Framing our pictures

#3) Have Reed Photo frame your picture as a Gallery Mount

#7) Have your local framer frame a picture that we have laminated and shipped to him.

Framing Options in Detail

Option 1: Frame the picture yourself.

Have us ship one of our smaller pictures to you. Then you go to Walmart or Target or Hobby Lobby, or Michael's or any art supply store. You can buy nice ready made frames at all these stores. Just pop your picture into the frame and you are done.

You can take this approach a step further. Buy the proper size mat, backer board, and frame at an art supply store and put the whole thing together yourself.

Or even more simply, you can start with our matted 11x14 pictures that have an overall measurement of 16x20. These pictures will pop right into a pre-made 16x20 frame that you can buy many places with a minimum of effort. This is a good way to get a matted and framed picture ready to hang on the wall.

Another approach is to go to a store that sells ready made frames. Buy a frame that you like, in the size that you need. Then call us and order a custom size picture that will fit that frame. We will charge you by the square inch for the picture and the cost will be proportional to the rest of our pictures. There is no charge for doing a custom size

This is a quick, easy and inexpensive framing technique for small pictures and it often works quite well. It does not work well for larger loose photographs which really need to be mounted before they are framed.

Option 2: Order a Gallery Mount Framed Picture from us.

Reed's Gallery Mount is a procedure where a photograph is laminated and then mounted to a board using an acid free archival adhesive. The photograph is then finished with several styles of very professional looking edges. A traditional frame is not used around the edges. Glass is not used as the picture is completely protected by the lamination. A special hanging device is attached to the back of the picture for hanging.

We think lamination is the best way to frame photographs. This is mainly because lamination eliminates all glare and reflection from pictures. You can't even see the lamination; it is completely invisible, yet it removes all glare and reflections. Looking at a laminated picture is almost like looking out of a window it is so clear and life-like. We think this technique is far superior to using mat and glass to frame a picture. Glass is not used on a laminated picture, the picture is completely protected by the lamination over it. The Reed Photo Gallery Mount is a type of framing that uses lamination.

If you compare the quality and the cost of the Reed Photo Gallery Mount with just about any other kind of framing, I think you will agree that it is a very attractive option. This may be true even if the picture has to be shipped to you. The picture to the left is framed as one kind of Reed Gallery Mount called a Gallery Flat.

You can order all of our photographs directly from us framed as two kinds of Gallery Mounts by clicking on the white "Size and Price" link at the top of all large picture pages. Here is one of our large picture pages, so that you can see how it works. You can easily see prices including crating and shipping for two kinds of Gallery Mounts in several sizes.

Here is an article that I wrote on why it is such a good deal to frame pictures using Reed Gallery Mounts.

Option 3: Have Reed Photo frame your picture as a Gallery Mount

You can also have us ship a picture to Reeds and you can then arrange with them to laminate and mount your picture in one of several ways. You have more options if you get the job done this way. Also, you may save money (see below.) Here is a link to the Reed Photo Gallery Mount Page so you can see all the Gallery Mounts that are available.

If you live in Denver and want to pick up your finished picture from Reeds, you will definitely get a much better price buying a loose print from us and dealing with Reeds for framing.

If you live in Colorado outside Denver or in surrounding states you may get a better price buying a loose print from us and dealing with Reeds for framing.

If you live more than one or two states away, you will probably get a better price by ordering the finished picture directly from us.

Here is an article I wrote on how to Use Reed Photo To Frame Our Pictures.

Option 4: Have a local framer frame your picture like a Reeds Gallery Mat.

Have us ship a plain, un-laminated picture to a frame shop or a photo lab near you that can frame it like the Reed Photo Gallery Mount. This is probably the least expensive way you can get one of our larger pictures framed if you live a long way from Denver. It may be cheaper than having Reeds do the job and then shipping the finished picture to you. However, you will have to hunt up someone to do the job; this can take a little time but it can almost always be worked out. The savings in cost may or may not be worthwhile. I can help you find a framer to do this job if you like. (Note: "Gallery Mount" is Reeds name for this process. Other labs or framers have their own names.)

The best way to find a local framer for a job like lamination or mounting a laminated photograph or doing laminated framing like the Reed Gallery Mount is to look in your local yellow pages and choose a local framer who seems to be the main guy in the area. Don't call national chain framers like Michael's, Aaron Brothers or Hobby Lobby; we have found they are not good at lamination or at mounting laminated pictures. Call a local guy who has a reputation to protect. Ask if they can do the job, often they can't but they will almost always be able to recommend a local lab or other vendor who can. This works much better than trying to find a framer for difficult jobs like mounting laminated photographs online.

