The Savvy Framer

Vol 1, Issue 4

How to Present Photo Prints for Retail

Successful sales are all about overcoming objections. Selling your prints should take into account different
customers needs. Proper presentation can answer most objections and meet most customers needs.

April May 2008

Questions Answered in
this Issue:
Why shouldnt you frame your
photo prints for sale if you can
do so cheaply?

Step 1: Begin with the items in the Step 2: Position the image in the
Photo Print Retail Prep Kit. Mat,
window of the mat.
Backing, Mounting Strips, Tape and
Crystal Clear Plastic Bag.

Step 3: Carefully holding the image in position, place the print and
the mat face down .

hen presenting prints

for retail you want to
accomplish three goals. First,
you want to provide customers an idea of what the print
will look like framed. Second, you want to give your

display. Whats more, you

will want to accomplish these
goals with the lowest possible
expense to avoid biting too
heavily into your bottom line.
Ask yourself this: If you

customers a head start on

framing it by providing at least
some of the components necessary for framing. And third,
you want to provide a protective environment for the print
so its not damaged while on

Why not pursue the most wellhealed customers for your

home based framing business?
In what way is acrylic actually
more fragile than glass?
What is the cardinal error of
measuring for picture framing?

(Continued on page 2)

The Home Based Framer

How to Build a Thriving Customer Base

In business the customer always comes first. To put it a little differently, in a successful framing business
customers always come first. First get the customers and then the rest will follow.
he first step in developing a strong customer
base is to understand
that its easier to supply an
under served demand than it
is to compete with an experienced competitor for a dwindling customer base. Many
home based framers make the

wrong choice, choosing to

compete with established
frame shops for high end
frame jobs while overlooking
the low end of the market.
Thats a tough row to hoe.
The problem is that the vast
majority of established frame
shops are focused almost ex-

clusively on the high end of

the market, making for a glut
of framers vying with one
another for a market that
grows smaller each time inflation pushes up the cost of
framing. Meanwhile, a significant number of potential
(Continued on page 2)

Many storefront framers turn up

their noses at low priced picture
framing, which creates an opportunity for home based framers.

Page 2

How to Present Photo Prints for Retail

Step 4: Peel the release paper from the back

of the See-Thru Mounting Strips to expose the
adhesive band.
(Continued from page 1)

could frame the print to completion at a

reasonable cost would you? The answer
is probably not. Letting the customer
have the final choice as to how to frame
it has very definite advantages. Sales is
often called the art of overcoming objections and it is always easier to avoid
objections than to overcome them. For
many customers the purchase of an already framed print promises to alleviate

the hassle and expense of framing it, yet

for many others it provides the grounds
for an objection, particularly if the frame
or the mat is not to their taste. For this
reason its best to provide the customer a
sense of what the print will look like
framed, without actually framing it. You
can do this by matting, backing and glazing the print.
The mat should be a single white mat.
Introducing color can open the door to
objections. A single white mat is clean,
simple and innocuous. There is little that
one can object to in a single white mat,
yet it does a fine job of presenting the
print. If you want to double mat the print
using two white mats, this is certainly
permissible.
The backing should be a firm, stable
paper board, not foamboard, which is
often too thick for this method of presentation. Also, its advisable to use an acidfree, lignin-free mat and backing. Although these cost a little more, they prevent any objections from the customer as
to the quality of the matting and confer
additional on the print.
A sense of glazing can be provided by
presenting the print in a clear plastic bag.
Choosing the right bag is important. It

The Savvy Framer

should be a bag that is crystal clear, conforming in size to the matted print, with
an opening at the top and a flap that can
be sealed closed to keep out dust and
prying fingers. The bag should be rigid
and should not sag or wrinkle. You can
find crystal clear plastic bags for precisely this purpose at Framing4Yourself.com.
In fact, Framing4Yourself offers a
Photo Print Retail Prep Kit that provides
(Continued on page 5)

Step 5: Assemble the mounting strip at the

edge of the print on the back of the mat.
The mylar flange should overlap the back of
the print.

How to Build a Thriving Customer Base

customers are looking around in vain for
somebody to do relatively simple frame
jobs for them at a reasonable price.
Many storefront frame shops turn their
noses up at them. Yet home based framers are in a unique position to serve this
market and should seize the opportunity
by putting the emphasis squarely on
price.
Successful marketing often begins
with a startling claim. Offer to give your
customers something they cant seem to
get elsewhere. In picture framing that is
quality custom framing at a price under a
hundred bucks. Invest in a set of business cards that make this claim. If such a
claim seems too brazen (after all, there
could be many large and complicated
pieces that you couldnt do for under
$100) try saying it a different way. We
Will Beat Any Frame Shops Price by
Half or 50-70% off Traditional Frame

Dont be afraid to make a bold claim. Theres a

legal difference between puffery and outright deception.
Shop Prices.
To attract customers youll need to do
something to set yourself apart. Simply
communicating that you are a picture
framer who resides at such-and-such address leaves the prospective customer
cold. Step up. Be audacious. Take a
chance.

