Some poster framing questions

iamloco724

Looking to get some posters framed cheaply, it would be temporary until I have my own house to put them in then one by one I'll get them done in better frames and matting.

What's the best way to go about doing this on the cheap and with keeping the poster safe, I don't have experience framing anything my self.
I assume doing it myself would be the cheapest option, so here is some questions about that since I have never done any sort of framing.

Should the frame be the exact size of the poster or a little bigger?

Would Michaels be the best place to get a cheap but good frame?

Do i have to flatten the poster prior to putting it in the frame or i can put it in there and let the frame flatten it?

If i wanted to have Michaels actually frame it with a cheap frame and no thrills how much around would that be?

narnia

I'm not sure what you mean by cheap, but take a look at Frames By Mail:
framesbymail.com/
They have 15% off black frames right now. If you don't mat the poster you can get a thin black frame with foamcore backing for about $30 + shipping.

iamloco724

By cheap I mean up to like $65

Spoonman110

Depending on the size, I've used IKEA Ribba frames, which come with a mat. Then I used a mat cutter and cut the mats to fit each poster. They end up looking great. The frames are between $15 and $40 depending on size. I bought a used mat cutter for $10. You can also buy mat from Michaels if you wish to change the color (IKEA ribba frames come with white mat)

I've framed a few of my Soundgarden posters at Michaels. If you wait for the 50-60% off sales, you can frame an average poster for $250ish. Make sure to use the UV proof, no-glare glass. It costs a bit more, but makes a world of difference.

lexicondevil

Custom sized frames and mats can be ordered from American Frame for way cheaper than going to a framer. Price depends, as always, on your frame choice and other extras you may add on. Last frame I ordered was with a fancy frame and it came out to under $100 shipped.

RKCNDY

#1 rule: make sure mat and/or backing is acid free...otherwise your poster will develop weird stains and be ruined.

BF89905

My experiences suggest that Micheals' pricing, even with their 60-70% off deals, is high. My experiences with American Frame.com have been good. If you want aa single mat and frame for an 18x24 print, you can get it done for $100 - $140 dspening on frame and other choices. The Ikea job referenced above is a cost effective option that I haven't tried.

Jerry's Artarama website has 'Ambiance' frames are are a decent option that I've used. They don't come with a mat, but the print fits exactly into the frame with a plexiglass front display instead of glass. You can get them on sale for $27 each at times. If you're interested in photos, PM me.

'Best of luck with your search.

derbydave

The best piece of advice I can give you is to do it RIGHT the first time!!
Don't waste your time and money by framing them twice.
If you really can't afford to do a nice job framing them now,
there are some GREAT options available for poster storage!
And whatever you do...PLEASE get them out of the tubes as soon as possible!!

PJfanwillneverleave1

derbydave said:

The best piece of advice I can give you is to do it RIGHT the first time!!
Don't waste your time and money by framing them twice.
If you really can't afford to do a nice job framing them now,
there are some GREAT options available for poster storage!
And whatever you do...PLEASE get them out of the tubes as soon as possible!!

UH OH
My one and only poster London, Ontario has been in the tube for years now.
What does it do to the poster?

shecky

derbydave said:

The best piece of advice I can give you is to do it RIGHT the first time!!
Don't waste your time and money by framing them twice.
If you really can't afford to do a nice job framing them now,
there are some GREAT options available for poster storage!
And whatever you do...PLEASE get them out of the tubes as soon as possible!!

All very sage advice.

buck502000

hobby lobby always does a good job for me - just saying

ldent42

I haven't done any framing yet (have to wait till spring to paint so what's even the point right now you know) but this is what I've learned from my own research so far:

iamloco724 said:

Should the frame be the exact size of the poster or a little bigger?

If you are going to use matting, then you've got to get a larger frame.

iamloco724 said:

Would Michaels be the best place to get a cheap but good frame?

