Translation, Please

Are You Paying Too Much for Your Frames?

Know Before You Go

You may be paying way too much for your picture framing. The inequalities begin by accurately translating "design speak" into "framer's speak." There's a significant difference between the "finished size" and the "glass size" of a piece of art, the measurement framers use to calculate final prices.

Interior designers tend to look at art as space planning for walls. It's in this context that they work in finished sizes, concerned with the outside dimension of a piece of wall décor and how will it fit in with the overall design. Example: a nine-foot ceiling with a sofa dimension of 36 inches high by eight-foot long and a seated head height of 48-inches, calls for a piece of art that doesn't exceed 36-inches high by 72-inches long. For designers, the overall size of the piece of art must fit with the decision-making process just as color, texture and overall theme do.

The Framer's Perspective

Framers, on the other hand, look at everything from a glass size perspective. The glass size of a piece of art is exactly as it sounds, the size of the piece of glass that covers the art, matting/liner and fillet. Basically, this includes everything but the frame. Why you ask? All framing measurements (and estimates) come from this dimension. The elements: moulding matting, fabrics/liners, fillets and glazing are all ordered based on this measurement. The really important thing for designers to remember is that framing is priced based on the glass size of your art. Most picture framing prices are based on the overall square inches of the art and square inches equals higher prices.

Save Money & Hassles

Simply put: know your glass size to make sure you are getting accurate pricing. Here is a simple formula for measuring "glass size" for more accurate quotes: Subtract two times the width of your chosen moulding (frame) from the overall length and width or the desired "finished size" of your piece. For example: if you want your art to have a finished Size of 36" X 72", the moulding you've selected is 4.5" wide, the glass size of the piece will be 27" X 63" or 2 X 4.5 = 9 subtracted from the overall height and the overall width.

Use this method to insure you never overpay for your framing in the future. For more information, contact us, and we'll be happy to help insure you get it perfect.

Photo courtesy Dani Simmonds, via sxc.hu (Stock.xchng)

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