And what if you make such a lofty

claim and cant deliver? Dont worry. A
certain amount of puffery is expected in
advertising. The main thing is to honestly try to deliver on your promise. As a
home based framer this is not as difficult
as it may seem.
Traditional store front frame shops are
expensive for a number of reasons but
chief among them are two things you
dont have to worry about it as a home
based framer: hefty overhead and prowling big box stores. Most frame shops
rely heavily on location as their primary
marketing tool. Where their store sits
and the sign in front of it are what draws
most of their customers. But having such
a terrific location is costly, which spells
high overhead for them (rent, utilities,
insurance and start-up costs) that has to
be covered by the prices they charge.
(Continued on page 3)

Page 3

Volume 1, Issue 4

Basic Measuring Tips for Picture Framing

If you were going to frame something for the first time, you might start out by purchasing the main component: the picture frame. But this would
be a mistake that would needlessly complicate your measuring. Follow the tips below to make measuring for picture framing a snap.
hen it comes to measuring for picture framing you can make it easy or
difficult. Unfortunately, many novice
framers make it more difficult than it
needs to be by committing the cardinal
error of starting with their frame first.
Since the size of your artwork is nonnegotiable, locking yourself into an arbitrary frame size to begin with is the picture framing equivalent of painting yourself into a corner. A better approach is to
work from the size of the artwork outward until you arrive at the frame size.
Doing so insures that your measuring
involves simple arithmetic and not algebra.
Here are the measurements you will
need to know: the mats window size, the
mats borders, the overall mat size, the
size of the glass and the backing, and the
size of the frame. This is not as cumbersome as it may seem because the size of a

frame is always considered to be the size

of the recess at the back of the frame,
whats called the rabbet of the frame,
and not the frame measured from edge to
edge. Therefore, the components that fit
into the framethe mat, the glass and the
backingare the same size as the frame in
the same way that a shoe is the same size
as the foot that goes into it. Consequently, all you have to do is arrive at the
overall mat size and youve arrived at the
frame size, as well as that of the glass and
the backing.
Start by determining the size of the
mats window. This will be determined
by how you present the artwork in the
window of the mat. You usually have
three choices. You could show only the
image in the window of the mat. You
could show the image and some of the
border area surrounding the window
(assuming a blank area surrounds the im(Continued on page 4)

Starting with your frame first is the picture

framing equivalent of painting yourself into a
corner. If you prefer arithmetic to algebra,
work from the art out to the frame size.

How to Build a Thriving Customer Base

(Continued from page 2)

And even if they could lower their

prices they wouldnt because big box
stores like Micheals and Hobby Lobby
lay in wait to pounce should price ever
become an issue.
Because most big box stores buy as a
chain, they have economies of scale that
allow them to leverage lower prices out of
suppliers, which means their costs are
lower than those of independents. A price
war against a big box competitor is retail
suicide for an independent frame shop.
But not for a home based framer who is
drawing most of his business by word of
mouth, usually, to begin with, from
friends, neighbors and co-workers. The
big box stores dont even know he exists,
and even if they did, its unlikely they
would consider a home based framer a
serious enough threat to warrant changing
the stores pricing policy.

For most independents, a price war against a

big box competitor is retail suicide, but not for
home based framers.
Simply put, as long as you remain at
home, you are flying under the radar of
most of your competitors, especially the
big box stores.
So go ahead and compete on price.
You certainly dont have to worry about

overhead. As a homeowner, your rent,

utilities and insurance are already covered. But lets say you had been hoping
your home based business would help
defray your living expenses. Fine. But
dont get ahead of yourself. You cannot
generate adequate income from your business to consistently defray living expenses until you have a reliable customer
base, and you cant have a reliable customer base until you do something to attract customers and keep them.
So lets review. At this point you have
spent $50 on business cards naming your
business, providing pertinent details and
making a startling claim probably one
related to price. Now who do you hand
these to? Start with family and friends
and make sure your co-workers get them,
and always be prepared to hand out more
than one; even if the person youre talking
(Continued on page 8)

Page 4 Basic Measuring Tips

(Continued from page 3)

age and the image doesnt bleed to the

edges of the paper). Or you could show
the paper complete; ie,
show the edges of the paper.
If you choose to show
only the image or if the
image bleeds to the edges
of the paper, the customary
approach is to allow the
edges of the mats window
to encroach on the edges of
the image by on each
edge. Since there are two
edges to each dimension
(one on either side of the width and one
on either side of the height) the window
can be determined by subtracting a half
inch from the height and width of the
image.

