Our Process
Exactly What Happens, Step By Step.
Every job at Frame Place follows the same shape: you bring the piece in, we measure it and talk through the options in front of you, you make the choices, and we build it in the shop. What changes from one service to the next is the detail, so each one is written out below.
Pick A Service
Which Process Do You Want To Read?
Open any service below to see its full walkthrough. You do not need to know what you want before you walk in. Working that out with you is the job.
Custom Framing7 Steps
You bring the piece in, we measure it, and you choose the moulding, mat, and glass together with a framer before anything is cut.
- 01
Bring The Piece In
Bring the actual artwork, photograph, or object rather than a measurement written down. Seeing the real thing is what lets us judge scale, color, and how much room it needs to breathe.
- 02
We Measure And Talk About The Room
We take the exact dimensions and ask where it is going to hang. A piece above a sofa and a piece in a hallway want different proportions, so the room is part of the decision.
- 03
You Choose The Moulding
We pull samples from over 450 frame styles in stock and hold them against the piece so you can see the pairing rather than imagine it. You pick the one you like. We will say what we think when you ask.
- 04
You Choose The Mat
Mat color and width change how a piece reads more than most people expect. We lay options directly on the artwork so the choice is made by looking, not by guessing from a swatch book.
- 05
You Choose The Glass
We explain the honest difference between standard, non-glare, and UV-protective glazing, including which one is worth paying for given where the piece will hang and how much light it gets.
- 06
We Build It
We cut the moulding, join the corners, cut the mat, mount the piece, and fit the glazing and backing in the shop. Nothing is sent out.
- 07
You Pick It Up
We call when it is ready and check it with you at the counter before it leaves. Most jobs are ready in about three business days, depending on the type and complexity of the work.
Canvas Stretching6 Steps
We mount a rolled or loose canvas onto a solid wooden stretcher bar frame, pulled evenly so the surface stays flat and drum-tight.
- 01
Bring The Canvas In Rolled, Not Folded
Roll a loose canvas with the painted side facing out and avoid creasing it. Folds leave a permanent line in the paint surface that stretching cannot pull out.
- 02
We Check The Margins
We measure the unpainted border around the image. That margin is what wraps around the bars, so it decides how much of the image stays on the face of the finished piece.
- 03
You Choose The Depth
A standard bar sits close to the wall, a deeper gallery bar gives the canvas presence and lets it hang unframed. You decide which suits the piece and the room.
- 04
You Decide How The Edges Read
The image can wrap around the sides, or the sides can stay clean, or the whole thing can sit inside a floater frame with a shadow gap. This is the choice that changes the look most.
- 05
We Stretch And Square It
We build the stretcher to size, pull the canvas evenly from the center outward so the tension is balanced, staple the reverse, and check the frame is square before finishing the corners.
- 06
We Finish And Fit The Hanging Hardware
Corners are folded cleanly, the back is tidied, and wire or hardware is fitted so it hangs level straight out of the shop.
Large Photo Printing6 Steps
We print your photograph in house on professional photo paper, sized and color-checked with you before the full print runs.
- 01
Send Or Bring The File
Bring the highest resolution version you have. We will tell you honestly how large it can be printed before the detail starts to fall apart, rather than printing something that will disappoint you.
- 02
You Choose The Size
We print from around 11 by 14 up to roughly 40 by 60 inches. We can show the proportions physically so you can judge the size against the wall it is going on.
- 03
You Choose The Paper
Different surfaces suit different images. We explain how each one handles contrast and reflection so the choice matches the photograph rather than a preference in the abstract.
- 04
We Check Color Together
Screens and paper never match exactly. We review color and density before committing to a full-size print, and adjust if something is not reading the way you expect.
- 05
We Print With Archival Inks
Printing runs on our professional large-format printer using UV and water-resistant inks, so the result holds up rather than shifting within a couple of years.
- 06
Frame It Or Take It As A Print
Because printing and framing happen under one roof, the print can move straight into a frame chosen the same day, with no second trip and no handoff between two businesses.
