Framing Newsletter Vol 1 Iss 4

How to Present Photo Prints for Retail

The Home Based Framer How to Build a Thriving Customer Base

The Savvy Framer

hen presenting prints for retail you want to

accomplish three goals. First, you want to provide custom-ers an idea of what the print will look like framed. Sec-ond, you want to give your

clusively on the high end of the market, making for a glut of framers vying with one another for a market that grows smaller each time infla-tion pushes up the cost of framing. Meanwhile, a sig-nificant number of potential

(Continued on page 2)

he first step in devel-oping a strong customer base is to understand

that it’s easier to supply an under served demand than it is to compete with an experi-enced competitor for a dwin-dling customer base. Many home based framers make the

wrong choice, choosing to compete with established frame shops for high end frame jobs while overlooking the low end of the market. That’s a tough row to hoe. The problem is that the vast majority of established frame shops are focused almost ex-

Questions Answered in this Issue:

• Why shouldn’t you frame your photo prints for sale if you can do so cheaply?

• Why not pursue the most well-healed customers for your home based framing busi-ness?

• In what way is acrylic actually more fragile than glass?

• What is the cardinal error of measuring for picture fram-ing?

Vol 1, Issue 4

April –May 2008

Step 2: Position the image in the window of the mat.

Successful sales are all about overcoming objections. Selling your prints should take into account different customer’s needs. Proper presentation can answer most objections and meet most customers’ needs.

In business the customer always comes first. To put it a little differently, in a successful framing business customers always come first. First get the customers and then the rest will follow.

Many storefront framers turn up their noses at low priced picture framing, which creates an oppor-tunity for home based framers.

Step 3: Carefully holding the im-age in position, place the print and the mat face down .

customers a head start on framing it by providing at least some of the components nec-essary for framing. And third, you want to provide a protec-tive environment for the print so it’s not damaged while on

display. What’s more, you will want to accomplish these goals with the lowest possible expense to avoid biting too heavily into your bottom line. Ask yourself this: If you


Step 1: Begin with the items in the Photo Print Retail Prep Kit. Mat, Backing, Mounting Strips, Tape and Crystal Clear Plastic Bag.

How to Present Photo Prints for Retail The Savvy Framer

And what if you make such a lofty claim and can’t deliver? Don’t worry. A certain amount of puffery is expected in advertising. The main thing is to hon-estly try to deliver on your promise. As a home based framer this is not as difficult as it may seem. Traditional store front frame shops are expensive for a number of reasons but chief among them are two things you don’t have to worry about it as a home based framer: hefty overhead and prowl-ing big box stores. Most frame shops rely heavily on location as their primary marketing tool. Where their store sits and the sign in front of it are what draws most of their customers. But having such a terrific location is costly, which spells high overhead for them (rent, utilities, insurance and start-up costs) that has to be covered by the prices they charge.


customers are looking around in vain for somebody to do relatively simple frame jobs for them at a reasonable price. Many storefront frame shops turn their noses up at them. Yet home based fram-ers are in a unique position to serve this market and should seize the opportunity by putting the emphasis squarely on price. Successful marketing often begins with a startling claim. Offer to give your customers something they can’t seem to get elsewhere. In picture framing that is quality custom framing at a price under a hundred bucks. Invest in a set of busi-ness cards that make this claim. If such a claim seems too brazen (after all, there could be many large and complicated pieces that you couldn’t do for under $100) try saying it a different way. “We Will Beat Any Frame Shop’s Price by Half” or “50-70% off Traditional Frame

Shop Prices”. To attract customers you’ll need to do something to set yourself apart. Simply communicating that you are a picture framer who resides at such-and-such ad-dress leaves the prospective customer cold. Step up. Be audacious. Take a chance.

could frame the print to completion at a reasonable cost would you? The answer is probably not. Letting the customer have the final choice as to how to frame it has very definite advantages. Sales is often called “the art of overcoming ob-jections” and it is always easier to avoid objections than to overcome them. For many customers the purchase of an al-ready framed print promises to alleviate