If you're talking about a DIY frame, maybe. I bought frames at Michaels when they had a big sale recently and I got 5 18x24 and 1 24x36 frames for $80. That's just the frame, not actually having the poster framed. I tried to ask for pricing for a frame job but the people who work in the frame department were never there when I went (which was after 5pm) and the random employee who told me there's no one working that department couldn't tell me when anyone would be there. So I stopped caring. Others have said consistently that if you are near a mom & pop frame shop it will be most likely be less expensive doing it there, you just have to be specific about what you want.

iamloco724 said:

Do i have to flatten the poster prior to putting it in the frame or i can put it in there and let the frame flatten it?

You need to flatten the poster first. If it's been in the tube for like a week or less it'll flatten quickly. If it's been sitting for a long time it could take weeks. I've had a couple sitting in tubes for about a year and a half. I've left them flattening for two weeks now before putting them into a portfolio. It also depends on the way they were rolled. If they were rolled very tightly (you may have seen the expression "kong rolled" that will be another problem.

iamloco724 said:

If i wanted to have Michaels actually frame it with a cheap frame and no thrills how much around would that be?

Probably more than it is worth. The issue with doing it no frills is depending on the weather and how long you leave it in the cheap frame you might wind up with the poster warping, or the ink sitting to the glass of the frame, or the back getting stuck, or the framer using a dry mount technique instead of the tape - so that your plan of re-framing the artwork later is going to go down the drain because the poster will have been messed up by the first cheap frame job.

To be clear, I'm doing the same thing as you because it will be probably 3+ years until I can get the posters I have properly professionally framed. So I've bought those frames and now I'm going to try to figure how to get/use spacers with them.

HesCalledDyer

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

derbydave said:

The best piece of advice I can give you is to do it RIGHT the first time!!
Don't waste your time and money by framing them twice.
If you really can't afford to do a nice job framing them now,
there are some GREAT options available for poster storage!
And whatever you do...PLEASE get them out of the tubes as soon as possible!!

UH OH
My one and only poster London, Ontario has been in the tube for years now.
What does it do to the poster?

Flattening it will take a lot longer and there's the possibility of the ink cracking, bleeding, or discoloring.

cmalisze

buck502000 said:

hobby lobby always does a good job for me - just saying

I always go the Hobby Lobby route and they are awesome and reasonable in price.

Indifference71

cmalisze said:

buck502000 said:

hobby lobby always does a good job for me - just saying

I always go the Hobby Lobby route and they are awesome and reasonable in price.

I just moved and there's a Hobby Lobby right near me. I stopped in there yesterday and their prices are very reasonable. Will definitely be taking some posters over there soon.

-decodified-

any idea where to frame the double sided ones? Michales cant do it...

derbydave

-decodified- said:

any idea where to frame the double sided ones? Michales cant do it...

My framer makes a photocopy of the back of the poster and attaches it to the backing on the frame...

Wrigley - Cracker Jack / Shuss:





Pittsburgh / Munk One:





Worcester / Klausen:





For the Portland / Emek poster,
my framer cut a matte and used plexi on the back:





I use a small, locally owned frame shop & they will help me do anything I want with my frame jobs!!!

bootlegger10

Derby...How much approximately do they charge you for a standard frame, single matte, UV protected glass frame job? I want to get about 20 done in the next few months and what I have seen around me is about a $220 for something basic which I think sucks. Curious if you were able to work out a deal with your framer.

derbydave

I use The Framing Center...
a small frame shop with 3 locations here in Columbus.
It's around $100 for a simple frame with no matte & non-reflective glass:



If you add a matte with a single opening...
the frame job will cost me between $120 - $150,
depending on the size of the poster:



My "collage" posters run between $250 & $350...
This is my most recent project,
My Morning Jacket / Red Rocks:



It has a blue fillet inside the outer frame...
9 openings for picture and other items...
triple mattes...
a "floated" CD...and these cool star detail cuts:



This one was right at $350!
The Framing Center has a 25% off coupon on their website,
but I go there so much, they just give me (and my friends) the discount automatically!!

