Where do you get your mattes and frames?

I'm looking to give it a shot selling work locally, and would like to matte and frame my work to save costs. I'm really not looking for anything really high end. Family dollar has a 8x10 matted in 11x14 frame for $2 ... It's actually not terrible for the price.

I wouldn't mind using that but would like to step it up just a notch. I'm gonna be selling stuff at a stand on our well known street. I just got a peddlers permit.

I wanna be able to keep cost down, so the less I spend in material the better and its not like I'm selling museum style work. My work is geared toward young professionals who don't generally spend $300 per print

My fiance works at Joannes so I get HUGE discounts on mattes and frames...most of which are of very nice quality.

Any decent arts\crafts stores should be able to supply anything you need. A matte is more or less a matte in my opinion...I see little to no differences in the 2 dollar ones or the 10 dollar ones. Frames can all be different...check the construction in the corners, make sure it lays flat and isnt warped and that the glass isnt scratched.

If your going to try to make a side business venture out of it, might want to consider buying in bulk through somewhere online...im sure there are far better deals to be had than at a brick and mortar store.

Jeffro250 wrote in post #11091850
My fiance works at Joannes so I get HUGE discounts on mattes and frames...most of which are of very nice quality.

Any decent arts\crafts stores should be able to supply anything you need. A matte is more or less a matte in my opinion...I see little to no differences in the 2 dollar ones or the 10 dollar ones. Frames can all be different...check the construction in the corners, make sure it lays flat and isnt warped and that the glass isnt scratched.

If your going to try to make a side business venture out of it, might want to consider buying in bulk through somewhere online...im sure there are far better deals to be had than at a brick and mortar store.

Yeah I more or less found good prices online but for a good bulk discount there was a $500 minimum order or shipping prices were outrageous. I'm going to start with 30 or so and see how the first day out goes.

Do you think printing at home is the best way to go? I picked up a pixmapro 9000 and the results are stunning. I've done 10 8x10s and 4 13x19 and the ink hasn't even moved. A full set of ink is 84$ and the paper is pretty in expensive off amazon. I'm still researching what paper to use but for now I'm using stand high gloss. I might move to a matte or museum etch. I really wanna try clutch rag but I think the fine art papers are more expensive than what people buying street photos would be willing to pay.

Drakeskakes wrote in post #11092992
Do you think printing at home is the best way to go?

For me? Absolutely not...hate it, wont deal with it anymore...couldnt pay me to touch a inkjet printer! Got tired of dealing with paper jams, clogged ink cartridges, feeding the things stupid expensive inks and paper when they do decide they want to work properly...

I refuse to print at home when I can order professional quality prints from a pro lab(WHCC) and have them delivered to my door within 2 days for less money(in most cases) than it takes to print at home.

I got some pretty decent frames with mats at IKEA. Like 8-12 bucks for a simple nice looking frame with a mat.

I like printing at home, personally, but I only have an 8.5x11 printer, so I only print the small stuff. I get the best color accuracy printing from my own calibrated monitor and printer. My Canon has been outstanding. It sounds like Jeffro has an Epson as his experience reminds my of my old Epson!

Michaels.

Every week they have 40% off one item and 50% off custom framing coupons.

That sounds like a plan. I should maybe give that a go. I do bird and wildlife photography and have tons of images that I just post to Zen and here. I'd like to learn the matte and framing side of the business, too. Does anyone have or know of a how to in regard to framing? I'm also handy in making frames, so I could really keep costs down that way; only issue would be finding the glass for the frame.

I print my own photos up to 13x19, which is the largest I can print on the Epson R1900. So to the OP, I'd say do your own printing since you have the equipment. Also, consider calibrating your monitor if you have not already done so.

Good luck to you

Just One Man's Opinion.

Al

Methodical wrote in post #11125774
That sounds like a plan. I should maybe give that a go. I do bird and wildlife photography and have tons of images that I just post to Zen and here. I'd like to learn the matte and framing side of the business, too. Does anyone have or know of a how to in regard to framing? I'm also handing in making frames, so I could really keep costs down that way; only issue would be finding the glass for the frame.

I print my own photos up to 13x19 as that's the largest the Epson R1900 allows. So to the OP, I'd say do your own printing since you have the equipment. Also, consider calibrating your monitor if you have not already done so.

Good luck to you

Just One Man's Opinion.

Al

I found this book reasonably informative to get your feet wet. You can get a used copy for $2.99 plus shipping. Not much risk there.

http://www.amazon.com …823030385/ref=o​ss_product

Celtic Tiger wrote in post #11127557
I found this book reasonably informative to get your feet wet. You can get a used copy for $2.99 plus shipping. Not much risk there.

http://www.amazon.com …823030385/ref=o​ss_product

I'm going to have to check that book out. Thanks.

I buy most of my frames from either Hobby Lobby or Michaels

I just realized that I forgot to thank you. So thank you.

Celtic Tiger wrote in post #11127557
I found this book reasonably informative to get your feet wet. You can get a used copy for $2.99 plus shipping. Not much risk there.

http://www.amazon.com …823030385/ref=o​ss_product