Category Archives: FAQ’s

Spring Cleaning the SF Framing Way!

Cleaning and tidying is the first step to adding new joy in your life!

If you haven’t heard of Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant, you have probably been living on a remote island. She has transformed lives with her little book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Kondo has set off a decluttering craze across the globe that has people purging their attics, basements, closets and garages.

The Life Changing Magic of Spring Cleaning.

Marie Kondo’s approach to tidying is a suggestion you place your hands on everything you own, ask yourself if it sparks joy, and if it doesn’t, thank it for its service and get rid of it. Next, when your most joy-giving belongings remain, put every item in a place where it’s visible, accessible, and if necessary, easy to grab and put back. We cannot think of a better way to place that joy-giving belonging in a visible and accessible place in your home than by putting it into a skillfully and professionally framed display. That’s where SF Framing can help you.

Frame Your Marie Kondo Joy-Giving Belonging.

Joy giving possessions are best when framed making them visible, accessible, and easy to grab!

When it comes to simplifying your life and helping you with your joy-giving belongings, what sets SF Framing apart from other custom-framing companies is its realization that it serves a much bigger notion than custom picture framing. SF Framing helps customers surround themselves with the art, memories and treasures that really matter to them.

A Very Special Spring Cleaning Framing Offer!

After you have determined what your most joy-giving belongings are, we suggest you stop by SF Framing. We’ll make sure you receive the very best picture framing services available anywhere. We invite you to celebrate your new found organizing skills with us and take advantage of our spring season savings! Mention this blog and we will give you a 50% discount off the moulding of your next frame purchase (maximum $50 per frame) and a FREE gift!

Note: Offer not valid with any other coupons, discounts, offers, or vouchers.

How much does picture framing cost?

How much does picture framing cost?

This is likely the most common question we receive at SF Framing. The cost to frame pictures varies as much as the photos, prints, posters, paintings and collectibles these picture frames display. Frames are available in every color, style, size and decorative theme conceivable. Of course, basic picture frames can be bought at almost any specialty boutique, general merchandise, book or stationary store. However, to ensure a high quality custom presentation that matches your office or home’s decor and best complements the artwork itself, it is vitally important to ensure photos, prints, posters, paintings and collectibles – even shredded art like “The Girl with the Balloon” by Banksy – are professionally framed. Custom-framing shops like ours, as well as art & craft stores and a few big box retailers offer picture framing services. No matter where picture framing services are sourced, the aspects that most affect the cost of any custom picture framing project are the framing materials chosen, the specially-cut mats and small features that surround the artwork, and the quality of art design work involved in creating custom framing for particular artwork.

SF Framing can frame anything… even something shredded!

Frame materials

Picture frames have traditionally been made of wood, which is still the most common material. Other materials used include gold, silver, bronze, aluminum, and plastics. The simpler the frame, the less it will cost. Of course, the size and shape of the frame will affect the cost as well. Most professional frame shops like SF Framing have thousands of frame styles, textures, colors and finishes on hand to choose from. Most like SF Framing also offer different types of glass, from clear to ultra-violet protective, and a variety of museum-grade, acid-free archival mat materials to preserve artwork from indoor light and sun damage, acid damage, dust and moisture.

Services

Full-service custom framing shops like SF Framing provide in-store design consultation services and offer countless frame types, including shadow boxes and floater frames, to create a wide variety of the very best finished appearances. In addition to framing paintings and photographs, the framing professionals at SF Framing can create custom shadow boxes and frames for memorabilia such as collectibles, family heirlooms, fabric projects, and more.

Pricing

The price for custom framing varies, depending on size, and type of materials used. Almost all of the materials used in picture framing vary in price. The following are some cost examples of do-it-yourself framing. If the art measures 16″ by 20″, the starting price for a metal frame, clear glass, and backing, will be $29.95 + tax. The starting price for the same size in a wood picture frame will be $59.95 + tax. If the art measures 24″ by 36″, the starting price for a metal frame, clear glass and backing will be $79.95 + tax. The starting price for the same size in a wood picture frame, will be $129.00 + tax. The type of glass, matting, mounting, and picture framing material used, will all be determining factors in the final price.

The Very Best Framing Services

While we believe you will find no better source of framing services than those available from SF Framing, we thought you might like to read more about framing in general. Take look at our FAQ page for more information, or contact us today at 408-733-6060 or email us at sfframing@yahoo.com. We look forward to speaking with you!