The Savvy Framer

height and width of the window to get the
united inches of the window. For example, if your window was 10x13, the

which, by the way, is also the size of

your glass and backing board. And, most
importantly, its also your frame size.
Write down the measurements as shown in Figure 1.
This way you can see all the
measurements and what
they refer to. Measurements written down in this
way are easy to follow
when you are cutting mats
or making a frame.
If you are double matting,
you must remember that the
measurements refer to the
finished double mat. However, when you go to cut a double mat,
you will cut the over mat first and then
add a quarter inch band of color from the
under mat to complete the border. Therefore, the borders of the over mat must be
one quarter inch less than the borders of
the finished double mat. See Figure 2.
Sometimes it is necessary to work
with a frame that you already have. In
that case you should determine the mats
window size and then write down the
formula to show the measurements for
the art, the window and the frame size,
but leave the border measurements blank.
To determine the border measurements
for each dimension, subtract the window
from the frame size and divide the difference in half. Doing so is the simplest
kind of algebra but is definitely more
complicated then adding. So avoid starting with your frame size first if you possibly can.

united inches would be 24.

Find the range into which that size
falls. For example, 24 falls into the
range of 18 - 24. And then read over
to the adjoining column to find the appropriate border for that size. In
this case, 1.
Fig 1: Typical Measuring Formula
If you prefer to have wider
borders, thats okay. But you
should not have borders narrower than those called for in
the Border Finder.
The question of whether
your mat should have a wider
bottom border is often one
aesthetics. One rule of thumb
is that compositions with distinct horizon lines are enhanced by wider bottom borders while those without are
better presented in mats
where all four borders are the same.
When you are measuring to include a
If you wish to
blank area surrounding the image its a
have a wider botsimple matter of measuring out the part
Fig 2: Measurements for a Double Mat
tom border, you
of the image and its surrounding border
can add it to your
that you wish to show in the window of
measurements. For
the mat.
example, you might
If you want to show the paper comhave three borders
plete, measure the paper and the amount
of 1 and a botof additional space surrounding the patom border of 2.
per; ie, the distance between the edges of
A mat is nothing
the paper and the edges of the mats winmore than a window.
Once youve determined the size of the dow and four borders. So once
mats window, the next step is to deteryouve determined
mine the size of the four borders that will
these measurements
surround that window. You can use the
you can add them
Border Finder (shown above) to simplify
to determine your
the process.
overall mat size,
To use the Border Finder, add the

Page 5

How to Present Photo Prints for Retail

The Savvy Framer

Step 6: Press the mounting strip down on the

back of the mat, adhering it . Note that no
adhesive touches the print.

Step 7: Assemble mounting strips at each

edge of the print. The print is trapped in place
by the Mylar flanges that overlap it. If the
customer wants to remove the print, they
simply lift up on the Mylar flanges and the
print comes right out.

Step 8: A second option is to mount the print

face up on the backing board. However, this
option should only be used when the mats
window encroaches enough on the print to
cover the mounting strips.

Step 9: As in option one, assemble the SeeThru Mounting Strips at each edge of the print.

Step 10: Then place the window mat over the

mounted print.

Step 11: As noted, this approach only works if

the mat encroaches sufficiently on the print to
cover the mounting strips.
(Continued from page 2)

Step 12: After mounting the print, hinge the

mat to the backing board. Start by aligning the
top edges of the two boards.

Step 13: Using Frametac tape, place a tab of

tape vertically so that half the tape is on the
back of the mat and half is on the back of the
backing board. Do this twice, about two inches
from each corner.

all the necessary components: an acid

-free, lignin-free window mat and
backing, mounting strips, hinging tape
and a crystal clear plastic bagall at a
reduced price. Find the kit in the
Package Deals section of Framing4Yourself.com.
The crystal clear plastic bag may be
discarded once the customer gets the
print home, but he may elect to keep
the mat. To some customers having
the mat is perceived as a bonus because it is one less framing component
they have to pay for. For this reason,
even if the print is of an unusual size,
the mat should be of a standard size,
so the matted print will fit into a stan(Continued on page 6)

Page 6 How to Present Photo Prints for Retail

Step 14: Cross the first tab of tape with a

second tab applied horizontally along the top
edge of the mat. Do this on both tabs of
tape.

Step 17: Remove the strip from the adhesive

band on the flap.

