The Framers Forum

hi all

a few more beginners questions- apologies! what is the majority of a framers work, is it
framing pictures,photos etc.How much is taken up with box framing conservation work,
or is this like asking how long is a piece of string?I'm asking because I can frame photos etc
but not the rest.I'm thinking of maybe starting a hobby business in the new year and I want
to be in possession of enough skills,confidance an all that!

regards

Hi Red...

Most of my work is the framing of paintings/prints & photographs...
About 15% is object framing, of which 10% of that is sports shirts for a local college...
You will get asked to frame some weird & wonderful things, but it`s up to you if you take the job on.I tend to treat these type of jobs as a challenge.Although sometimes they can turn out to be a pain...

You will learn on the go and build up confidence that way. Start off with photos and prints and get really good at that and wait until someone brings in something different and you will learn new mounting techniques from doing that job... unless you turn it away which is difficult to do... having said that I have and always will turn away football shirts and the like just not my thing

I combine picture framing with my other work as a website designer, and I only frame what I enjoy framing and what I'm confident about making a good job of, ie paper-based items - watercolours, prints, photographs and documents. Only occasionally have I been asked to frame something other than these things, in which case I've recommended a local framer who I know has the kit and expertise to do most things. This may be because of the way I tailor the promotion of my services and the fact that I haven't got high-street premises though, rather than because there isn't a demand. If I had high-street premises, rightly or wrongly I would feel more obliged to offer a more comprehensive service.

The thing to consider when framing anything is that you should be able to take the item back out of the frame and
be unable to tell that it had ever been in one. Not always strictly necessary and not always possible, but it's an ideal.

In all my 30+ years of framing I have only been asked to do a sports shirt once. I never actually did it. It just wouldn't pay
me. I could certainly make the frame for it but doing all the mounting and wotnot - too much hassle. I have done a bit
of what you would call 'object' framing. Coins, plates, cake icing, etc. But same thing. Having said that I have never been
presented with such a job for many a year. As for needlework, I have done a fair bit of this, but I don't like all the lacing and
stitching. People who do it all the time will breeze though it.
It takes me too long and is akin to shoving a live octopus into a bottle. Give me a piece ready-stretched and I'll frame it with pleasure.
People who do it all the time will breeze though it. Me, I can't be arsed with it.

If you are a general framer you should be at least a bit prepared to tackle anything. You can gain a lot of info from many sources,
this Forum is as good a place as any. It's as well to have a cursory knowledge on all aspects of the trade, at least then you can approach
things with confidence. But it is as well to wait until you are actually faced with a job before brushing up. No use spending
a lot of time on courses and research for something you may never get to do.

As you go along you will probably find you will tend to focus on certain specialities. As well as this there are also a lot of
peripheral services that are not strictly framing but sort-of allied to the trade. Printing, engraving. That sort of thing.
Dry-mounting/laminating is a skill in itself. Some folks do a lot while some will never do it.
Had a lad in this morning wanting a wood plaque engraved. (For Christmas. ). If I had a computerised router I could have done it.
Restoration. Takes years to learn, but if you can offer it people will beat a path to your door. Even if you don't to get involved with
picture cleaning and such, it's as well to know enough to know when to leave well alone if you get my drift.
It's a good idea to build up a list of go-to guys who do things that you don't do. Then you can give customers the right steer.

So all in all you need to be acquainted with all aspects of the trade but a lot of things you will never need to do.

many thanks for advice,certainly made things clearer for me

best wishes

To be honest...not much of the object stuff is as tricky as it looks. Shirts are fiddly and can be a complete pita, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they're much more difficult than framing a picture. I've had some tightly rolled posters which were probably trickier. Sports shirts are good money for us, I definitely wouldn't turn them away! Each to their own though.

All the really random stuff (drumsticks, poppies, pipes, bottles, whatever!) is the same idea. Once you have a few methods for mounting things (and there are always novel mounting methods to be found).

With museum level conservation stuff etc, I'd be quite happy to send people to someone else if it was something I'm not comfortable with. But most stuff I'll say yes and then come on here and ask how to do it! It's a good way to learn! I'd say the guys here probably been the most helpful resource I've had since I started framing.

Prospero's advice about learning things when the need arises is definitely good. All his advice is good actually.

thanks for advice re box framing I recall when I had some training asking about
t shirts etc I was told it is pretty straight forward, just a matter of doing it.
I saw a box frame recently in a charity shop and had a good look at it
there is a thread about buying old frames and taking them bits in an aid
to learning more. I had the unrealistic expectation of being able to do
all aspects of framing! As you good people said work on what I know then build up
knowledge or pass on to someone else. this forum is a great place!

I'm putting together fairly basic training booklets for here on different aspects of framing. T shirt and box frames will be one, fabric stuff will be too.

You're welcome to a copy if they'd be any use. Won't be finished til next year now though.