You got your frame, and unless you ordered a print with it, you’re likely ready to insert the art you already have. Your framing journey is almost complete! That said, you might still have some questions, and while our support team is always ready to address any of your concerns, we thought we’d tell you just how your frame is supposed to look when taking it out of the box.
First, let’s go over how the frame itself should look, by discussing each style in depth.
Derby
Derby is our most popular frame style; it’s a finger-jointed poplar wood frame, with a decorative wood pattern wrap. This means that everything will be even and consistent throughout the frame. There will be no blemishes or quirks.
Dayton
Dayton is our second wood style. It has a similar thickness and appearance to our Derby, but there is one key difference: Dayton is natural wood, meaning you will see the wood grain on the frame. Due to the natural features of this finished wood, the frame molding grain pattern may not be as consistently matched as our finger-jointed wood profiles. You can expect variations in grain patterns, courtesy of Mother Nature. We happen to think this is very cool because every Dayton wood frame will be unique in its own way!
Granby
Our final wood style! Our Granby is a more ornate, gilded frame. This means that foil — either gold or silver, in our case — is placed over the frame and adhered to it, giving it a decorative finish.
Hanover and Ashford
Our first, and most affordable, metal frame style, the Hanover is a thin frame. It’s less than 1/2″ thick when looking at it from straight ahead — making it perfect for posters or larger pieces where you want just the image itself to do all the work. Hanover is rounded in front, and the finish of the frame will vary depending on the color you get. If you get satin black, gold, or silver, you should expect a matte finish. If you get another color, such as glossy black or silver, you can expect a shinier appearance.
Next is our Ashford frame style. The reason for categorizing it with the Hanover is because it’s very similar, with the only real difference being that the Ashford has a flat front, and the Hanover has a rounded one. Everything else? Totally the same.
Bradford and Stafford
Now for our final styles — the Bradford and Stafford. If you’re wondering why we’ve lumped two styles in with each other, similar to the Ashford and the Hanover, it’s for the same reason. They’re very similar. Both are metal and have flat surfaces. They are also both very thick when you look at them from straight ahead. Our Bradford is 1″ thick when looking at it from straight ahead, and the Stafford is 1 1/2″ thick — making it the thickest frame style we currently offer.
As for the finish? Your options are matte for satin, and shiny for gloss.
The Acrylic
The acrylic is the window through which you view your art. But you might notice that it’s a little murky when you receive it. Don’t worry! This is by design, so, when you prepare it, it’ll be as clear as anything you’ve peered through in the past.
But you’ll have to get the film off first. It’s a pretty simple process, and you can see what that’s like in this video.
You might notice, though, writing on the acrylic. That’s normal! It’s just something to let you know that there’s film on it, and it’s meant to be removed. In addition, if you ordered a non-glare acrylic cover, you might notice your frame looks… blue.
Don’t worry! This is also just the film. Remove that as well, and your frame will be all set for hanging.
The Backing
Not much to see here! If all goes according to plan — correct measurements, etc. — the backing shouldn’t be visible in the frame. That said, our acid-free foamcore backing is off-white and about 3/16″ thick. You can expect it to be totally smooth upon receiving it, with no dents or quirks at all.
Hanging Hardware
You might not think too much about the back of your frame once you have it hanging up. But the hanging hardware is very important, it is what keeps your frame hanging up after all!
There are two main different types of wall-hanging mechanisms: sawtooth and wire hangers. The distinction can seem meaningless to some: Why would you put so much thought into a part of the frame that won’t be visible once you hang it on the wall?
Good question. But sometimes it’s the parts of the frame you don’t see that make the biggest difference. Wire and sawtooth hangers can serve different functions, and which exactly is right for your project can depend on the size of the frame.
Luckily, here at Frame It Easy, we make it, well, easy for you. We have a system that automatically dictates which type of hanger you get, and it all depends on the size and material of the frame. If you have a wood frame that’s over 30″ wide, you’ll be getting sawtooth hangers. For everything else, the wire hanger should do the trick. But let’s dive deeper into the differences between the two.
Sawtooth Hangers
Sawtooth hangers are less conventional in the hanging world. Indeed, most people expect wire on the back of their frame. And if they receive sawtooth hangers instead, they might have some questions. That’s why we’re here, to help you out!
Here at Frame It Easy, we put sawtooth hangers on our wood frames of 30″ in width or more. This is to prevent bowing. Sawtooth hangers have some benefits, too. On top of them being more preventative of bowing, you also won’t have to adjust the frames to keep them level. Just make sure their corresponding wall buddies are aligned, and you should be all set.
That said, wires have their benefits, too. Let’s go over them.