(Continued from page 1)

the hassle and expense of framing it, yet for many others it provides the grounds for an objection, particularly if the frame or the mat is not to their taste. For this reason it’s best to provide the customer a sense of what the print will look like framed, without actually framing it. You can do this by matting, backing and glaz-ing the print. The mat should be a single white mat. Introducing color can open the door to objections. A single white mat is clean, simple and innocuous. There is little that one can object to in a single white mat, yet it does a fine job of presenting the print. If you want to double mat the print using two white mats, this is certainly permissible. The backing should be a firm, stable paper board, not foamboard, which is often too thick for this method of presen-tation. Also, it’s advisable to use an acid-free, lignin-free mat and backing. Al-though these cost a little more, they pre-vent any objections from the customer as to the quality of the matting and confer additional on the print. A sense of glazing can be provided by presenting the print in a clear plastic bag. Choosing the right bag is important. It

should be a bag that is crystal clear, con-forming in size to the matted print, with an opening at the top and a flap that can be sealed closed to keep out dust and prying fingers. The bag should be rigid and should not sag or wrinkle. You can find crystal clear plastic bags for pre-cisely this purpose at Framing4Your-self.com. In fact, Framing4Yourself offers a Photo Print Retail Prep Kit that provides


How to Build a Thriving Customer Base

Don’t be afraid to make a bold claim. There’s a legal difference between “puffery” and out-right deception.

Step 4: Peel the release paper from the back of the See-Thru Mounting Strips to expose the adhesive band.

Step 5: Assemble the mounting strip at the edge of the print on the back of the mat. The mylar flange should overlap the back of the print.

hen it comes to measuring for pic-ture framing you can make it easy or

difficult. Unfortunately, many novice framers make it more difficult than it needs to be by committing the cardinal error of starting with their frame first. Since the size of your artwork is non-negotiable, locking yourself into an arbi-trary frame size to begin with is the pic-ture framing equivalent of painting your-self into a corner. A better approach is to work from the size of the artwork out-ward until you arrive at the frame size. Doing so insures that your measuring involves simple arithmetic and not alge-bra. Here are the measurements you will need to know: the mat’s window size, the mat’s borders, the overall mat size, the size of the glass and the backing, and the size of the frame. This is not as cumber-some as it may seem because the size of a

frame is always considered to be the size of the recess at the back of the frame, what’s called the “rabbet” of the frame, and not the frame measured from edge to edge. Therefore, the components that fit into the frame—the mat, the glass and the backing–are the same size as the frame in the same way that a shoe is the same size as the foot that goes into it. Conse-quently, all you have to do is arrive at the overall mat size and you’ve arrived at the frame size, as well as that of the glass and the backing. Start by determining the size of the mat’s window. This will be determined by how you present the artwork in the window of the mat. You usually have three choices. You could show only the image in the window of the mat. You could show the image and some of the border area surrounding the window (assuming a blank area surrounds the im-


Basic Measuring Tips for Picture Framing Volume 1, Issue 4


And even if they could lower their prices they wouldn’t because big box stores like Micheal’s and Hobby Lobby lay in wait to pounce should price ever become an issue. Because most big box stores buy as a chain, they have economies of scale that allow them to leverage lower prices out of suppliers, which means their costs are lower than those of independents. A price war against a big box competitor is retail suicide for an independent frame shop. But not for a home based framer who is drawing most of his business by word of mouth, usually, to begin with, from friends, neighbors and co-workers. The big box stores don’t even know he exists, and even if they did, it’s unlikely they would consider a home based framer a serious enough threat to warrant changing the store’s pricing policy.


Simply put, as long as you remain at home, you are flying under the radar of most of your competitors, especially the big box stores. So go ahead and compete on price. You certainly don’t have to worry about

overhead. As a homeowner, your rent, utilities and insurance are already cov-ered. But let’s say you had been hoping your home based business would help defray your living expenses. Fine. But don’t get ahead of yourself. You cannot generate adequate income from your busi-ness to consistently defray living ex-penses until you have a reliable customer base, and you can’t have a reliable cus-tomer base until you do something to at-tract customers and keep them. So let’s review. At this point you have spent $50 on business cards naming your business, providing pertinent details and making a startling claim – probably one related to price. Now who do you hand these to? Start with family and friends and make sure your co-workers get them, and always be prepared to hand out more than one; even if the person you’re talking


For most independents, a price war against a big box competitor is retail suicide, but not for home based framers.

If you were going to frame something for the first time, you might start out by purchasing the main component: the picture frame. But this would be a mistake that would needlessly complicate your measuring. Follow the tips below to make measuring for picture framing a snap.

