Finding the right frame can be difficult: inexpensive, ready-made options may have limited sizes and styles, while custom framing can cost more than the artwork itself. The services below offer alternatives, including custom frames, printing and materials designed to protect artwork.
Framebridge is the top pick for its range of distinctive styles, from gilded bamboo to distressed whitewashed wood. Frames come with matting, UV-protected acrylic and hanging supplies. Customers can send in artwork or upload an image to be printed. Prices start at $35, with sizes from 5 by 7 inches to 40 by 60 inches. The service can also frame objects less than 3/8 inch deep, including commemorative buttons and sports jerseys.
Michaels Custom Framing offers five frame styles developed with Architectural Digest, ranging from vintage-inspired designs to contemporary finishes. Frames are made to order and include acid-free matting, UV-protective acrylic and hanging hardware. Customers can design a frame online or in store. Prices start at $97, and sizes run from 5 by 7 inches to 24 by 30 inches.
Artifact Uprising sells framed prints in modern styles, including floating acrylic and brass wall frames, as well as wood tabletop frames. Its products include hanging hardware and instructions, and the company also provides gallery-wall guides and downloadable art. Alternatives to conventional frames include wood photo ledges and photo hangers. Prices start at $25, with sizes from 4 by 6 inches to 40 by 30 inches.
Art.com focuses on turning digital images into physical prints. Options include more than 50 traditional frame styles, canvas prints, wood mounts and framed canvases. The site also offers photo-editing tools and can save images for up to three months while customers decide what to order. Prices start at $114, and frame sizes range from 4 by 4 inches to 36 by 36 inches.
Level Frames makes its frames from sustainably harvested wood and uses environmentally friendly shellacs. Customers can upload an image for printing, choose a black or white mat and select from three glazing types. A golden-ratio tool suggests a frame size based on the artwork’s dimensions. Customers can also mail posters or prints to the company for framing; the service specializes in vinyl records. Prices vary, with sizes from 1 by 1 inch to 32 by 40 inches.
Etsy offers custom framing through individual sellers, some of whom accept digital image uploads and ship the finished product to the customer. Other storefronts make custom frames for artwork or posters that customers already own. Accurate measurements are important when ordering. Prices range from $39 to $199, and sizes run from 4 by 4 inches to 32 by 40 inches.
Simply Framed asks customers what kind of work they are framing, such as a canvas, art print or scarf, then offers more than 35 frame choices. It can also make shadowboxes or stretch a canvas within a frame, with recommendations based on the artwork’s medium and size. After an order is placed, the company sends a mailing tube with a prepaid return label so customers can send in their work. Prices start at $65, and frames are available from 1 by 1 inch to 40 by 60 inches.
American Frame, in business since 1973, offers more than 400 wood and metal frame options. It can also print artwork and photos on nine types of paper, canvas, Plexiglas or aluminum. Customers can select from a range of frames and mats, as well as retouching, mounting and glazing options. Prices start at $19; frame sizes range from 5 by 5 inches to 40 by 50 inches, with larger frames available unassembled up to 80 inches.
Sources: Architectural Digest.