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Framing for a gallery exhibit

Dale Allyn

New member
What about getting all those prints to and from the show and possibly shipped to a new location. Is there a place to buy a roll around box or do you need to get out a jig saw and plywood.
Hi Mike,

For shipment or longer transports I use sheets of foam styrene insulation I purchase at Home Depot in 4'x8' sheets to separate the framed images. The material comes in different thicknesses (1/2", 3/4",1"...), so one can modify depending on carton, etc. One can make "bombproof" layered sets for shipping.

Also, if you're doing a lot of shipping of the same images, ULINE carries "art shippers". They're expensive, but if using multiple times it can average out. I have looked through their offerings and mostly just made my own using the styrene sheets as described. At ULine, search "art" for options or ideas. I package the framed work prior to encasing in the sheet material to avoid static electricity issues.

And as you've mentioned, one can build crates out of plywood and hardboard, but shipping gets expensive due to weight.
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
USE OF METAL FRAMES: I don't want to open up a subject that should remain closed, but I am interested in the pros & cons of using metal frames. Since I have not used metal frames comments would be appreciated. I am aware of some people who think wood is classic. I use wood, but have an open mind to advantages of more modern approaches. I presume the use of metal frames requires ordering custom cut frames where standard frame sizes are not used. I can see many advantages to metal frames, but am curious to learn what the controlling factors have been in the decisions to use metal vs. wood (or wood look alikes).
The metal Neilsen frames I've had made are very difficult to cut (my framer has a machine to do it), difficult to align, heavy, expensive and a pain in the neck to assemble. Ready made is a different story of course but the price is a serious consideration.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I use Metal frames almost exclusively. The ones I order are pre-cut in pairs for each dimension and include the 4 corners and 8 retaining springs. I then glaze with plexi which I order cut to size from Tap plastics. Assembly is a piece of cake for me. I assemble three sides of the frame, and then attach the two remaining corner sections to the remaining frame edge. I then place the plexi on top of the mounted and matted print, slide that sandwich into the open end of the frame and slip the remaining edge onto the frame and tighten it down. Next I flip it over, insert the retaining springs, add wire hangers and wire and put silicone wall bumpers at the rear corners. Total elapsed time maybe 5 minutes per frame.

PS: I have cut my own lengths of aluminum sides down to custom lengths using a regular power miter saw for wood moulding with a Carbide-tepped blade. Not always perfect, but close enough nobody knows it is not a factory cut when a custom size is needed.
 

Eden

New member
Jack: Where do you buy your bright white 4-ply mat board & what brand? I did some research with Epson & on-line and several sources said unbuffered is best for inkjet prints, but that's harder to find.

I've always used Light Impressions, but they seems to have changed owners and lost their sense of customer service (see my post below).

Thanks,

Lynn Noah
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Hi Lynn,

First off, I prefer Plain White which is pretty white or sometimes Natural White (Warmer). I rarely use Bright White as I find it too bright for my images.

My current preferred mat board is Bainbridge Alpha Rag in "Artcare" form which is their term for archival. (It used to be called "Museum Board" and differs from their Alpha Mat as it is one solid piece of pressed rag without a paper cover, while Alpha Mat has a paper cover.) It is available in Bright, Plain, Natural and Warm White. I buy mine online in 25-sheet case lots from United: http://www.unitedmfrscatalog.com/home/index.htm.

A note about mail ordering mat board and foamcore mounting board. I have virtually never received an order from ANY source that didn't arrive with part of the case having damaged corners. For me, I plan on about a 20% loss factor when I order it. Obviously I could buy it locally and hand select perfect sheets, but then the price per sheet is about 2.5x what I pay over online case order. My only point here is plan on some corner or center damage to the outer pieces in the case if you have case lots shipped to you.
 

doug

Well-known member
An update - my frames are all done & the photos are ready to hang. Here's what I ended up with:

For mat board I used Crescent photorag from redimat.com. I bought blank 32"x40" sheets and cut the mats myself with a home-made jig and hand cutter. Mats for larger photos are 3" wide, for smaller photos it's a 2" mat.

The frames are made from a variety of hardwoods I salvaged from my father's workshop when he moved into a retirement home. I used his table saw and router to make the moulding & cut to length. The frames are a wide variety of sizes and dimensions to suit the individual photos so standard sizes wasn't practical.

