Decorative Art & Frame
Frequently Asked Questions

"Why is custom framing so expensive?" Consumers have been vexed by this simple question since the very first piece of art was placed on a wall. The answer is simple yet complex. First of all, custom framing is CUSTOM! YOU pick the moulding, mat, glass, fillet, French mat, etc. Custom products are always more expensive. Unless your order consists of hundreds of pieces framed exactly the same, the framer will has to place a small order with a number of different suppliers. This is the antithesis of volume purchasing power. If consumers did not demand a wide selection of mouldings, mats, and fillets, prices for custom framing would be lower due to economies of scale, but limited selection is un-American and stymies creativity. We can't have that! Therefore, the consumer pays a premium. Additionally, even the largest framers do not stock a supply of every moulding sample on their rack, so shipping charges must generally be added to the cost of the moulding itself. Example #1: Framing a picture of moderate size, 24" x 20", requires 8 feet of moulding "A" which is 2" wide. The manufacturer will probably send 10 feet of the moulding to the framer for two reasons: 1.) That is the length in which many profiles are produced. 2.) They make more money selling 10 feet rather than 8 feet. Who pays for the extra 2 feet of "waste"? The framer and the framer's customer. Surprised how much wood is required to produce that medium sized frame? When you add shipping and the cost of the extra moulding, your costs are growing, and we have not factored in our single largest expense: LABOR! If your framer is working in the the US, as opposed to China where the hourly wage is $0.20, the shop owner must pay a reasonable hourly wage, benefits, shop insurance, as well as basic utilities, and make a little profit. People are expensive, and frames are assembled by people, so therefore by the transitive property of framing, frames are expensive! Are we Home yet? FAQ Home, that is. ©MLH WebDesign, 2003