ldent42

How do you transport your posters to the shop? Do you roll it back up and stick it in a tube or do you carry the whole portfolio?
Also, when you go into a new frame shop for the first time to inquire about pricing, is it better to bring the poster with you or no? I'm afraid if I bring a poster and it ends up being too expensive, I'll feel weird about just packing it up and leaving so I might end up just getting the expensive frame job to avoid that awkwardness which is why I'm thinking of going in without the posters but I'm concerned they won't take me seriously if I just walk in there empty handed asking for pricing.

bootlegger10

Those are awesome pictures Derby. Thanks for the info!

bootlegger10

ldent42 said:

How do you transport your posters to the shop? Do you roll it back up and stick it in a tube or do you carry the whole portfolio?
Also, when you go into a new frame shop for the first time to inquire about pricing, is it better to bring the poster with you or no? I'm afraid if I bring a poster and it ends up being too expensive, I'll feel weird about just packing it up and leaving so I might end up just getting the expensive frame job to avoid that awkwardness which is why I'm thinking of going in without the posters but I'm concerned they won't take me seriously if I just walk in there empty handed asking for pricing.

I would think you could call them and ask for a quote over the phone. Just have the dimensions of the poster ready. I bet the awkwardness wouldn't be the hurdle if you wanted to leave with the poster, but rather after seeing the matte options and frames you would be too excited to not get the framing done.

derbydave

I'll put them back in a tube to take in to the shop...
it's only when you store them in the tubes for long periods they get damaged!!
I would definitely take your poster in with you...
and tell the framing professional what you are hoping to do!
Go into the shop with a budget for your frame job,
and tell the framer what you are planning to spend on this project.
If they can't get close to your number,
thank them for their help and find another place to do your work!
I've even taken several posters in at once,
and asked Julia to give me a written estimate for each project.
I tell her upfront that I won't be doing all of these now,
but I'm budgeting money for the future.
Hope this helps!!

2-feign-reluctance

Where's Hoff when you need em' ?

bootlegger10

2-feign-reluctance said:

Where's Hoff when you need em' ?

I know. He did the framing for the only four posters I've got on the wall.

Wma31394

cmalisze said:

buck502000 said:

hobby lobby always does a good job for me - just saying

I always go the Hobby Lobby route and they are awesome and reasonable in price.

So they do all the work? Roughly How much is reasonable?

PJ-Cubs

bootlegger10 said:

2-feign-reluctance said:

Where's Hoff when you need em' ?

I know. He did the framing for the only four posters I've got on the wall.

Hoff has done all of my posters. He does great work and his prices were good when he was running the specials. I think a got a print framed with double-matting and UV glass for $180.

BLACK35

Hoff has done all ine as well, except the 1st as I didn't know him then, but 7 in total. I was even sending them from Canada at the time as it was cheaper for him to do them than my local framer. But the dollar was pretty much par then, don't think I'm going to be sending any to him in the near future unless that dollar gets a whole lot better

-decodified-

derbydave said:

-decodified- said:

any idea where to frame the double sided ones? Michales cant do it...

My framer makes a photocopy of the back of the poster and attaches it to the backing on the frame...
Wrigley - Cracker Jack / Shuss:




Pittsburgh / Munk One:





Worcester / Klausen:





For the Portland / Emek poster,
my framer cut a matte and used plexi on the back:





I use a small, locally owned frame shop & they will help me do anything I want with my frame jobs!!!

looks great! cool ideas, thanks for the info!!!

derbydave

-decodified- said:

derbydave said:

-decodified- said:

any idea where to frame the double sided ones? Michales cant do it...

My framer makes a photocopy of the back of the poster and attaches it to the backing on the frame...
Wrigley - Cracker Jack / Shuss:




Pittsburgh / Munk One:





Worcester / Klausen:





For the Portland / Emek poster,
my framer cut a matte and used plexi on the back:





I use a small, locally owned frame shop & they will help me do anything I want with my frame jobs!!!

looks great! cool ideas, thanks for the info!!!

Always happy to share poster ideas...
Can't wait to see how your frame jobs turn out!!

Release EV

This is all great advice.

Can any Aussie in Melbourne recommend a reputable, well priced place?