It's a frame shop jungle out there. Let us arm you with a few well-chosen facts. Select your level of framing expertise below, and reap the benefits of our years of experience. We encourage cheating - check out the tips at all three levels.
I'm new at this.
Framing can be easy and fun. Honest! Framers don't have to be snooty, and framing doesn't have to be garish. You and your art can emerge with your dignity intact.
Framed art can make any room look better. It's amazing what a piece or two of well-framed art can do for a room. Any room. Even Eye Level's wood shop, utilitarian to the core, benefits from the midcentury cityscapes that line the walls.
Framing should match your art, not your sofa. Furniture comes and goes. Styles flare and fade. Properly framed artwork will outlast both. Your framing should complement the art, not its temporary surroundings.
Thumbtacks are better than a bad frame job. Seriously. Not ready to have your art properly framed just yet? Carefully tacking it to the wall will do less damage than a badly done frame job. Or try the artist's standby: bulldog clips and picture wire.
I know enough to be wary.
Framing is expensive. So you should be thrilled with the result. We're amazed at how many clients come to us with sad tales of money spent and expectations unmet. That won't happen at Eye Level. You'll be happy with the finished piece, guaranteed.
Cotton mats = good. Paper mats = bad. Ever notice how on some framed artwork the beveled (cut) edges of the mat are yellow or brown? That's because they're paper, and paper yellows over time. It doesn't take long. And that yellowing paper mat is degrading the artwork behind it.
Neutral mats show off color best. Using a colored mat to "bring out the color" in the art is almost always bad news, because a) colored mats tend to draw attention to the framing, not the art, and b) bringing out the color was the artist's job. A neutral mat creates a visual buffer around your picture, drawing the viewer into the image.
Framing is a craft, not an art. Framing should serve the artwork, not overshadow it. Beware of frame shops that boast of their creativity. If they choose to express themselves through faux fillets and french mats, fine - just don't let them do it on your picture.
I'm experienced and jaded.
There's a lot of bad framing in the world. Sad but true. And that's why we started Eye Level: to make the world safe for your artwork.