Framing
All my prints are sold unframed, for a few reasons:
First, full disclosure: I’m an artist, not a framer.
Framing is a specialized craft, and would only distract me from my focus. A good framer will always have a discussion with you about the environment you are hanging the piece in, and your own personal (or professional) aesthetics. I personally have been delighted by recommendations from framers that were well beyond what I would have chosen on my own.
A professional framer will give you a far higher quality framed work of art.
Second, selection: artists and online mass-marketers who do their own framing almost always offer a limited selection of frames. A dedicated framing shop will carry a vastly superior selection of frames to choose from.
Interior designers, corporate art consultants and architects routinely discard the framing that comes with artwork they acquire for their clients. They have very specific ideas about framing that form the finishing touches to their designs. A framing shop can best address those ideas.
Third, there is shipping cost. I produce fairly large scale prints, which are costly to ship if framed, mostly because of the weight of the glass. And the glass also makes them vulnerable. Plexiglass is a lighter option, (still pretty heavy at larger scale), but compromises the color of art prints with a slight bluish tint and scratches easily.
Then there is the risk of shipping damage. I had an interesting conversation with a framer who did a set of very large scale photographic posters for a BMW dealership, framing them with glass. If I remember correctly, 4 of the 6 she framed were broken in transit.
I ship my prints in a large size tube or hexagonal mailing container designed to protect valuable contents.
They can take all kinds of airline abuse while keeping the print inside perfectly protected, and in pristine condition when you open it.
Far better to leave the framing to someone who lives and breathes it. And excels at it. A local framer is the very best quality, and least expensive solution.
With that in mind, here is a great search resource for finding a framing shop near you: it’s a directory of framing shops of all kinds in the United States and Canada: