paulraphael
Member
Hey, I just wanted to share a tip. I live in NYC, where custom framing costs a fortune. Usually I leave it to customers to deal with. But I just had to frame work for a show, with no guaranteed sales, with pretty big prints (27"x40"). The gallery owner recommended Metropolitan in Minnesota. They build frames custom, and send them to you ready to assemble (putting in the glazing, mounted work, spacers etc..) Price was about 1/3 the local frame shops.
And quality is as good as I've ever seen. These guys do a lot of work for major galleries, and whole exhibits for the Smithsonian, the Met, the Art institute of Chicago, etc.
I saved about $1200 by buying three frames from them. The caveat is that putting work this size into frames is not trivial. I really hate this kind of job. I actually worked at a frame shop many years ago, doing the carpentry and glass cutting. But the ladies at the front did the matting and assembly. I now realize they were the skilled workers in the place. I was a monkey with a saw! I'd recommend this if you have some experience assembling work and know what you're getting into, or if you're willing to face a learning curve ... and have plenty of surface area and ways to deal with static and dust (plexi is a bitch). I also managed to drop an x-acto knife on my foot during the process, which, after 2 doctor visits and an MRI, seriously diminished my savings. But that's another story.
Overall, notwithstanding the inevitable hassles of assembly, these guys made the best frames I've ever seen, and did it at an unbeatable price.
And quality is as good as I've ever seen. These guys do a lot of work for major galleries, and whole exhibits for the Smithsonian, the Met, the Art institute of Chicago, etc.
I saved about $1200 by buying three frames from them. The caveat is that putting work this size into frames is not trivial. I really hate this kind of job. I actually worked at a frame shop many years ago, doing the carpentry and glass cutting. But the ladies at the front did the matting and assembly. I now realize they were the skilled workers in the place. I was a monkey with a saw! I'd recommend this if you have some experience assembling work and know what you're getting into, or if you're willing to face a learning curve ... and have plenty of surface area and ways to deal with static and dust (plexi is a bitch). I also managed to drop an x-acto knife on my foot during the process, which, after 2 doctor visits and an MRI, seriously diminished my savings. But that's another story.
Overall, notwithstanding the inevitable hassles of assembly, these guys made the best frames I've ever seen, and did it at an unbeatable price.