Starting with your frame first is the picture framing equivalent of painting yourself into a corner. If you prefer arithmetic to algebra, work from the art out to the frame size.

Basic Measuring Tips The Savvy Framer

age and the image doesn’t bleed to the edges of the paper). Or you could show the paper complete; ie, show the edges of the pa-per. If you choose to show only the image or if the image bleeds to the edges of the paper, the customary approach is to allow the edges of the mat’s window to encroach on the edges of the image by ¼” on each edge. Since there are two edges to each dimension (one on either side of the width and one on either side of the height) the window can be determined by subtracting a half inch from the height and width of the image.

When you are measuring to include a blank area surrounding the image it’s a simple matter of measuring out the part of the image and its surrounding border that you wish to show in the window of the mat. If you want to show the paper com-plete, measure the paper and the amount of additional space surrounding the pa-per; ie, the distance between the edges of the paper and the edges of the mat’s win-dow. Once you’ve determined the size of the mat’s window, the next step is to deter-mine the size of the four borders that will surround that window. You can use the Border Finder (shown above) to simplify the process. To use the Border Finder, add the

(Continued from page 3) height and width of the window to get the united inches of the window. For exam-ple, if your window was 10½”x13½”, the

united inches would be 24”. Find the range into which that size falls. For example, 24” falls into the range of 18” - 24”. And then read over to the adjoining column to find the appro-

priate border for that size. In this case, 1¾”. If you prefer to have wider borders, that’s okay. But you should not have borders nar-rower than those called for in the Border Finder. The question of whether your mat should have a wider bottom border is often one aesthetics. One rule of thumb is that compositions with dis-tinct horizon lines are en-hanced by wider bottom bor-ders while those without are better presented in mats

where all four borders are the same. If you wish to have a wider bot-tom border, you can add it to your measurements. For example, you might have three borders of 1¾” and a bot-tom border of 2¾”. A mat is nothing more than a win-dow and four bor-ders. So once you’ve determined these measurements you can add them to determine your overall mat size,

which, by the way, is also the size of your glass and backing board. And, most importantly, it’s also your frame size.

Write down the measure-ments as shown in Figure 1. This way you can see all the measurements and what they refer to. Measure-ments written down in this way are easy to follow when you are cutting mats or making a frame. If you are double matting, you must remember that the measurements refer to the finished double mat. How-

ever, when you go to cut a double mat, you will cut the over mat first and then add a quarter inch band of color from the under mat to complete the border. There-fore, the borders of the over mat must be one quarter inch less than the borders of the finished double mat. See Figure 2. Sometimes it is necessary to work with a frame that you already have. In that case you should determine the mat’s window size and then write down the formula to show the measurements for the art, the window and the frame size, but leave the border measurements blank. To determine the border measurements for each dimension, subtract the window from the frame size and divide the differ-ence in half. Doing so is the simplest kind of algebra but is definitely more complicated then adding. So avoid start-ing with your frame size first if you pos-sibly can.

Fig 1: Typical Measuring Formula

Fig 2: Measurements for a Double Mat


Step 9: As in option one, assemble the See-Thru Mounting Strips at each edge of the print.

Step 8: A second option is to mount the print face up on the backing board. However, this option should only be used when the mat’s window encroaches enough on the print to cover the mounting strips.

Step 13: Using Frametac tape, place a tab of tape vertically so that half the tape is on the back of the mat and half is on the back of the backing board. Do this twice, about two inches from each corner.

Step 6: Press the mounting strip down on the back of the mat, adhering it . Note that no adhesive touches the print.

Step 7: Assemble mounting strips at each edge of the print. The print is trapped in place by the Mylar flanges that overlap it. If the customer wants to remove the print, they simply lift up on the Mylar flanges and the print comes right out.

Step 12: After mounting the print, hinge the mat to the backing board. Start by aligning the top edges of the two boards.

Step 10: Then place the window mat over the mounted print.

Step 11: As noted, this approach only works if the mat encroaches sufficiently on the print to cover the mounting strips.

all the necessary components: an acid-free, lignin-free window mat and backing, mounting strips, hinging tape and a crystal clear plastic bag—all at a reduced price. Find the kit in the Package Deals section of Framing4Y-ourself.com. The crystal clear plastic bag may be discarded once the customer gets the print home, but he may elect to keep the mat. To some customers having the mat is perceived as a bonus be-cause it is one less framing component they have to pay for. For this reason, even if the print is of an unusual size, the mat should be of a standard size, so the matted print will fit into a stan-




Step 14: Cross the first tab of tape with a second tab applied horizontally along the top edge of the mat. Do this on both tabs of tape.

