So if there are that many options for ready-made frames, why choose custom? The answer is simple: selection and quality.
Certainly, ready-made frames offer vast selection, and if your image is a standard size you can likely find many possibilities. But with pre-made frames, what's there is all there is.
Imagine you have an 8x10" photograph that would look spectacular in an extremely wide, oversized moulding with ornate details. This could be very hard to find in a ready-made frame because most people want a moderate width for this image size - usually no more than 2-1/2 inches. When purchasing a ready-made frame, the customer is tied to the whims of the masses, or at least what the manufacturer imagines these whims to be.
While high quality ready-made frames are out there, custom frames are generally guaranteed to be. This is the reason museums, galleries, and professional artists almost always order custom frames for their pieces. The gallery will be displaying the piece for decades, and must ensure the protection and preserve appearance. And an artist will be selling their artwork for a high price - they must give their customer a quality product.
But custom frames are not only for professionals and corporations. More and more, individuals are seeking out framing shops for wedding memories or new baby photo shoots, original artworks purchased abroad (often removed from the frame for shipping), and even significant posters and prints they wish to permanently display.
There are a number of specific reasons one would choose a custom-made over a ready-made frame:
Rabbet Depth
Though not something the average frame consumer necessarily considers, rabbet depth can be a major determining factor in the selection of a picture frame.
The rabbet is the indented space below the lip of the picture frame - the space in which the contents (glass, artwork, backing, etc) will sit. If you are simply framing a regular photograph, a small depth of 3/8" or 5/8" will be suitable, but as soon as different components are added - making the contents thicker - the rabbet becomes an important measurement.
Consider an artwork with a double or triple mat. While the rabbet itself only holds one mat (the additional mats are generally cut thinner to save material), the space between the glass and the backing has nonetheless been substantially increased. Thicker glass or a specialty backing can also require a deeper rabbet.
Deeper rabbets also come into play in the case of shadow boxes, or the "float" framing, where the paper is raised from the backing to create a shadow. Regular frames have rabbets up to 1", while a shadow box can have up to a 3" rabbet.
Frame Face Width
Like the example above, sometimes a customer requires a frame that is not a "big seller" for that size, such as a very thin frame on a large image or a very thick frame on a small image.
A custom frame moulding can be made in any size you wish. If you want a 1" frame around a 36x40" artwork, you can have it, though the framer may advise against this, for fear of the glass being too heavy for the frame. There is no difficulty in ordering a wide, 4" frame for a little 5x7" artwork.
Selection
Similar to the previous case, there is little more upsetting than finding the perfect frame only to discover it does not come in the size you need. Do you crop or shrink your image and lose valuable details in exchange for the ideal border?
With custom framing, you don't have to make that tough decision. Custom frame mouldings come as 12 or 15-foot lengths, and are cut to exactly the size you need when you order it. If you fall in love with a corner sample, you know your size is available, barring stocking issues!
At KeenART Media, we have a showroom with more than 600 frame moulding profiles, and we are continuing to expand. With this much selection, there is no question of finding the perfect frame for every image.
Finishing Options
Most framing shops have options for the type of glazing (glass or plexiglass) and backing you can select to accompany your framed artwork. You won't be tied to the questionable quality of your ready-made frame's glazing, or be forced to purchase new glazing in addition to prepared frame.
At KeenART Media, we offer three different kinds of top quality acrylic glass that suits every need and budget from short-term home display to archival museum exhibition:
- Regular
- Non-Glare
- Archival, UV-Resistant
We also offer three options for matboards:
- Regular: acid-neutralized for up to 100 years
- Conservation: acid-free cotton core and acid-neutralized face papers
- Museum Grade: 100% acid-free cotton core and face papers, safe for hundreds of years
Our backing board options give consumers even more choice:
- White foam board
- Black foam board
- Acid-free foam board
- Cork board
Orientation
Want your square frame to hang on a slanted, diamond orientation on the wall? Just let the framer know, and they will apply all hardware to accommodate your request. If you decide to display a print of funky street art at a slant, the framer will be happy to do this for you, or simply supply you with a bag of hardware to attach yourself.
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The rabbet of a picture frame
Any frame width can be chosen for any image size
Frame shops have extensive moulding selection
Request any hanging orientation
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