Outsourcing Mounting & Framing

Why learn to do it yourself?

Something as simple as using a baseboard scrap to level your matte when assembling a hinged mount is worth learning…

Some of us are not so handy when it comes to all of the skills we need to properly mount and frame our work. I am one of those in that “Some of us”. If I take my time and expect to have a bit of waste I can certainly handle the task armed with the appropriate tools (like a great matte cutter). If I am in the right mood I may even enjoy it.

I’ve certainly learned a lot of mounting and framing techniques in the last 40 years. In the beginning, it was purely an economical consideration. Later on, it was for creative purposes where the traditional framing wasn’t what I was looking for. The truth is I’m not personally set up with tools or workshop space to do large prints at anything resembling large-scale numbers. Even in Les’ studio, equipped for far more than I am, we outsource some work when we need to deliver an immense number of finished prints (50+) or the installation requires specialized equipment we’re not prepared to invest in (like face-mounted plexiglass or large backlit displays).

Knowledge Is Power

From my own experience I can testify knowing how to properly mount, matte, and frame my work has been invaluable. The practice of doing it myself has provided far more benefits than I could have ever imagined when looking back at the pure economic reality that motivated my first efforts.

Outsourcing mounting and framing work is entirely appropriate and in some cases is a far better (possibly less expensive) way to go. Here are just a few reasons to learn how to do it yourself as well as doing it, even if occasionally while fully intending to outsource a lot of that work:

• Knowing what you want and being able to communicate it efficiently

• Being able to assess the value brought to the table by whoever you are using to do it for you

• Far better expertise in choosing materials and methods for your service provider

• Deciding on a division of labor and what portions you may want to do yourself vs. having one or more service providers do it for you. This has huge budget implications when you need more than a couple of pieces to mount. (Ex. Mounting prints yourself, outsourcing mattes to one provider, outsourcing frames to another with sticks you acquire from yet another, then assembling yourself. As opposed to outsourcing the whole thing to one “frame shop”)

• Creative mounting will typically start with some sort of prototype even if imperfect or incomplete, the service providers you might use for outsourcing may not even be close to a traditional frame shop.

Over the years we’ve done every aspect of every type of print mount ourselves and learned many lessons. Doing this provided unexpected insight into creatively mounting our work. It has expanded where and to whom we look for providing some level of outsourcing materials and preparation of those materials far beyond going to the local picture framer. I can assure you any effort you put into “doing it yourself” will benefit you in the same ways creatively as well as practically even if you don’t plan on making everything from scratch.

Over the next year, we’ll be expanding our publishing of both creative ways to look at presenting your print work. We’ll also be focusing far more on our very specific DIY series of newsletters, hopefully making that into a once-a-month series with your help.

We encourage all of you to try at least some aspect of mounting your own work, taking a workshop (one of ours or someone else’s), and learning the art of print presentation even if you don’t see yourself doing it all the time or in every variation. Who knows, if you are like Les you may even enjoy it and find it relaxing.