Why have scattered pictures… when treasured memories can be proudly displayed?

Memories… like a photo of your parents, a prized newspaper article, a team sports jersey, or a child’s cherished drawing shouldn’t be left to fade away. These are valuables -when properly framed and displayed – can bring an immediate smile to your face, joy in your heart and pride among your family and friends. Why leave these things in a box in the attic or in a drawer in the kitchen?

Framing a memento is a fun and unique thing to do. The professionals at SF Framing are here to make creating personalized, heartfelt memory displays quick and easy. Here are a few ideas of how to capture your memories and turn them into professionally preserved keepsakes you will treasure forever:

Sports Jersey – Frame a team jersey in a shadow box! This is the perfect decoration for the den or basement where everybody gathers to watch big games.

Memorable LP Record Jackets and Records Beautifully Displayed.

Music Record or CD Cover– Put a special music record in a frame in a creative way – perhaps with a ticket to your favorite concert. It could be an LP of a favorite musician, your “first dance” song or a valuable collectible. Get creative and you’ll end up with an art piece that nobody could buy in a store.

Achievement Awards – Protect and display your certificates, ribbons, medals and badges with specially designed frames. Those memories do not need to stay online where they will eventually be forgotten. These real-life awards when properly displayed will feel fresh and remind you of your hard work and accomplishment.

Children’s Art – Framing a child’s art makes a fun and whimsical decoration when highlighted with a nice frame and could make a wonderful gift for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and teachers.

Family Heirloom – Try framing a particularly meaningful piece of home-made art, a needlepoint tapestry, a poem or maybe an old family recipe to bring warmth to your home.

Treasured Famous Artist Original Signature

Famous Collectible – Create a conversation corner in your home or office by stylishly framing and displaying a beautiful vintage photograph, a historical newspaper headline or a celebrated autograph.

SF Framing can help you preserve your most treasured memories. Contact us today to provide you with a quote on professionally framing your family heirlooms and keepsakes.

Why does custom framing cost more than ready-made picture frames?

We work with our clients to carefully understand their artwork and project scope.

SF Framing receives this question often from clients who visit our Sunnyvale store and we are more than happy to help them determine the best framing method based on their personal needs. Ready-made frames are mass produced in standard sizes using low cost, often less durable materials, while custom framing is designed and crafted to meet each client’s unique specifications, using frame styles, colors and long lasting materials best suited to display, preserve and protect artwork for many years to come.

Carefully We Proceed!

When we begin to help our clients, we work with them to understand the artwork medium, carefully measure the artwork size and determine the overall level of conservation that is desired. Based on these factors, we help our clients determine if a ready-made or custom-made frame option is best for them.

The framer carefully chooses each component of a custom picture frame individually.

Custom framing costs more than ready-made picture frames because the framer carefully chooses each component of a custom picture frame individually, and every aspect of the framing project can be customized in many ways. The choice begins with the frame molding, which can be wood, metal, metal clad wood, and extends to the matting, glazing, backing, and hardware. Glazing can be purchased in several varieties including conversation (ultra-violet light blocking), anti-glare, museum glass and acrylic. The backing materials, which are the materials that the artwork is mounted on, are available in acid-free foam core and Mountcore neutral pH mounting board. As for matting, not only are there hundreds of colors, acid free materials and conservation grades to choose from, but a custom framing project can use two or more mats to give a truly distinctive look.

You Get What You Pay For… And We Believe You Will Love It!

Since custom made frames are made to a client’s unique specifications, custom frames are more expensive than ready-made frames and often require a week or more to make. Also, since every component needs to be selected individually, the dedicated time required to design and build a custom picture frame package is unique to each project – it can easily take up to an hour or more to complete the whole process.

Exactly How To Hang Your Art After Framing!

Newly hung framed artwork by SF Framing.

After you receive your newly framed art from SF Framing, properly hanging the piece can be a challenge for many. If you are the type of person who wonders where you should hang your piece relative to furniture, what the proper position on the wall should be, and how to best secure your art to the wall… you are not alone!

The Eyes Have It!

