cliffp Posted July 4, 2010 Share #1 Posted July 4, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have ordered an Epson R2880 and anticipate mainly printing A3+. I have been looking for suitable frames and apart from made to measure frames plus mounts that cost around £37 each, have only found one significantly cheaper off the peg alternative - a £15 one from Ikea which cannot be ordered online and doesn't come with a mount. Have other forum members found a good solution to the mounting of A3+ photos? I would be very grateful for any info. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 Hi cliffp, Take a look here Picture Frames. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Marty Posted July 5, 2010 Share #2 Posted July 5, 2010 Photo frames must be among the most overpriced photographic accessories I have come across. After a long and fruitless search I too ended up in IKEA and found the best frames had been there all along. A 70x100cm (about A1) RIBBA frame is £20, includes mount, and looks absolutely great. True you can't buy online but it is good to get a feel for the dimensions in store. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 5, 2010 Share #3 Posted July 5, 2010 In printers- and hobby material shops you can find polystyrene sheets with adhesive on one side. Very practical for mounting rimless images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 5, 2010 Share #4 Posted July 5, 2010 I buy these, which are easily assembled...Nielsen Metal Frame Sections German Silver Style 93 - BLICK art materials I buy bulk archival mat boards (and cut window mats to exact need), purchase conservation glass in bulk, and buy rolls of hanging wire. All included, I can frame and mat in 14"x18" size (usually for an 8x10 print) for less than $30. Typical price here to have a shop use this quality of materials and custom mount is around $125. Of course, costs increase incrementally for larger sizes, but bulk purchase mitigates the difference. I shopped around locally and online to find suitable materials at a good cost. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffp Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share #5 Posted July 5, 2010 Thanks for the suggestions I have also discovered that Warehouseexpress sell 6 packs of A2 frames in aluminium (the frame dimension rather than the photo it can accomodate) for £100 which doesn't seem too bad - they are made by Kenro. I am thinking of buying a mount cutter (around £75). I have found art shops that sell the mount card for a reasonable price (£3.50 for a single A1 sheet) I'll look into rimless mounting and also those Nielson frame sections look promising. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoySmith Posted July 6, 2010 Share #6 Posted July 6, 2010 I use a Logan 301-S Mat cutter for the mats. It works great. A large (approx 3 ft x 4 ft) archival mat board is only $11.00 (Canadian). I then buy appropriate sized frames (with glass) at craft stores, photo stores, walmart, etc Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffp Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted July 6, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought a Maped cutter. I don't think it is quite as good as the Logan one but a bit cheaper. The difficult thing in the UK seems to be getting decent frames at a reasonable price. I have found a source of Nielsen Bainbridge aluminium A2 frames with glass for around £27 delivered. There are cheaper deals but usually involving cheaper or uglier frames or plastic rather than glass panels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesop Posted July 6, 2010 Share #8 Posted July 6, 2010 ...super thread with wonderful examples - I have always struggled with this side of things. Thanks for the input. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted July 6, 2010 Share #9 Posted July 6, 2010 I bought a Maped cutter. I don't think it is quite as good as the Logan one but a bit cheaper. The difficult thing in the UK seems to be getting decent frames at a reasonable price. I have found a source of Nielsen Bainbridge aluminium A2 frames with glass for around £27 delivered. There are cheaper deals but usually involving cheaper or uglier frames or plastic rather than glass panels. Any problem about sharing your source for frames? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffp Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share #10 Posted July 6, 2010 The company/product I am presently considering is: TRADE FRAMES Nielsen Classic Frosted Silver You need to spend £99 (ex vat) to get free delivery. I haven't bought from them yet so can't recommend them from personal experience but their prices see good compared to the others I have seen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted July 7, 2010 Share #11 Posted July 7, 2010 The company/product I am presently considering is: TRADE FRAMES Nielsen Classic Frosted Silver You need to spend £99 (ex vat) to get free delivery. I haven't bought from them yet so can't recommend them from personal experience but their prices see good compared to the others I have seen. Ta! I hope they pack them well for shipping - all that broken glass! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 7, 2010 Share #12 Posted July 7, 2010 Don't know prices 'across the pond,' but here in US, you can get relatively good deals on really nice Logan mat cutters. I splurged a bit on this one, but for $350, I essentially got one I'll never need to replace that gives me results, including nice beveled edge cuts, comparable to professional shops...Logan 650 Framer's Edge Mat Cutter - BLICK art materials Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 7, 2010 Share #13 Posted July 7, 2010 ...and this is a good glass product...Tru Vue Products I found a local glass supplier that carries this product. I generally buy boxes of 29 'lites' (term for glass plates) of Conservation Clear for roughly $3 per lite. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffp Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share #14 Posted July 7, 2010 Unfortunately, I haven't found a good source of just the frames (the frame sections you mentioned don't seem available here). In the UK I don't think the market can be big enough for products such as this. It would no doubt be possible to buy lengths of aluminium frame (several metre lengths) but these would have to be mitred and the correct hardware sourced to assemble. If you then have to buy the backing board and glass it would be easier to spend £27 on a complete product (time is money). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 7, 2010 Share #15 Posted July 7, 2010 I guess you tried here?... Dealer search | NielsenBainbridge retailer for Europe Country Choose country: Great Britain Nielsen Bainbridge 27-30 Tradewinds Diss Business Park Sandy Lane Diss Norfolk IP22 4GT Tel.:004020-8961-0010 Fax00020-8961-6368 Emailinfo@nielsen-bainbridge.co.uk Webhttp://www.nielsenonline.co.uk/ Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calshot Posted July 7, 2010 Share #16 Posted July 7, 2010 Try Hobby Craft near to Southampton.Part of the Haskins Garden Centre group. Got loads of frames all sorts of sizes and shades. Plus matching mounts. Not sure about glass though. Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffp Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share #17 Posted July 7, 2010 I did see the Nielsenonline website but it wasn't very userfriendly and doesn't have any prices. The frames at the Hobby Craft shop are too small. Thanks anyway! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 7, 2010 Share #18 Posted July 7, 2010 I did see the Nielsenonline website but it wasn't very userfriendly and doesn't have any prices. But, there's a phone number to speak with a human. I would never buy something online like this without making a personal inquiry first to fully understand my options (and maybe even get a recommendation on an alternate supplier). The few hours I spent researching online and making calls saved me hundreds of dollars in the end, and more importantly, lead to good suppliers for all my future framing needs...frames, mats, mat cutter, wire kits, archival glass, etc. Unless someone goes out of business, my process is set. To each their own. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffp Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share #19 Posted July 7, 2010 Jeff, I'll give them a ring tomorrow. Since I now have the mat cutting gear I'm half way to being able to make my own frames! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 8, 2010 Share #20 Posted July 8, 2010 Another suggestion, that I forgot to mention yesterday, is to find local photographers who sell their work (especially in volume). I checked websites for some local photographers, made a few calls to them,and ended up with some great suggestions on materials and suppliers. When I go art fairs, I similarly strike up conversations if I see well presented work (including the overall art fair display, which is another topic). Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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