eBay bidders who think everything should ship Priority for $3.85. They clearly don't think labor (or materials) should be charged for, so you could have had the whole thing done for $84
posted on December 21, 2005 07:04:05 PM new
I have talked to several frame shops,I even went to Michael's and it looks like this shop has the best price.
But their art appreiciation level is rather low,a picture is a picture,lets just matt and frame it.You have to know what you want,cant just depend on their taste.
I gave them a easy one,I am taking the more diffcult ones to someone else recommended by the art galleries,of course his price would be higher.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
[ edited by hwahwa on Dec 21, 2005 07:05 PM ]
posted on December 21, 2005 08:22:17 PM new
Where do you live? Those prices seem high for framing, and we're in So. Calif., where prices are high.
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posted on December 21, 2005 09:04:34 PM new
You're right -- it does seem a bit high, but it depends on what the final result is. We're fortunate to have a small "Mom-n-Pop" art store that handles all of our framing for us. We can get work turned around in a day if we need it - and they have a very artistic eye - both "Mom" and "Pop." They give us a few choices of matt color combinations and work with us on frame stock selection.
As others suggested - shop around, but don't go for the cheapest rates - but for the one you enjoy working with and who adds something to the work - not just taking your direction. Even though I have a background in photography, it's always refreshing to see someone else's interpretation of your work.
posted on December 22, 2005 05:55:32 AM new
We frame a lot of photographs (actually "a lot" is understating it!) and we get the pre-cut sectional frames from Light Impressions.
http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/
We use metal but they have lots of wood styles too. We use UV blocking plexi that we get custom cut at a local plastic shop. My husband is a cracker jack mat cutter so he does it but Light Impressions will custom cut mats for you if you send dimensions. Not sure is this route would be cheaper than a frame shop but if you know what you want it might be.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on December 22, 2005 06:34:05 AM new
Yikes at those rates it might be worth it to take a course in custom framing at a community college!
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posted on December 22, 2005 07:12:34 AM new
note the size of my print- 35 by 25.
but I think they should not charge for labor,labor should be included in the price of the material.
I did call and visit several places,nothing under 150 for customs framing.
now those 2 photos are more expensive than mine,but double matting is more than single matting.
I will see how it comes out,this is an easy one,but their attitude is what I worry most,they run their arts shop like they run a cheap gift shop,in fact most of their oil paintings,prints etc come from China??
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on December 23, 2005 04:16:51 AM new
...is there a separate charge for labor??..
Some frame shops factor in overhead etc. into the markup for materials; some add a labor charge. Some have a standard labor rate for working with customer-supplied materials. No one here will know what your local shop does, so the easiest solution would be simply to ask them.
But, out of curiosity, since just about everyone on this board thinks they should be "paid for standing in line at the post office", why shouldn't other businesses get to add "handling" charges?
posted on December 23, 2005 07:19:03 AM new
Wow! I guess my framer, from whom I just picked up five 6x30" hand colored English lithographs, with her mats, her glass and plain black wooden frames with archieval dust covers at $40 each total, just doesn't charge enough. Is she good? Yes, great eye, great work. I owe her a Christmas bonus!
posted on December 23, 2005 07:33:58 AM new
size matters,small pictures,small frames,ready made frames,precut matt,no dry mounting or museum mounting.
we are talking about customs framing of large print!
a print meseauring 35 by 25 inches,by the time it is done will be 39 by 29 with the frame.
I have called around,this seems to be the lowest price,of course I have not seen the work yet.
we can all do it ourself,it depends on whether you like results and how much you paid for the print,and if the print is worth anything .
/ lets all stop whining !! /
[ edited by hwahwa on Dec 23, 2005 07:37 AM ]
posted on December 23, 2005 09:16:56 AM new
"size matters"
Well - in a manner of speaking sometimes it does - and sometimes it doesn't.
"by the time it is done will be 39 by 29 with the frame."
ah-ha! See - this is where the framer makes you salivate over their business. By making it an odd sized frame then you HAVE to have them do the work - right? WRONG!
Go to Michaels with your coupon. Get two sets of frames, you know the metal ones you put together yourself - one for 40" and one for 30". The mat will be just a teeny tiny bit bigger now but your eye will never see the difference. Really.
Or go to garage sales with your tape measure and buy those frames even cheaper, and paint them yourself.
posted on December 23, 2005 09:47:52 AM new
Like I said,depends on your own expectation-modern art would go well with a simple wooden frame,in my case,with eskimo print,metal frame would make it colder,so i choose wooden frame.
professional does a better job than amateur,I wont even call myself an amateur,but a beginner.
a good framer will be able to converse with you to make it more presentable,long lasting etc and not ruin your print-in my case,limited edition should not be trimmed to preserve its value,of course it all depends on the owner,and whether it should be museum mounted or dry mounted.
the paper makes a difference too,whether it is rice paper,mulberry paper,canvas etc.
last but not least is to look at the picture from the perspective of the creator,aka the artist.
some arts can be framed anywhere,like michaels,some should be framed by those who work for art gallery,some you can do it yourself by getting some ready made frames .
size does make a difference in price,more glass,bigger matt,bigger frame.
If you really want to cut corner,you can use clips and skip the frame,of course moisture and dirt will get in.
Or just nail it on the wall,afterall,it is the print which matters,not the frame.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on December 23, 2005 11:58:25 AM new
ok. last post. I promise.
here we have two pictures - never mind the subject matter
My print is the one on the left.
my husband collects these prints and they are all the same size. he had one unframed one that I decided to have framed for him a couple of Christmas's ago. I priced it to be in the same size frame and matted exactly the same. It was $150.00 or something and I didn't have that much. So what I did do was go to Michaels and buy one of those pieces of framed "art" on sale, $19.95 - took the frame and the print to a frame shop and left it up to the framer. This is what I picked up and the framer had done this neat little second cut all around the mat to highlight the picture.
Ok, for the print on the right - it was so-called "professionally framed". If I may point out the SPOTS that are on the print that are growing? Not quite foxing - but not attractive either. I didn't point out where the mat has slipped down inside the picture frame at the top.
My mat is not quite the regulation size as dictated by those who made up the rule that the mat has to be larger on the bottom. Frankly - I've never cared for that. But I could tell that the print WOULD fit in the frame with room enough left to mat it, and it did.
Professional bah. I'd call the local art society and ask THEM where they recommended. Could be someone that does it on their own that WOULD have an appreciation for art.
posted on December 24, 2005 08:21:04 AM new
first of all,glassgirl,they are two different photos and the way you present them make it hard to compare.
Anyway,I got my first eskimo print back,the framer works in the backroom and took the chance to call me while the owner and his wife are away.
He cracked up when he saw the breakdown of the fees for his work !
He also took the liberty of deciding without asking anyone to use plexi glass instead of regular glass,so it wont break and is lighter,it costs more .
I dare not ask if he trimmed the print?did he museum mount or dry mount as his english is not so good.
The boss wife cam back to make sure he collected the remaining balance for the work done.
I am no going back,too bad ,as I have more prints to be framed.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