Option 5: Have your local framer frame the picture using mat and glass

Have us ship a plain, unlaminated picture to a framer near you and have him frame it using mat and glass. This is generally pretty straightforward and usually works very well. The downside is that the picture is framed in glass and will have a lot of glare and reflections. Reflection control glass can be used but this is quite expensive. Still, this is a standard technique that thousands of our customers have used satisfactorily for many years.

When framing is done by your local framer you get to choose the framing style and materials from the huge selection your framer will have to offer. This will help you match your picture exactly to your decor. You also get to see the frame and mat in person before your frame is built.

Option 6: Have a local framer laminate, mount and frame your picture

Have us ship a plain, un-laminated picture to a framer near you and have him laminate, mount and frame the picture. This can work well but you have to find a framer to do the job and that isn't always easy. Also, most framers don't have a lot of experience with lamination and can sometimes ruin a picture. This strategy can work well but it takes a bit of time and patience on your part.

When framing is done by your local framer you get to choose the framing style and materials from the huge selection your framer will have to offer. This will help you match your picture exactly to your decor. You also get to see the frame and mat in person before your frame is built.

The best way to find a local framer for a job like lamination or mounting a laminated photograph or doing laminated framing like the Reed Gallery Mount is to look in your local yellow pages and choose a local framer who seems to be the main guy in the area. Don't call national chain framers like Michael's, Aaron Brothers or Hobby Lobby; we have found they are not good at lamination or at mounting laminated pictures. Call a local guy who has a reputation to protect. Ask if they can do the job, often they can't but they will almost always be able to recommend a local lab or other vendor who can. This works much better than trying to find a framer for difficult jobs like mounting laminated photographs online.

Here is a picture of a photograph that has been mounted this way.

Option 7: Have your local guy frame a picture that we have laminated and shipped to him.

Have us ship a picture that we have laminated to a framer near you and have him mount and frame it. This can work well but having us laminate a picture is a little expensive. For instance we charge $118.00 to laminate a 24x36 picture. Reed Photo, can do the job at about half the price or less. Also, you have to find a framer who can cold mount the picture and this is sometimes a little difficult. (All laminated pictures have to be cold mounted.) Here is a picture of a photograph that has been mounted this way.

One up-side of doing this is that our lamination is very high quality and not all framers do the job nearly as well as we do. If you want to buy a laminated photograph from us, you need to call us; we no longer list laminated photographs as an online option.

Another up-side is that when framing is done by your local framer you get to choose the framing style and materials from the huge selection your framer will have to offer. This will help you match your picture exactly to your decor. You also get to see the frame and mat in person before your frame is built.

The best way to find a local framer for a job like lamination or mounting a laminated photograph or doing laminated framing like the Reed Gallery Mount is to look in your local yellow pages and choose a local framer who seems to be the main guy in the area. Don't call national chain framers like Michael's, Aaron Brothers or Hobby Lobby; we have found they are not good at lamination or at mounting laminated pictures. Call a local guy who has a reputation to protect. Ask if they can do the job, often they can't but they will almost always be able to recommend a local lab or other vendor who can. This works much better than trying to find a framer for difficult jobs like mounting laminated photographs online.

Basic Framing Information

All framing

1. Mounting: No matter how you have your picture framed, it has to be mounted before it can be framed. Smaller pictures can be mounted on foam core but larger laminated pictures should be mounted on 3/16 Gator Board, Rhino Board or Mighty Core, a super strong type of foam core. All laminated pictures should be mounted on this tougher substrate. 3/16 Gator Board is the standard mount for laminated pictures that will be framed with traditional materials.
   
2. An exception to this rule is that you can usually frame smaller pictures like ones up to and including 11x15 or maybe 13x19 without mounting them. I wouldn't go any larger than this though.

What is lamination

1. Laminated photographs are covered with a thin, flexible sheet of non-reflective laminating film that is put on with a large press. The photograph is completely protected and can be displayed without glass. The picture will last longer than a picture framed using glass.
   
   
2. When you frame a laminated photograph, mat is not used. This is because matt must be protected by glass and no glass is used in the lamination process.
   