As a general rule, framed art should be hung at eye level. But of course eye level varies from person to person. On top of that, you are probably wondering exactly what part of the picture is supposed to be eye level, the focal point of the art, the middle of the picture, or the top edge of the frame? If you are hanging your framed art in a public space in the United States, take into account the average height of the population is approximately 5 feet, 7 inches (170 cm). In this case, we recommend the focal point of the art (the part of the art that the viewer’s eye will discover first) should be approximately 5 feet (183 cm) above the floor.

Location, Location, Location!

Your next challenge will be to determine exactly where on a wall you might want to hang something. It isn’t difficult if you know you want to hang your art in the center of the wall; all you have to do is measure the width of the wall and divide it in half. However, if you want to hang your art in an open space between two existing pictures or between wall elements, you will have a choice of how you could approach it. Either measure the space between elements and divide it in half, or set the frame on the floor against the wall below where you’re considering hanging it and step back to get a feel for the positioning, and then measure up from the floor at that point to 5 feet and make a vertical mark in pencil on the wall.
When you are hanging art relative to furniture or to an architectural element like a fireplace mantle or a sofa, you will want to have the bottom edge of the framed art approximately 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) above a mantle or sofa regardless of ceiling height.

Picture Framing Hangers come in many shapes and sizes.

Hanging Around

Now that you know where you want your art to be positioned, your next task will be to determine where the hangers will go. Most framed art from SF Framing come with secure hanging wires in back of them. To hang these most efficiently, we recommend you ask a trusted friend to hold the framed art against the wall with the focal point at eye level. While they are doing this, make a very light pencil line on the wall at the bottom of the frame. Then set the framed art down and measure the distance from the bottom of the frame to the hanging wire. If, for example, it’s 18 inches (46 cm) from the bottom of the frame to the hanging wire, you will want to measure up 18 inches (46 cm) from the mark on the wall that indicates the bottom of the frame – that’s where the hanger will go! Of course, many people prefer to hang art using two hangers – specifically to help keep the frame level and very secure. To place two hangers, measure the width of the frame and divide it by four to get the distance from the center point to where the hangers will go. For example, if the frame is 40 inches (102 cm) wide, each hanger should be about 10 inches (25 cm) from the center point. To locate the position of each hanger you’ll need a carpenter’s level and a yardstick (or a center finding ruler often found at many local hardware stores). Place the yardstick at the hanger mark and place the level on top of it. Measure out from the center point, staying level, and make cross-hair marks on the wall. The distance from the bottom of the hangers (where the wire will actually attach) and the top of the hangers (where the nail will be driven) is typically one inch (2.54 cm). You can measure up one inch (2.54 cm) and make another mark above the crosshair mark, or you can simply place the bottom of the hook at the crosshair mark and drive the nail through the hole at the top of each hook. Lift the framed art and arrange the wire over the hooks. Then place the carpenter’s level on top of the frame and adjust it until its level.

Well Rewarded

When you have completed hanging your newly framed art, it is time to stand back and take a look at what you have accomplished. We are confident that you will like what you see, and will find many years of enjoyment from the work you have completed. When you choose to work with the professionals at SF Framing, you can be assured we will strive to provide you with the very best mounting, framing and hanging experience available today.

How is my artwork mounted and held securely in place?

What many “big box” and “chain store” framers call their “proven method” of mounting artwork is actually a procedure developed decades ago to mount processed photographs, lithographs, posters and other types of images popular at the time. This old-technology and the dry mounting materials used were once acceptable, but the heat and mounting time required in this old process can cause serious problems to contemporary images. Even if no damage is immediately apparent, the acid exposure, higher heat and longer mounting time of old mounting methods can alter the ink chemistry enough to create or accelerate color shift, bubbling and/or fading over time – potentially damaging your artwork.

Serigraphs, lithographs, monoprints and fine art are commonly mounted using a hinged tape method that dries out over time and can release the artwork from its original position. To prevent this from happing today, SF framing now uses an acid free four corner mounting method that secures the artwork for a lifetime.

New permanent mounting process used by SF Framing.

Recognizing new digital imaging technologies have been rapidly replacing older-technology image types, SF Framing now mounts all digital prints, inkjet, giclee, laminated charts and maps, posters and prints using a new high tech dry mounting adhesive process called Gilman MountCor. This new permanent adhesive process protects virtually all modern art images using low temperatures and fast mounting times to ensure your art is mounted safely and cleanly using a pH neutral and particle free process.

When you choose to work with the professionals at SF Framing, you can be assured we only use high quality materials, modern equipment and state-of-the-art procedures to provide you with the very best mounting and framing experience available today.

