# CHEAP picture framing. Does such a thing exist?



## Pip (Feb 6, 2009)

Hello.

I've got two posters which I love love love, which at 104x64cm and 109x67cm are too big for frames from Ikea or Habitat or whatever.

I'm really not down with blutacking stuff to my walls, so I'm going to have to go to a picture framers, aren't I? I don't need them to be properly mounted or anything, and to keep costs down I wouldn't object to perspex instead of glass, but roughly how much should I expect to pay? Are there any budget framers around?

Thanks.


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## two sheds (Feb 6, 2009)

You might get them in charity shops, you do fairly often see posters in large frames - I have a couple to transfer when i get to them.


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## paulhackett (Feb 6, 2009)

try a wholesaler/ trade framer? There's All frames buchanan (now in essex i think?). Many small framers send their work away to places like that. Or a framing supplier like Lion frames (in hackney) both google-able, who may have a pointer?


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## Pip (Feb 6, 2009)

Anyone got any idea how much standard framers charge to give me a rough idea?


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## Gingerman (Feb 6, 2009)

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1124/9554.php
I used this place to get a pic framed,cant remember how much it cost me though.


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## paulhackett (Feb 6, 2009)

I paid plus £100? over 10 years ago on a similar size frame at a good local framer - but there are variants on mounting, frame width etc. Pop in and ask one, they are usually much of a muchness for price. A lot depends on the value of the poster/ print itself, whether the frame is so shite you wish you never did it etc. I paid a similar amount for an a4/a5 frame last year as the work value merited it.. yes i know that is not cheap, which is why i mentioned the trade framers

An alternative is getting them 'impressed onto a board' - forgot tech term, which I did with an old poster. It preserves the poster and allows you to hang as you can attach hoks to the back - depends if the poster is replaceable?

Otherwise call someone like all frames and they could say 'no can do'. They had a pcik up and drop off service in London if you're not local to them..


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## Pip (Feb 6, 2009)

Thanks, I'll try giving all of these a call tomorrow.


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## Gingerman (Feb 6, 2009)

Dos anyone know where you can get picture hooks that dont damage walls?


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## Thora (Feb 6, 2009)

I am currently trying to find frames for various posters too, and found Wilkinsons to have the biggest/cheapest clip frames.  Their biggest frame seems to be 39x27 for £12, which is a tad smaller than you want - 100cmx69cm.


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## paulhackett (Feb 6, 2009)

Gingerman said:


> Dos anyone know where you can get picture hooks that dont damage walls?



This co is another trade supplier for galleries etc. who may be able to direct you.. again, there may be small volume issues.. http://art-estore.com/ they're London based (or were a couple of years back anyway)


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## liberty (Feb 6, 2009)

paulhackett66 said:


> try a wholesaler/ trade framer? There's All frames buchanan (now in essex i think?). Many small framers send their work away to places like that. Or a framing supplier like Lion frames (in hackney) both google-able, who may have a pointer?



Lion Frames did me a really large this wood frame once for about £25


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## Ms Ordinary (Feb 7, 2009)

paulhackett66 said:


> An alternative is getting them 'impressed onto a board' - forgot tech term, which I did with an old poster. It preserves the poster and allows you to hang as you can attach hoks to the back - depends if the poster is replaceable?


 
Dry-mounting (to mdf) - done with a heat press - as you say, it shouldn't be really be done with anything un-replaceable, as it can occasionally go wrong.

Getting a poster framed by a framer will cost loads more than just buying a frame & sticking the poster in yourself, as you're paying for them to painstakingly fit & seal the artwork into the frame, clean the glass/perspex & wipe every tiny speck of dust out...

Looks like you could get a 100 x 70cm clip-frame for £11.95 from here - that's still a bit small for your posters, depends if you could lose a few cm from each end?

Or maybe you could get a piece of 3mm mdf & a piece of perspex cut to size, and use these clips to sandwich it all together?