Step 19: The matted print is ready for retail.

Step 15: By applying the tape in this manner you create hinges. The mat hinges on the backing board and the two pieces are kept

Step 17: Remove the strip from the adhesive band on the flap.

Step 18: Close the flap toward the back side of the stack and seal it.

Step 16: Place the matted and backed print in a crystal clear plastic bag with the adhe-sive side of the flap facing the back.

dard size frame. But the mat may be perceived as disposable as well. So if the customer decides that they prefer a different mat they can dispose of the mat you’ve given them without any qualms. The question often comes up as to how high a quality of mat and backing board should be. The concern here is less about the quality of the board than about the customer’s perception of the quality. The picture framing and photography industries have done a good job of creat-ing awareness about acid-free materials and associating quality framing with their use. If your customers are likely to be tuned into this, you should use acid-free, lignin-free mats and backing if for

(Continued from page 5) no other reason than to avoid the percep-tion that your prints are of low quality . Ultimately, however, the prints will not be preserved if they’re not mounted correctly and since they must be mounted for presentation in the mat, you need to think carefully about how you’re going to do this. We recommend See-Thru Mounting Strips. They allow you to trap the print in place without using adhesive on the print. Simply position the print in the window of the mat and assemble the See-Thru Mounting strips along the edges. The strips adhere to the back of the mat and their mylar flanges overlap the edges of the print, trapping it in place. To remove the print from the

mat it’s a simple matter of lifting the edges of the flanges and sliding the print out. Take the mat with the mounted print in it, hinge it to the backing board using hinging tape, and slide the stack into the crystal clear plastic bag. Close the flap and seal the bag and you’re ready to pre-sent your prints for retail. If the customer wants to use the com-ponents you’ve provided, they will be confident that the materials are of good quality. If they prefer to discard the components and frame the print differ-ently, they can get the print out without any trouble and throw the components away. And who can object to that ?

Kinetronics Anti-Static Brush is highly recommended for working with acrylic. Just brush it over the surface of the glass and it will dramatically reduce static charge. If static is a major drawback to acrylic, light weight is a great plus. Acrylic is a good deal lighter than glass and should be used in most frame jobs over 24”x36”. Glass in larger sizes is not only heavy, it’s potentially dangerous. Just carrying glass in larger sizes can cause it to flex and snap. But glass has one big advantage over glass. It’s easy to cut. Acrylic, on the other hand, can be a nightmare. Acrylic is sold in different thicknesses and thin acrylic, which can be easily scored and snapped is too thin for quality framing; it looks plasticky. Picture fram-ing grade acrylic is .080 thick, nearly an eighth of an inch, and is virtually indistin-guishable from glass when in a frame. But picture framing grade acrylic is so thick it cannot be easily scored and snapped with a plastic cutter. For that reason Framing4Yourself.com has intro-duced custom cut acrylic. Just go to the Glass and Plastic page of Framing4Your-self.com, click the Get the Price Button and fill in the height and width of the acrylic you want. The acrylic calculator will quote you a price. Then just add your custom cut acrylic to your Shopping Cart and your custom cut acrylic will be shipped to you. For its lightweight, durability and ini-tial cleanliness acrylic is better than glass. But for its ease in cleaning and cutting, and for its relatively low static charge, glass trumps acrylic. As an informed framer you can size up the situation and make the right choice. Since these days they both cost about the same and are just as easy to come by, your decision will be based strictly on the pros and cons of each. And being informed, you know your decision will be correct.

On the other hand, acrylic enjoys one big benefit over glass when it comes to cleanliness. Acrylic is already clean when you buy it. Glass, however, is usu-ally quite dirty. That’s because glass manufacturers typically coat the glass with silicon and oil to prevent scratching in shipment and the coating attracts dust in the air making for a film of dirt on the

glass when you buy it. Acrylic comes with a protective mask that when peeled off reveals the glazing as clean as it’s ever going to be. Unfortunately, it also reveals something else, one of the major draw-backs of working with acrylic: static. Acrylic carries a high static charge. Left untreated, the static charge on acrylic will attract dust and lint and make for a frustrating situation. When working with acrylic, you must take out the static charge before using it. There are two ways to do that. You could use the 210 Plastic Cleaner which has an anti-static agent in it. However, this will require you to clean the acrylic, something that may strike you as counterproductive con-sidering the acrylic is already clean. Al-ternatively, you could use an anti-static brush. At Framing4Yourself.com the

Volume 1, Issue 4

Acrylic versus Glass—The Pros and Cons You have two choices when it comes to glazing art. The right answer to which you should choose is both. But knowing the proper circumstances when to employ one or the other is the difference between good glazing and bad.