Wire Hangers
This is the more traditional hanger, often preferred by art galleries and the like. Art galleries prefer them because they leave fewer holes in the wall since you will only need one to hang the wire on. Wires are often dependent on how secure they are to their corresponding D-rings.
Here at Frame It Easy, we test all framing hardware to be efficient and sturdy. This means that your hangers and rings that hold your wire should work great, so long as you assemble everything per the instructions sent with the frame! That said, we couldn’t speak for any hardware that isn’t directly from us.
Wire hangers also have the luxury of being easier to adjust. If you notice your frame isn’t quite level, you won’t have to worry about removing any nails from the wall, like you would with brackets. Instead, you would just need to move the wire along the hanger, until it’s level. A wire is also slightly easier to set up, with fewer tools needed, so that’s an advantage as well.
Matting
This is a big one, and we’ve saved the biggest for last for a few reasons. First, not everyone orders their frames with matting; it’s a totally optional decorative lining — and it’s not essential to whether a frame works or doesn’t from a functional standpoint.
That said, a good chunk of our customers get matting with their frames, so it’s important to address this. In particular, we ship our matboards facing down. This provides extra protection in transit, to ensure the front-facing side of your mat is free of scuffs on arrival. So, when you first open your frames, you might be worried that your totally epic orange and blue matboard color is… all white.
Not to worry! All you will need to do is flip your matboards around when you’re ready to add in your art and put the frame back together! It’s as simple as that.
Custom Packaging
Here at Frame It Easy, we pride ourselves on striving to be the most environmentally friendly picture-framing company in the world. We use corrugated cardboard packaging that is precisely cut to each and every order, meaning that you won’t receive a huge box for one small 5”x7” frame. This reduces waste and means we don’t have to ship using bubble wrap (or even paper wrapping) to keep your frames safe.
So, what exactly is the anatomy of your frame’s packaging? Well, let us give you the full tour!
Straps and Wing Trays
Most people ask us how we keep our frames secure when they’re being shipped. Bubble wrap? Extra cardboard? Well, it’s a bit of a multi-step process, but it all starts with the straps and wing trays. The latter is cut exactly to the frame’s size (we mentioned our packaging was custom, right?).
Why are they called wing trays? Simple. Before we wrap them around your frame, they look like little pieces of cardboard with foldable, well, wings along their edges. Once they’re folded around the frame, it creates a snug space for your frame to occupy.
If your order has multiple frames, each wing tray will have a pocket geared for that particular frame, but they’ll all be the same size overall — meaning each wing tray will fit snugly in the package. For instance, if you order a 50″ X 20″ frame and a 5″ X 7″ in the same order, the latter’s wing tray will have some extraneous cardboard attached to it, and the box itself will be cut around the largest frame. This guarantees little to no movement of the frames while in shipping, instead of adding an unnecessary amount of bubble wrap.
How do the frames stay snug in the wing trays, though? That’s by using the straps! We secure them around the frames tightly, and they’re easily removable by finding the point where each end is joined, and then splitting that apart.
The Outer Box
The box that your frames will be shipped in is custom-made as well! Your frames will fit snug in the box, so, as we mentioned, there will be no movement during the shipping process.
Where necessary, we also put tape around the edges of the box, as well as across the seams. It’s clearly labeled “Fragile,” too — to let the carriers know that they need to handle your frame with as much care as possible!
A Team That Cares
Our dream team is composed of over 30 artisans tasked with caring for each step of crafting your frame. From professionally printing your photos to cutting, assembling, and shipping your order, we work to ensure that a beautiful, ready-to-hang frame arrives at your door as fast as it can.
When you order from us, you are supporting a product created from Made in America materials by American workers. We encourage you to ask questions about or suggest improvements to any part of our process because at the end of the day we want to make it as easy as possible.
Making That First Impression
Here at Frame it Easy, we definitely want you to love your frame the second you see it. But we have to take precautions on our end to make sure you get your order completely intact and with no damage. As such, we have to dress it for a potentially long journey. Just remember the following, though, and you should be all set:
- Matboards arrive facing down in the frame. So don’t panic if you see your matting is white when that’s not what you ordered.
- Our acrylic will arrive with a film on it. Just remove it, though, and you will be all set.
- All our frame styles vary, so be sure you know what you’re ordering before you do so! Take a look at all of our Frame Styles before ordering to find exactly what you want for your space!
- Our packaging is just as custom as our frames are and will keep your frames as safe and secure as possible!
We definitely want you to know exactly what to expect when you order your custom frames from Frame It Easy. So if you have any further questions, again, just reach out to our support team, who will be glad to help!