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## Pip (Feb 7, 2009)

liberty said:


> Lion Frames did me a really large this wood frame once for about £25



Bloody hell! That's so cheap! I'll definitely get onto them.

The posters aren't valuable, but have a lot of sentimental value and would be a fucker to replace (one comes from a French war museum and one is from the Munich Olympics).


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## brix (Feb 7, 2009)

Pip said:


> Bloody hell! That's so cheap! I'll definitely get onto them.
> 
> The posters aren't valuable, but have a lot of sentimental value and would be a fucker to replace (one comes from a *French war museum and one is from the Munich Olympics*).




You war loving facist! 

Seriously though, I've got the number of a local framer somewhere.  He'll come to your house, pick the stuff up and drop it back framed.  Not as cheap as Liberty's suggestion but, just in case, I'll PM his number - once I can work out where I've written it down...


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## _pH_ (Feb 7, 2009)

I've made my own frames for stuff before - get some timber moulding from teh builders merchants*, cut it with a mitre saw, pin and glue together. dunno whether it would be any cheaper than getting it done professionally in your case though. 

*be warned though, they'll only let you in if your arse crack is showing


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## Pip (Jun 12, 2009)

liberty said:


> Lion Frames did me a really large this wood frame once for about £25



BUMP because my mami and papi are getting a print framed for my birthday. Is this who you're talking about?

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


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## London_Calling (Jun 12, 2009)

IKEA do a range of standard sizes - silly money.

Be on the website.


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## Pip (Jun 12, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> IKEA do a range of standard sizes - silly money.
> 
> Be on the website.



Mine aren't standard unfortunately.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 12, 2009)

ooh good thread.
i have a painting i'm almost finished and i like it enough to want to look at it but it's on paper (been saving my canvas for the day i think im any good see). it's currently on a wall and keeps getting bashed by small excitable children( theres a hole developing) so I've thought that i really ought to have it framed when I'm completely finished. 
are there any good shops in south london for this type of thing? can be cropped to A2 size probably.... i need to measure it really


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## Pip (Sep 1, 2009)

Sorry for the bump, but I can't find the framers people mentioned earlier in the thread.

Anyone?

Anyone know how hard it is to make your own frames?


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## oryx (Sep 1, 2009)

There's a frame shop in Croydon, in the Whitgift, which sells very large frames. I'll go and measure the one I bought for a large poster of Antelope's the Christmas before last. That was too big for standard Ikea/Homebase etc. frames.

If you come out of the Boots and do a right, it's on the left before you get to the M & S entrance.


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## oryx (Sep 1, 2009)

It's 100cm x 70cm but I have a feeling they do larger ones. 

I think it's Picturama on 020 8681 8492.

I don't think the one I bought was expensive - around the £25 - 50 mark. That was just the frame, but it was easy to mount a poster in it.


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## Pip (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you, I'll give them a call tomorrow 

I phoned a few places, and the quotes varied from £60ish to over £200  and this is for the cheapest frame, acrylic, no mounting etc.


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## wiskey (Sep 1, 2009)

if the bloke by the telegraph is still there he's fantastic.

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1124/50352.php


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## not-bono-ever (Sep 1, 2009)

as soneone said, a frame can cost whatever you want

theres a decent framers whop will do cheap if you ask on Loampit Vale in lewisham

I use the ( middle class ) arterie in East dulwich - not cheap, bur very good 

I have a Cuban propaganda posters collection , mostly Raul Martinez - some were fragile & have been backed onto Linen to allow it to be framed, but this isnt cleap to do - backing to a board / dry mounted ( IIRC ) is only an issue with valuable/ rarer pieces, where being clagged to a board will reduce its value considerbly

Clip frames are probabaly the best bet if you cant find soemthing sexy in the charity shop to strip out and reuse.An second hand older frame looks better than some cheap new on IMHO


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## 8115 (Sep 1, 2009)

Even if you have non-standard picture sizes, you can buy big frames (say from habitat) and ask a picture framer to cut you a mount.  You need to give them the measurements and you might need to chat them up a bit. There's a picture framer in Crouch End but I don't know if they would do it.  It's a real headache though.  Something else that works really well is buying a frame and putting fabric in a nice colour behind the poster.  Cord works well.  It's a bit fiddly but it's cheap.  I also like clip frames personally.