I bought conservation glass locally. This was the most expensive part of the process but the source was willing to accommodate my odd sizes at no extra cost and the fit (in my odd-sized frames) has been nothing short of perfect.

Total cash outlay (a HUGE issue) was as much as $30 for each of the largest photos (14"x18" photo, 20"x24" frame) and about $10 each for the smallest (8"x10" photo, 12"x14" frame) and they look fabulous if I say so myself. The hand-made hardwood frames ($0.00) are a big plus. I was nervous about

a) being able to do a quality job and
b) completing the project on time

but in the end it worked out well.
 

doug

Well-known member
The date for the show is fast approaching and today I finished framing the 40th print so here's a quick update. The show is at Blue Wing Gallery in Woodland California and scheduled for the entire month of April, with an opening reception typically the first Friday of the month from 6-9 PM. The first Friday in April is the day after March 31 (no fooling!). Blue Wing Gallery's website is http://bluewinggallery.com/

Here's one of the framed prints:
 
R

Ronan

Guest
Nice! I'm about to print + frame some personal stuff for myself and family members.

This thread = great help!

Thanks and good luck on your expo :)

If you don't mind me asking, around how much did it cost you in material?
 

doug

Well-known member
If you don't mind me asking, around how much did it cost you in material?
I don't mind at all. Beyond the wood salvaged from my father's garage, wood for an 18" x 24" frame (California black walnut) was $10.65, the conservation glass was $25 (Aaron Brothers) and the mat board was ~$10 (redimat.com). For a 16" x 20" frame the wood was $9.13 (same walnut stock), glass also $25, mat board ~$5. I'm putting a lot of labor into the frames too, which I haven't quantified yet.

The walnut wood stock was from thewalnutplace.com in Woodland CA. Robert Beauchamp along with his business partner cuts, dries and mills the wood and he was very helpful getting me the right pieces at very reasonable cost... he also milled the wood to the rough dimensions I needed. An outstanding resource IMHO.

There were a few other expenses too; corner clamps, glue, lots of sandpaper, finishing nails, compound mitre saw (http://www.greenbackrentals.com), and the Watco teak oil finish. Spread over the 40 frames the cost of this stuff was ~$2/frame.
 

doug

Well-known member
On Saturday I delivered 48 framed prints to the gallery for hanging. Friday night I felt like I was at mile 20 of a marathon, where runners usually hit "the wall". For those who have yet to run a marathon, "the wall" is where your energy reserves are totally depleted, all hope is gone, the dementors are moving in for the kill and you still have 6.2 miles left to run. IIRC it's where I swore I'd never run again as long as I lived.

The nagging questions I had were:

) are my homemade frames good enough?
) do I have enough to fill the gallery space?
) did I print everything too small?
) is the gallery owner going to tell me I f***ed it all up and now he has nothing for the month of April?

Saturday morning driving to the gallery was like mile 26: legs are cramping, knees are wobbly, energy reserves and brain activity are beyond gone but THE FINISH LINE IS ONLY 2 TENTHS OF A MILE AWAY!

As I brought the prints into the gallery the crowds began cheering! The gallery owner loves the prints, the gallery's framer was delighted with my frames, mats, everything, and there's plenty to fill the space. The owner summed it up: "This is going to be a great show".

BTW I didn't quit running.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
good for you! that last bit of cheer makes up for a lot of worry and hard work. good luck with the show
 
J

Jamgypsy

Guest
Hi all. I'm a new member, trying to post in an old thread, so if this doesn't work, I'll try elsewhere. My question is similar to Doug's original one which started this discussion, and I've read all the previous postings with interest (and actually understood some of them!). I'm putting together about 40 prints, average size 11X14, for a show of my pictures from China. It's my first solo show and I'm definitely an amateur (boy, that took me three tries to spell right!) especially where it comes to framing. I want a frameless presentation and I don't have unlimited funds, so I'm trying to find a way that doesn't cost too much but looks nice. Foamcore was recommended and is locally available but I've been reading criticisms of it and Bill Green in #12 above recommends the black gatorfoam, which I've been reading about. When I asked the local frame shop I'm working with if they had that material, however, they did not (nor sintra, nor mightycore) and suggested drymounting the photos onto 8-ply matboard, working up a pretty good price estimate. Does anyone have feedback on using 8-ply as the substrate for photos, no frame? The largest piece is 24X30. Any suggestions for a nervous newbie would be very much appreciated!
Jamgypsy http://adventureinchina.shutterfly.com
 
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