Step 15: By applying the tape in this manner

you create hinges. The mat hinges on the
backing board and the two pieces are kept

The Savvy Framer

Step 16: Place the matted and backed print

in a crystal clear plastic bag with the adhesive side of the flap facing the back.

Step 18: Close the flap toward the back side of

the stack and seal it.

Step 19: The matted print is ready for retail.

no other reason than to avoid the perception that your prints are of low quality .
Ultimately, however, the prints will
not be preserved if theyre not mounted
correctly and since they must be
mounted for presentation in the mat, you
need to think carefully about how youre
going to do this. We recommend SeeThru Mounting Strips. They allow you
to trap the print in place without using
adhesive on the print. Simply position
the print in the window of the mat and
assemble the See-Thru Mounting strips
along the edges. The strips adhere to the
back of the mat and their mylar flanges
overlap the edges of the print, trapping it
in place. To remove the print from the

mat its a simple matter of lifting the

edges of the flanges and sliding the print
out.
Take the mat with the mounted print
in it, hinge it to the backing board using
hinging tape, and slide the stack into the
crystal clear plastic bag. Close the flap
and seal the bag and youre ready to present your prints for retail.
If the customer wants to use the components youve provided, they will be
confident that the materials are of good
quality. If they prefer to discard the
components and frame the print differently, they can get the print out without
any trouble and throw the components
away. And who can object to that ?

(Continued from page 5)

dard size frame. But the mat may be

perceived as disposable as well. So if
the customer decides that they prefer a
different mat they can dispose of the mat
youve given them without any qualms.
The question often comes up as to how
high a quality of mat and backing board
should be. The concern here is less
about the quality of the board than about
the customers perception of the quality.
The picture framing and photography
industries have done a good job of creating awareness about acid-free materials
and associating quality framing with
their use. If your customers are likely to
be tuned into this, you should use acidfree, lignin-free mats and backing if for

Page 7

Volume 1, Issue 4

Acrylic versus GlassThe Pros and Cons

You have two choices when it comes to glazing art. The right answer to which you should choose is both. But knowing the
proper circumstances when to employ one or the other is the difference between good glazing and bad.
hen it comes to glazing artwork,
its not correct to say that Plexiglass is always better than glass. Nor is it
correct to say that glass is always better
than acrylic. Rather its correct to say
that each is better than the other in specific circumstances. Savvy picture framers recognize that both glass and Plexiglass have benefits, as well as drawbacks.
So lets examine each the pros and cons
of each.
When Plexiglass (more properly known
as acrylic) was first introduced, the big
selling point was durability. Compared to
glass, acrylic was virtually unbreakable.
Obviously this gives acrylic a certain advantage when it comes to framed art that
has to be shipped, and it also explains
why most juried shows require glazed art
to be glazed under acrylic. More than
that, however, a savvy framer will ask his
or her customer whether they anticipate
having to move the art in the next year or
two. If so, the framer may want to point
out the benefits of using acrylic to safeguard the art.
Yet if acrylic is more durable than
glass, in another sense its more fragile
because acrylic can be easily scratched.
Dragging a dry paper towel across the
surface of acrylic can cause light surface
abrasions. For this reason acrylic should
only be wiped with a soft cloth. The
Scott Wyp-All Towel at Framing4Yourself.com is ideal. Its a paper towel that
has the feel of cotton and wont scratch
acrylic.
Attempting to clean acrylic with glass
cleaner will cause unsightly smears.
Acrylic must be cleaned with a plastic
cleaner. The 210 Plastic Cleaner at
Framing4Yourself.com is recommended.
But the very fact that you must have a
special cleaner and towel to clean acrylic
makes it somewhat less convenient to
clean than glass which can be dealt with
simply using household glass cleaner and
a paper towel.

On the other hand, acrylic enjoys one

big benefit over glass when it comes to
cleanliness. Acrylic is already clean
when you buy it. Glass, however, is usually quite dirty. Thats because glass
manufacturers typically coat the glass
with silicon and oil to prevent scratching
in shipment and the coating attracts dust
in the air making for a film of dirt on the

Acrylic always comes with a protective

mask. When peeled off it reveals the acrylic
as clean as its ever going to be.
glass when you buy it. Acrylic comes
with a protective mask that when peeled
off reveals the glazing as clean as its ever
going to be. Unfortunately, it also reveals
something else, one of the major drawbacks of working with acrylic: static.
Acrylic carries a high static charge.
Left untreated, the static charge on acrylic
will attract dust and lint and make for a
frustrating situation. When working with
acrylic, you must take out the static
charge before using it. There are two
ways to do that. You could use the 210
Plastic Cleaner which has an anti-static
agent in it. However, this will require
you to clean the acrylic, something that
may strike you as counterproductive considering the acrylic is already clean. Alternatively, you could use an anti-static
brush. At Framing4Yourself.com the