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## Pip (Sep 1, 2009)

The picture is bigger than any frame Habitat or Ikea sell.

n-b-e, I'll give them a call tomorrow as well, thanks.


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## gaijingirl (Sep 1, 2009)

Pip - there's a fab place on West Norwood High St - just down from B&Q.  It looks like a 99p shop or something from the outside because there's tons of plastic buckets etc outside - but inside it's 3 shops together.  One does curtains/blinds, the middle does really good quality kitchen-ware and the last does framing.  We've bought stuff from all of them, good quality and good prices.  

I just had the glass cut for a frame we broke for £9.  I couldn't say how much it would be to get a frame made - although actually, I need to get some made myself.  Anyway, it's a fab shop - so worth a try.  I'm sorry I can't remember the name, but I'll be calling up myself during the week, or at least going past it, so I'll try to remember to look.


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## Cid (Sep 3, 2009)

Pip said:


> Sorry for the bump, but I can't find the framers people mentioned earlier in the thread.
> 
> Anyone?
> 
> Anyone know how hard it is to make your own frames?



Not that hard... Depends what you want it to look like.


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## ymu (Sep 3, 2009)

Pip said:


> Sorry for the bump, but I can't find the framers people mentioned earlier in the thread.
> 
> Anyone?
> 
> Anyone know how hard it is to make your own frames?


You could get some art-board and use a metal ruler and stanley knife to cut a frame. The innards would be big enough to re-use for smaller pictures. 

Or just get some perspex the right size and sandwich it with cardboard - or as someone suggested above, glue some fabric behind and around it.


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## fogbat (Sep 3, 2009)

My housemate built an enormous wooden picture frame. 

He's quite handy at his DIY, but afaik doesn't have any specialist tools beyond an electric drill and some saws. Will ask him about it...


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## robbiez (Jul 20, 2010)

You can buy cheap picture frames online


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## Crispy (Jul 20, 2010)

But you can't advertise them here. Advert removed.


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## sleaterkinney (Jul 31, 2010)

Does anyone know where to get artwork framed?. It's canvas, but not the type that stretches. I've been quoted £100+ and I need to do three of them...


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## Kanda (Aug 2, 2010)

wiskey said:


> if the bloke by the telegraph is still there he's fantastic.
> 
> http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1124/50352.php


 
Tito is still around but not from those premises. I think the number is still correct, if not, let me know and I'll dig out his mobile no.


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## Onket (Aug 3, 2010)

When was the last time you used him, Kanda?


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## Kanda (Aug 3, 2010)

My old flatmates use him all the time for their artwork.


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## Vintage Paw (Aug 3, 2010)

I got frames made pretty cheaply and they used a plasticky alternative to glass to cut down on cost and weight - but it looks just as good. This place: http://www.frames.uk.com/ Their website is utterly, utterly atrocious, but they are cheap, offer loads of choices, custom make them to your size and spec, and seemed to have good customer service when I contacted them.


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## Onket (Aug 3, 2010)

Kanda said:


> My old flatmates use him all the time for their artwork.


 
Cheers.

I only ask cos it was ages ago you gave me his number (which I haven't got anymore) and I've still not got round to contacting him.


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## Kanda (Aug 3, 2010)

Want me to dig it out?


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## Onket (Aug 3, 2010)

Please.


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## Kanda (Aug 4, 2010)

07866071943


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## Onket (Aug 4, 2010)

Danke.


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## brix (Aug 4, 2010)

Thanks for this too Kanda.  I'd lost his number - saving it in my phone now!


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