Acrylic always comes with a protective mask. When peeled off it reveals the acrylic as clean as it’s ever going to be.

hen it comes to glazing artwork, it’s not correct to say that Plexi-

glass is always better than glass. Nor is it correct to say that glass is always better than acrylic. Rather it’s correct to say that each is better than the other in spe-cific circumstances. Savvy picture fram-ers recognize that both glass and Plexi-glass have benefits, as well as drawbacks. So let’s examine each the pros and cons of each. When Plexiglass (more properly known as acrylic) was first introduced, the big selling point was durability. Compared to glass, acrylic was virtually unbreakable. Obviously this gives acrylic a certain ad-vantage when it comes to framed art that has to be shipped, and it also explains why most juried shows require glazed art to be glazed under acrylic. More than that, however, a savvy framer will ask his or her customer whether they anticipate having to move the art in the next year or two. If so, the framer may want to point out the benefits of using acrylic to safe-guard the art. Yet if acrylic is more durable than glass, in another sense it’s more fragile because acrylic can be easily scratched. Dragging a dry paper towel across the surface of acrylic can cause light surface abrasions. For this reason acrylic should only be wiped with a soft cloth. The Scott Wyp-All Towel at Framing4Your-self.com is ideal. It’s a paper towel that has the feel of cotton and won’t scratch acrylic. Attempting to clean acrylic with glass cleaner will cause unsightly smears. Acrylic must be cleaned with a plastic cleaner. The 210 Plastic Cleaner at Framing4Yourself.com is recommended. But the very fact that you must have a special cleaner and towel to clean acrylic makes it somewhat less convenient to clean than glass which can be dealt with simply using household glass cleaner and a paper towel.

you’re remarkable. And you want to be remarkable as word of mouth is one of your strongest drivers of new customers. Offer to deliver the finish framed piece to the customer’s house. Many home based picture framers offer this simple service and win the undying loyalty of their customers. Think about it. If they had used a storefront frame shop they would not only have had to pay twice as much, they would have had to drive to town, find a place to park, and schlepped the thing home. By delivering it, you’ve saved them a big hassle – as well as money! And what should you charge for this delivery service? Indeed, what should you charge for any of your services, and how can you make any money if you’re trying so strenuously to hold down price? These topics will be covered in next month’s issue. But for now suffice it to say that it can be done, and that if you do it, you will build a loyal and growing cus-tomer base, which is the first step to suc-cess in any business.

to doesn’t have something they need framed at a reasonable price, there’s a good likelihood they know someone who does. Urge them to pass the card on. Ask them straight out if they know of anyone who might need framing. Keep empha-sizing that you can usually beat typical frame shop prices by half. It’s important to focus on what sets you apart. More than anything this is what you want to stick in a prospective customer’s mind. Don’t be afraid to admit that you’re new and just starting out, this serves to explain why you’re willing to do this at such a low price. For many customers your lack of experience will not be a de-terrent when considered against the bene-fit of lower prices. Nevertheless, as soon as you can, be prepared to show samples of your handiwork. These will take two forms. First, a selection of mats cut in various styles: doubles, triples, v-grooves, multiple-openings. So you can show the quality of your matting and the choices that are available. Second, a


photo album containing pictures of your finished frame jobs and the prices you charged for them. These samples will help to assuage any misgivings about the quality of the work you do for the price. Try to turn all your frame jobs in a week or less. Most storefront frame shops turn their frame jobs in a week. If you can meet that trend, you’re a bargain for the service. If you can beat that trend,


541 W Golf Rd Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Phone: 1-800-246-4726 Fax: 847-434-0445 www.framing4yourself.com

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Offer to deliver the framed piece. Many home based framers offer this simple service and win the undying loyalty of their customers.

Framing Newsletter Vol 1 Iss 4

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