The Frame Shop FTL

Framer's Journal

A log of ideas from the bench.

Notes on framing, printing, glass, hanging — with pictures from the shop and the walls they end up on.

Pricing

How much does custom framing cost? Real numbers, from the bench.

What actually sets the price, honest starting ranges — and the designer that shows your exact number live.

Getting it right

Five framing mistakes a framer would talk you out of.

Skinny frames on big art, glass over canvas, acidic mats, Florida sun — and the cheap fix for each.

Framing

Choosing a frame color and style — without the spiral.

Warm vs cool, thin vs statement — and collections that already agree.

Framing

Single mat, double mat, or float — what the art needs.

Air gaps, archival board, deckled-edge floats — protection first, style second.

Conservation

Museum glass, conservation glass, or AR70 — what actually matters.

UV, glare, and the museum look — including museum plexi — for Florida light.

Conservation

Glass or plexi — the honest split.

Weight, shatter, museum plexi, AR70, and TruLife for face-mounts.

Care

Keeping framed art alive in Florida.

Light, humidity, and storm season — what each one does, and the framing that defends against it.

Printing

Will this photo print well at that size? The honest math.

The PPI check, what a phone photo holds, and the free meter that answers in seconds.

Printing

Cold Press or Luster — which paper is yours?

Epson Cold Press Natural vs Premium Luster: texture, sheen, mood.

Printing

What giclée means on this bench.

Pigment inkjet, not a buzzword — and how it differs from UV and dye-sub.

Canvas

Canvas print, gallery wrap, or floater — which job is it?

Four jobs people call “canvas,” with real starting prices.

Rigid prints

Plexi, wood, aluminum, dye-sub — which rigid print?

UV flatbed vs dye-sub metal — when each wins.

Hanging & layout

How high to hang it — and how far apart.

57-inch centers, furniture clearance, gaps that read as one composition.

Hanging & layout

The gallery wall, without the guesswork.

The 57-inch rule, spacing, grid vs salon — and a builder for your own wall.

Hanging & layout

Mixing frames without the mess.

Unify one thing — finish, mat, or moulding family — and let the rest move.

Install

When to call an installer — and when a hammer is enough.

DIY vs pro for oversize, salon walls, hard substrates, and commercial hangs.

Mail-in & shipping

Mailing a piece to the bench — without the panic.

Packing that works, what we do on arrival, confirm-before-cut.