   
3. There are several different ways to frame a laminated picture. One way is to mount a laminated picture on 3/16 Gator mount board and then surround it with a wooden or metal or synthetic frame. This type of picture tends to be more traditional looking. This is the kind of look you get if you buy one of our laminated pictures and have it mounted and framed at your local framing store.
   
   
4. The other way to frame a laminated picture is to mount it on heavy abs board and then give it some sort of very polished edge. This is the kind of lamination that Reed Photo uses with their Gallery Mounts. This type of presentation gives a picture a very contemporary, modern look and will fit in well with modern decor.
   
   
5. In our opinion, lamination is the ultimate way of presenting photographic art.

Advantages of lamination

1. The main reason for laminating a picture is to eliminate glare and reflections. Since there is no glass, there are absolutely no reflections or glare. Lamination works much better than any kind of reflection control glass.
   
   
2. All the sharpness and brilliance of the photograph are right there to be seen; looking at a laminated photograph is almost like looking out a window.
   
   
3. To get this glare and reflection protection, be sure to specify that the lamination material is mat or pearl or semi mat, not glossy laminate. Ask the framer to use his most mat laminating material.
   
   
4. Lamination also gives the photograph extra protection from UV light which is always damaging to art.

Reasons for choosing lamination

1. If the photograph will face large windows or other large light sources, I strongly recommend covering the picture with mat lamination. Reflections and glare on glass covered pictures are often so bad that it is impossible to even see the picture.
   
   
2. If you like the look of framed oil paintings, then laminate. Wider frames, like two or three or four inches wide, work very well. Fillets and linen liners are also available for this type of framing.
   
   
3. Lamination offers the clearest, brightest, view of the picture. Colors are the most accurate and vibrant when a picture is laminated.
   
   
4. There is a limit to how big a picture can get and still be framed in glass. Huge pieces of glass on the wall can be dangerous if the picture should fall. Also the reflections will be so bad, the pictures will be hard to see. All really large pictures should be laminated, not framed in glass
   
   
5. One downside to laminated pictures is that they tend to look smaller, since they are not matted. Mat can add as much as eight to ten inches or more to both the length and width of a picture. However, high quality mat is very expensive. It is often possible to just buy a larger laminated picture to compensate for the lack of mat and still spend less money.

Reasons for choosing traditional framing

1. If you want to use a mat around the picture don't have it laminated. Mats have to be protected with glass and since reflections and glare come from the glass, adding glass defeats the purpose of lamination.
   
   
2. As I mentioned above, pictures framed with mat and glass look larger because mat adds to the size of the finished picture. So if you want your picture to have that extra large look, enlarge its size with a wide mat and a 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 inch frame.
   
   
3. Pictures framed with mat and glass have a look that a lot of people like. It is more of a traditional look. If you like the look of glass and mat, by all means, buy a plain, un-laminated photograph and frame your picture with mat and glass.

What your framer needs to know when framing and mounting our laminated photographs

1. Laminated photographs should be framed without glass or mat or plexiglas. Using glass defeats the purpose of laminating which is to eliminate glare and reflections. Mats cannot be used unless they are under glass, because unprotected mats will eventually get dirty and be ruined. So, don’t have laminated photographs matted. If you want to use mat and glass, you should order an un-laminated photograph.

2. Make sure that your laminated photograph is mounted before it is framed. A cold mounting process is absolutely necessary with loose laminated images; most good framers know how to do this. Hot mounting will injure the lamination. The best way to find a framer who will properly cold mount your laminated picture is to look in the local yellow pages and then pick a framer who looks prominent and professional. Ask him if he can cold mount your picture; if he doesn't do this, he will be able to recommend someone who can. This works much better than trying to find the right framer online. If you can't find anyone, call me and I'll find someone to do the job for you.

3. The photograph must be completely mounted, not just hung by a piece of tape from the top of the picture. The picture should not be mounted onto regular foam core as most pictures are mounted. It should be mounted onto a heavy duty foam core such as 3/16 Gator Board or Mighty Core. Ask your framer for this kind of mounting.

4. Ask your framer to frame a laminated photograph as if it were an oil painting. Wider frames in the three, four and five inch size work well. Since you are not using mat, it helps to use these wider frame sizes to make the overall picture size larger. Linen liners of various colors inside the frame, as well as fillets, also work well. Your framer will probably have other suggestions along these lines.

5. Do not use Windex or other chemical cleaners on the lamination; it will damage the lamination. Laminated pictures can be cleaned with a soft damp rag or with mild soap and water if necessary. Do not try to clean them with a dry cloth, this can scratch the lamination.