Kinetronics Anti-Static Brush is highly

recommended for working with acrylic.
Just brush it over the surface of the glass
and it will dramatically reduce static
charge.
If static is a major drawback to acrylic,
light weight is a great plus. Acrylic is a
good deal lighter than glass and should be
used in most frame jobs over 24x36.
Glass in larger sizes is not only heavy, its
potentially dangerous. Just carrying glass
in larger sizes can cause it to flex and
snap. But glass has one big advantage
over glass. Its easy to cut. Acrylic, on
the other hand, can be a nightmare.
Acrylic is sold in different thicknesses
and thin acrylic, which can be easily
scored and snapped is too thin for quality
framing; it looks plasticky. Picture framing grade acrylic is .080 thick, nearly an
eighth of an inch, and is virtually indistinguishable from glass when in a frame.
But picture framing grade acrylic is so
thick it cannot be easily scored and
snapped with a plastic cutter. For that
reason Framing4Yourself.com has introduced custom cut acrylic. Just go to the
Glass and Plastic page of Framing4Yourself.com, click the Get the Price Button
and fill in the height and width of the
acrylic you want. The acrylic calculator
will quote you a price. Then just add
your custom cut acrylic to your Shopping
Cart and your custom cut acrylic will be
shipped to you.
For its lightweight, durability and initial cleanliness acrylic is better than glass.
But for its ease in cleaning and cutting,
and for its relatively low static charge,
glass trumps acrylic. As an informed
framer you can size up the situation and
make the right choice. Since these days
they both cost about the same and are just
as easy to come by, your decision will be
based strictly on the pros and cons of
each. And being informed, you know
your decision will be correct.

Join

The Value Framers Guild

just $150 per year

541 W Golf Rd
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Phone: 1-800-246-4726
Fax: 847-434-0445
www.framing4yourself.com

Benefits of Membership

Password access to special sales and discounted pricing on matboard, frames, etc.
One year subscription to The Savvy Framer
Newsletter (free until April 2nd, 2008)
One year participation in the internet advertising program (free until April 2nd, 2008)
Discounts on classes in the Framing4Yourself Workshop Series
Participation in the Network Coordination
Program so you can pool your buys for lower
prices.
Access to on-line discussion threads so you
seek answers from other framers
Participation in the four phase business start
up program.
Phone 1-800-246-4726 for more details

How to Build a Thriving Customer Base

(Continued from page 3)

to doesnt have something they need

framed at a reasonable price, theres a
good likelihood they know someone who
does. Urge them to pass the card on. Ask
them straight out if they know of anyone
who might need framing. Keep emphasizing that you can usually beat typical
frame shop prices by half. Its important
to focus on what sets you apart. More
than anything this is what you want to
stick in a prospective customers mind.
Dont be afraid to admit that youre
new and just starting out, this serves to
explain why youre willing to do this at
such a low price. For many customers
your lack of experience will not be a deterrent when considered against the benefit of lower prices. Nevertheless, as soon
as you can, be prepared to show samples
of your handiwork. These will take two
forms. First, a selection of mats cut in
various styles: doubles, triples, vgrooves, multiple-openings. So you can
show the quality of your matting and the
choices that are available. Second, a

Offer to deliver the framed piece. Many home

based framers offer this simple service and
win the undying loyalty of their customers.
photo album containing pictures of your
finished frame jobs and the prices you
charged for them. These samples will
help to assuage any misgivings about the
quality of the work you do for the price.
Try to turn all your frame jobs in a
week or less. Most storefront frame
shops turn their frame jobs in a week. If
you can meet that trend, youre a bargain
for the service. If you can beat that trend,

youre remarkable. And you want to be

remarkable as word of mouth is one of
your strongest drivers of new customers.
Offer to deliver the finish framed piece
to the customers house. Many home
based picture framers offer this simple
service and win the undying loyalty of
their customers. Think about it. If they
had used a storefront frame shop they
would not only have had to pay twice as
much, they would have had to drive to
town, find a place to park, and schlepped
the thing home. By delivering it, youve
saved them a big hassle as well as
money!
And what should you charge for this
delivery service? Indeed, what should
you charge for any of your services, and
how can you make any money if youre
trying so strenuously to hold down price?
These topics will be covered in next
months issue. But for now suffice it to
say that it can be done, and that if you do
it, you will build a loyal and growing customer base, which is the first step to success in any business.