Framing our pictures

#2: have your local framer frame our laminated photo.

#3: have Reed Photo frame the photo as a Gallery Mount

Framing Options in Detail

Option 1: Buy a loose photograph from us and have it framed by your local framer.

1. You save on shipping by using this option since framed pictures are expensive to ship. Shipping for loose photographs is free.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. Your framer can frame this picture using many different techniques; 1) he can frame it as a matted picture protected by glass, (2) he can mount and laminate it and then surround it with a frame of your choice, 3) he can mount it on hard board and finish it as described in option 3.
   
   
4. This is our most popular option.

Option 2: Buy a loose laminated photograph from us and have it framed by your local framer.

1. Use this option if you want a laminated picture but your framer doesn't offer laminaion. We laminate and ship the picture to you or your framer and your framer mounts the picture and then surrounds the picture with the frame of your choice.
   
   
2. Laminated photographs eliminate all the glare and reflections caused by glass and are the best way to see all the clarity, color, brilliance and sharpness of the photograph. Lamination is the best way to frame large pictures. There is more information on lamination below.
   
   
3. You save on shipping as we ship the laminated loose print free.
   
   
4. You get to choose the exact framing you want from the huge stock a local framer can offer and see it yourself in person before the frame is made.
   
   
5. You get all the advantages of a laminated photograph (see below) and you also get to choose the exact frame you want to surround the laminated picture with.
   
   
6. Be sure and have your local framer mount your laminated picture using a cold mount process. A hot mount will damage the lamination. There is more information on this below.
   
   
7. 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.

Option 3: Buy a loose photograph from us and have it framed as a Gallery Mount by Reed Photo in Denver.

1. Reed Photo has a terrific framing process called Gallery Mount. This is basically a photograph that is laminated and then mounted on a heavy mount board and finished with a highly finished edge. Mat and glass are not used. This is a very contemporary presentation. Here are examples to look at on their web site. An example of just one of the several Gallery Mount styles is on the right.
   
   
2. You save money because Reeds has very good prices to begin with and secondly, because they give our customers a 25% discount.
   
   
3. We will send your photograph to Reeds with free shipping. We send a less expensive regular photograph to Reeds, not the expensive laminated one. Reeds does the laminating, not us. You pay us only for a regular, unlaminated loose print.
   
   
4. You call Reed Photo and talk to Kelly Reed to choose which style of Gallery Mount you want. Kelly can be reached at 303-573-7801, extension 350. Kelly is very personable and can answer any questions about the Gallery Mount process, costs and shipping. Be sure to tell her you are our customer.
   
   
5. If you live in the Denver area you pick up your finished photograph and pay no shipping.
   
   
6. If you live out of town, Reeds will ship your finished photo to you. You will have to pay for packing and shipping. This isn't too horrible. Kelly Reed can give you the exact packing and shipping prices.
   
   
7. Let us know if you want to use this option. Call or email or order on line and leave us a note in the "Special Instructions" box near the end of the order sequence.
   
   
8. Reed Photo is not the only place that does this sort of laminated and mounted presentation. There are many framers who now do this popular type of framing all over the country. If you live in or near a reasonably large city they are not hard to find. The best way to find someone who does this is to look in your local yellow pages and then pick the framer who looks the most professional. Call and ask if they do this sort of framing; if they don't, they will be able to recommend someone who can. This works much better than trying to find a framer online. If you can't find anyone, call me and I'll find someone to do the job for you.
   
   
9. 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.

This is another of Reeds Gallery Mount styles. This one is called
the Gallery Float. The picture floats 3/4 of an inch off the wall.
This is a modern looking presentation that I like a lot.

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.

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 basically two 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 plexiglass. 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.

   
   

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