What You Should Know About Ready Made and Custom Picture Frames

« « Teach Me How to Take Better Photographs | The Latest High End Canon Digital Camera Is The PowerShot » »

What You Should Know About Ready Made and Custom Picture Frames

Friday, December 18th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Knowing the difference between custom frames and ready made picture frames is important when you’re shopping for frames. Having a basic understanding of ready made frames and custom picture frames will get you exactly what you want without spending too much money. So what is the real difference between ready made frames and custom picture frames?

A ready made picture frame is just that- one that is ready to be used directly out of the box. Manufacturers of ready made picture frames assemble and package them so all you need to do is open the box, insert your picture and it’s ready to be displayed.

Ready made picture frames come in standard photo sizes. You can find ready made frames for pictures, standard sized art work, small keepsakes or documents, like diplomas. Ready made frames are complete when assembled. They come with glass, backing, and some hardware for either displaying on a table or hanging on the wall. However, not all ready made frames include both hanging hardware and easel back stands. Ask your frame retailer to make sure you have everything you need to display your framed picture.

There are many different frame retailers that offer ready made frames online and in stores. With so much selection you should always be able to find exactly what you want.

Custom picture frames, on the other hand, give you more options than ready made frames. Custom frames are measured, cut and assembled specifically for you. If your framed item is not a standard size, or if you need a unique depth or dimension for your artwork or keepsakes, a custom frame is the answer. With a custom frame, you can choose the type of protective surface you want, whether glass or acrylic with a UV coating.

Custom picture frames let you create a unique look and choose the style of the frame, color, size, picture frame mats and the layout of your picture. Some customer framers refer to these as “ready made frames,” because they are cut to a specific size, but this process really is a custom made frame as they’re hand assembled.

Which type of picture frame is best?

You should only choose a ready made or custom picture frame when you know what you want to frame. If you have high quality or unique artwork, then a custom picture frame is your best choice especially if it’s a non-stardard size. A custom picture frame can be made to accomodate almost any dimension and thickness so it’s exceptionally versatile. With custom picture frames you have a lot of flexibility and options to choose from so it’s easy getting exactly what you want.

Something to consider is that ready made picture frames are usually a lot less expensive. Custom frames are created and assembled by hand which adds to the cost of your framing project.

So, to decide between a ready made frame and a custom frame you need to ask yourself a couple of questions.

Is it a standard picture size? If so, then you’ll have lots of options with ready made frames. Ready made frames are available in a wide range of materials, colors, shapes and sizes. You can find frames in everything from wood and metal to gold leaf, sterling and basic black picture frames. If you are looking for an efficient way to display your pictures without costing a lot, a ready made frame is your best choice.

If you have a photo that doesn’t fit into a ready made frame, one thing you can do is to use a picture frame mat that fits your photo and place it into a standard size frame. This is a great inexpensive option to avoid the cost of a custom picture frame.

However, as convenient, economical and nice looking as ready made frames are- sometimes you just want a custom look for your photo or artwork. If you have a special piece of artwork, whether a standard size or not, you may want the flexibility a custom frame allows in choosing the best way to showcase your piece.

Once you have determined which type of frame is best suited for your needs, you’re ready to start shopping for your frame. No matter what type of picture frame you choose, you’ll now be able to tell the difference between these two types so you can always get exactly what you want.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.