Canvas Printing6 Steps
We print your image onto canvas and stretch it in the same shop, so the printing and the finishing are handled by the same hands.
- 01
Bring The Image
As with paper printing, the file decides the ceiling on size. We will tell you the largest print the image genuinely supports before you commit to anything.
- 02
You Choose The Size
Canvas prints run up to roughly 50 by 120 inches, so a single piece can carry a whole wall if that is what the space calls for.
- 03
You Decide The Wrap
We add margin to the file for the wrap. You choose whether the image continues around the sides, the edges stay a solid color, or the image sits with a mirrored border so nothing is lost off the face.
- 04
We Print, Then Let It Cure
Canvas needs to sit after printing before it is handled and stretched. Rushing that step is how prints crack at the corners.
- 05
We Stretch It Onto Bars
The print is stretched over the depth of bar you chose, pulled evenly, and squared, exactly as with a hand-painted canvas.
- 06
Optional Floater Frame
A floater frame adds a shadow gap around the canvas and finishes the piece without covering any of the image. You decide whether the piece wants one.
Shadow Boxes And Memorabilia6 Steps
We build a deeper frame around an object rather than a flat piece, mounting it so it is held securely and still looks like it is floating.
- 01
Bring The Object In
A jersey, medals, a ball, ticket stubs, baby shoes, a bouquet. We need the actual object because depth and weight decide the whole build.
- 02
We Talk About The Story
What matters in the piece changes the layout. A signature on a jersey needs to sit where the eye lands first, and a medal group usually reads better in a deliberate arrangement than a straight row.
- 03
You Choose The Layout
We arrange the pieces in front of you and move things until it looks right to you. This is the step people enjoy most, and it is worth taking time over.
- 04
You Choose Depth, Backing, And Frame
The object determines the minimum depth, then you choose the backing fabric or mat color and the moulding that frames it.
- 05
We Mount It Reversibly Where We Can
Wherever possible we mount with stitching or supports rather than adhesive, so the item can be taken out later without damage. This matters more than most people realize at the counter.
- 06
We Seal And Finish It
The box is closed up with the glazing you picked, dust-sealed, and fitted with hardware rated for the finished weight.
Photo Restoration6 Steps
We scan the original at high resolution, repair the damage digitally, and print a new copy. The original photograph is never altered.
- 01
Bring The Original In
We work from the original wherever possible, because a scan of a scan loses the detail restoration depends on. The original goes home with you unchanged.
- 02
We Scan At High Resolution
Scanning happens in the shop. Nothing irreplaceable gets mailed anywhere.
- 03
We Assess The Damage Honestly
Tears, creases, water damage, fading, and missing corners all repair differently. We tell you what can be fully restored and what can only be improved, before you commit.
- 04
You Decide How Far To Take It
Some people want the damage gone entirely. Others want the photograph to still look its age, just readable again. Both are valid and it is your call.
- 05
We Repair Digitally
Repair happens on the scan: rebuilding torn areas, correcting fading, and balancing contrast so faces read clearly again.
- 06
You Approve, Then We Print
You see the restored version before anything is printed. Once you approve it, we print it at whatever size you want, and it can be framed the same visit.
Custom Murals5 Steps
A wall-sized piece produced for a specific space, measured on site and planned around what the wall actually does.
- 01
Tell Us About The Wall
Dimensions, lighting, and what the room is used for. A mural in a restaurant and a mural in a child's bedroom are different problems.
- 02
We Measure The Space
Accurate measurements come first, including doorways, switches, and anything that interrupts the surface. These decide how the design has to be laid out.
- 03
You Choose The Direction
We work through the concept with you before anything is produced, so you are not seeing the idea for the first time when it is already on the wall.
- 04
We Produce It
The piece is printed or prepared in house at the required scale, in panels where the wall calls for it.
- 05
We Install And Align
Installation is planned so seams fall where they are least visible and the piece lines up with the architecture rather than fighting it.
Still Not Sure Where To Start?
Bring the piece in, or call and describe it. We will tell you what is possible.