Source of frames in the UK?

[timd]

Can anyone recommend a reasonably-priced source of frames and mattes in the UK - particularly sizes other than the standard A3/A4/certificate-styles??

 

[SeamusARyan]

Atlantis in london do some reasonable frames, mail order shouldn't be a problem except your gonna be charged for shipping heavy glass around, surely you just need to find a local framer who does ready made frames, most do when they have down time, and they'll do your mounts as well.

be well

Seamus
www.seamusryan.com

 

[catem]

Finding a good local framer is the best bet if you want non-standard sizes - worth considering IKEA otherwise, not all, but some of their frames are good - not their real cheapos. I use a good local framer who has had his own business for years and says he used to work as a framer for IKEA - says they were the most exacting in terms of standards of all the different firms he's supplied to, big names for twice the price...(not that they're THAT good, but certainly no worse & if he's right better than others off the shelf....I've used some & they're O.K....)
Good luck
Cate

 

[Dave Miller]

I must admit to buying my frames at the local DIY stores, crap quality; but as I put such stunning prints in them no one notices the frames.

Matts I buy in bulk from Carters who are in Cumbria somewhere, Google will find him.

 

[Davec101]

Habitat do some good frames at a reasonable price, thick dark birch frames from anywhere between really small upto 60cmx80cm which retail for around £27. Great for black and white images.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

I usually buy mine at Tesco's (shock, horror) - they have square and panoramic sizes in addition to the normal A sizes.

 

[catem]

Habitat do some good frames at a reasonable price,

Though that was one of the names the framer mentioned as not being so good on quality control - but supplied with exactly the same frames, and more expensive. Thought I'd better not mention it as might be done for libel or defamation. Oh never mind. The other one was John Lewis. Or what do I know, maybe he's got a grudge...
btw framers aren't necessarily that expensive - the one I know does 12 x 16 image size with large mount (sorry can't think of exact size) for £25 - which isn't bad value by the time you've bought the frame, mounting board, cut the mount etc...

 

[tim rudman]

Can anyone recommend a reasonably-priced source of frames and mattes in the UK - particularly sizes other than the standard A3/A4/certificate-styles??

http://www.pauliframes.com/index.htm

http://www.frame-express.net/

http://www.lionpic.co.uk/www.arquadia.co.uk

and Nielsen (do a google)

Nielsen and Lion do chop service and aluminium frames (as well) which are easy to assemble and cheap on postage, where you assemble your self (screw driver only) but need to buy backing board and glass separately (local)
Very elegant, Lion virtually identicla and cheaper than Nielsen.
Tim

 

[David Lingham]

I can give my vote to Ikea, their black and dark brown wood are fine. I also buy A1 sheets of Daler board from an art shop. This gives me two 20x16 matts per sheet. I cut my own matts using a matt knife bought years ago, first having learned to work it lefthanded!

 

[Baxter Bradford]

I too use the Habitat Dark Birch frames. They work very well with both Colour and B+W images as the depth (from wall) and dark frame define the picture space very well - if that doesn't sound too contrived.

Those who view like the frames, often don't realise where the frames come from or what good value. This implies they spend more time looking at the frame than my pictures! Hints please Dave Miller!

Agree quality control isn't great, mostly glass defects in my experience. However they do a no quibbles exchange, so I tend to buy a spare or two if framing a lot of prints.
Have been using a Longridge mount cutter for 4 years which is much easier to use than the Maped where you have to draw precisely 8 lines per mount. Then this summer I went mad and splashed out on a Keencut Artist plus 48 inch.

What a transformation! - and not just to my credit card balance. A great bit of kit, especially if cutting a number of mounts the same size. Mountboard was coming from Lion in Birmingham, but now source locally from Wessex Pictures. The full size board enables 4 40x50cm mounts or 2 50x70cm mounts per sheet.

 

[Dave Miller]

The time to worry is after someone spends several minutes looking at your art work, and then comments; "nice frame". I find hanging them on a dark staircase helps, it's too uncomfortable to look too long.

 

[Steve Smith]

The time to worry is after someone spends several minutes looking at your art work, and then comments; "nice frame". I find hanging them on a dark staircase helps, it's too uncomfortable to look too long.

I posted this on another thread recently but the chemist, Humphry Davy was once quoted as saying 'The art galleries of Paris contain the finest collection of frames I ever saw'


Steve.