Choosing your Custom Picture Framing Material is Important!

NOT All Custom Picture Frames Are Created Equal… Choose Carefully!

Throughout history, frames have been made with varying techniques and inconsistent materials. As surprising as this might seem, this inconsistency has lead to the unintended deterioration or unanticipated destruction of many a collectible or family heirloom. Of the many elements to consider in determining how to best frame art, the one that is often most overlooked is the actual framing material chosen – yet the framing material is the most important element to consider carefully. With the confusing array of picture framing materials available to you at the ‘big box’ stores, you might ask yourself, “What picture framing material should I choose?” Before considering the framing material you would like to use, be sure to understand the various factors that are most important to you by answering these questions:

1. Preservation: Is the art piece you wish to frame, something that you would like to preserve for a long time?
2. Structural Integrity: Do you wish the frame to maintain its structural integrity over time (e.g. keep corners tight, etc.) despite frequent moves, sunlight exposure, etc.
3. Visual Aesthetics: What image do you wish your frame to portray? Is the color and/or texture of the frame appropriate for the environment where it will be displayed?
4. Environment: Are you interested in ensuring your frame is produced with environmentally friendly materials?
5. Health: Do you wish the frame to be free of potentially harmful chemicals which could potentially affect your household’s health?

Picture frame materials can vary – choose carefully to get the best results!

By carefully considering these factors, you will help yourself get a better idea of the picture framing material that will be perfect for you. SF Framing can then provide you with the added guidance to help you determine the best frame material to use from those available to you by showing you these options:

1. Plastic
2. MDF (Medium Density Fiber / Composite)
3. Photographic (soft wood backer with a thin photographic skin)
4. Veneer (soft wood backer with a thin layer of a premium wood finish)
5. Metal (aluminum, steel, etc.)
6. Solid hardwood

By choosing the most appropriate material to custom frame any piece of art, you will not only help preserve it, but you will ensure your framed art is greatly enhanced by the perfect framing material you have chosen.

When should I choose glass or acrylic to cover my artwork?

Most people are familiar with the use of moulding and matting when it comes to custom framing, however, many are unaware of the importance of glazing when it comes to the protection and beauty of their framed piece. This is understandable as you might even ask yourself, what is “glazing”? Glazing is the protective covering used in picture framing – it refers to either acrylic or glass. It’s understandable when people wonder if they should cover their artwork with glass, acrylic or nothing at all.

The glazing you choose can be extremely important as glazing will help protect your cherished artwork, family photos, or any object you wish to have framed. We know that when you come to SF Framing to custom frame, it is because the piece you are framing is important to you, and the project you bring to us is something you want to enjoy for a long time to come. The following are our recommendations for you:

We generally do not recommend glazing over oils, acrylic and giclee paintings.

Acrylic is preferable for the majority of artwork. It is both lighter than glass and shatterproof – important factors to consider in regions plagued with earthquakes and for pieces larger than 36 inches x 48 inches. An exception is pastels, since acrylic’s static charge can attract fine chalk particles from the artwork. In this case, glass is often substituted.

Whether you choose glass or acrylic glazing, when you have something that you want to preserve from the effects of damaging ultraviolet (UV) light, we recommend the glazing material chosen be treated with a special coating to keep out damaging UV light. This is often called “Museum” acrylic or glass – which is more expensive than standard acrylic or glass. A new economical anti-reflective, UV protective glass is now available from SF Framing to help reduce the cost of preserving your piece.

Always ask your SF Framing design consultant about the best glazing choices available for your treasured artwork.

Acid or Acid-Free Matting?

There are two types of mat material: acidic, and “acid-free” (neutral pH). Most old mats are typically acidic, because acid-free paper was not widely available until very recently. While most newer mats are acid-free, there are some that are not neutral pH and may still contain acid.

The difference between acidic and acid-free matting is important for the long term protection of your piece because acidic mats can cause what is called “mat burn”, brown or yellow marks on the beveled edge of the mat and the displayed piece itself. While mat burn is sometimes reversible through cleaning the piece, cleaning may not be feasible. Always ask your SF Framing design consultant about the acid content of any mat if the desired life of the piece being framed is more than 75 years.

SF Framing – Your Best Source for Custom Picture Frames!

Custom picture framing | Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Gatos, San Jose, Silicon Valley and beyond!