A0 Picture frames: Who, What, When, Where and Why

We get so many calls and inquiries about A0 picture, or poster, frames that we thought it it only fair to elucidate on the subject matter for the benefit  of Customers, visitors and readers.   An approach as good as any to  explain this subject might be:  'Who, What, Where, When and Why',  to wit,  the 'Five Ws' mnemonic verse which assists writers in fully and properly detailing,  describing or explaining an event, happening. or story.  Incidentally, the Five Ws aren't a modern invention.  It would seem that it was  an ancient Greek rhetorician, Hermagoras of Temnos, of around about 2,000 years ago who invented this popular aide-memoire.  Now then, and to begin with, let's look at the first of the Five Ws: Who sells A0 picture frames frames?  Well that's easy, we do, and detailed below are our three, most popular A0 poster frames, beginning with our A0 Black Wood Poster Frame with clear glass below:

We began selling these large these large poster frames about 12 years ago when yet another Customer complained about the high cost of custom picture framing A0 art.  We thought, how can we make this picture frame cheaper for Customers? And the answer was then, as it is now, to cut some of the labour costs.  Most Customers aren't familiar with the complete custom picture framing process which is quite labour intensive.

By selling ready-made A0 poster frames which do not require  mounting and fitting up operations, the manufacturing cost per frame is just about halved.  Both of these processes are quite time consuming and at times can take longer to complete than the making of a picture frame itself.  By removing the costs for the labour of those processes the retail price of an A0 picture frames is more than halved. It is possible to do away with those processes since a)  permanent mounting is not de-riguer for a lot of commercial disposable art and b) the Customer can fit up the art his or herself with a minimum of skill and a modicum of patience.

As the the second W, What is an A0 picture frame?  This is the easiest to explain. It is a frame which will accommodate art, usually a print, poster or akin paper art, which is no larger than precisely 841x1189 mm. The A0 size is one of the 11 sizes in the A series from the international paper size standard ISO 216 derived from the German DIN 476 standard. All ISO paper sizes rely on a single projection ratio of the square root of 2, this being 1:1.41421. This A0 size, and others in the series,  is illustrated below:

Now to the third W, Where are A0 frames sold?  That's also rather easily explained. The kind of A0 poster frame, with real wood ( not plastic ) and proper glass glazing ( not plastic ) that most customers want is not for sale at any department store or retail chain.  If it is available at all, it will be sold at larger picture framing stores which also sell ready made frames.  These outlets tend to be larger that the average shopping strip custom picture framers because the frames are so big, the size of a small window, actually.

Another factor in limiting the availability of these large frames is the fact that these contain a large area of fragile glass which is easily broken and can shatters dangerous glass shards, if mishandled.  We have been handling these for years and yet we still crack the odd one.  When we do, however, we can easily and quickly cut a replacement glass; but this option is not available at department or retail stores because glass panes or sheets are never  sold, handled or cut thereat.  These stores only sell read-made goods, these do no make them or repair them.

As mentioned before, A0 size frames, such as the A0 Raw Oak poster frame below, are huge, to wit, 84.1 x118.9 cms, and are not sold in shopping centres, retail or discount stores because these are simply too large and dangerous to handle, carry, store, or sell.

Customers' safety is also an important aspect in the selling and handling of these big picture frames. Our A0 White Wood Poster frame below for instance weighs around 9 kgs. That's a heavy weight for a picture frame and Customers need to be advised and helped on how to handle , carry and transport these huge frames.

While our legal liability for the transport of picture frames ends the moment  the Customers leave the premises with any such goods,  we help to make sure that they can transport these big A0 picture frames safely.  As a first warning, and even before Customers buy the frame, our website's A0 sizes' product pages display the prominent and explicit warning below:

IMPORTANT: This A0 White Wood Ready-Made Poster Frame is sold as shown, unwrapped, unboxed, without cardboard or bubble wrap. It is a very big frame with glass which must be transported flat in a large car, station wagon or van. We will load the frame for you in your vehicle but only if we can lay it flat. For safety reasons, we will not load the frame at an angle, tilted, or standing. Under no circumstances will we load the frame next to, or near baby capsules, or children. If the frame cannot taken away flat we will be happy to refund the purchase rather than risk injury or breakage. You cannot claim for glass breakage after you take this frame away. Please do not order or buy this frame unless you agree to these conditions.

Importantly,  we help load AO frames in Customers' vehicles making sure that these are loaded into vehicles correctly.  A common, but unsafe and incorrect way is shown below. The picture frame is precariously resting tilted at an angle against a seat or head rest.

We warn Customers that if the frame is not laying flat on the floor of the vehicle,  the smallest of  bumps,  shocks or sudden braking is often enough to move or unsettle the frame  and crack the glass, if not spring or break the frame itself.

The safest and recommended manner of transporting these big frames is shown below.  The A0 frame is laying flat on the floor of the vehicle.  We feel that placing the frame facing with the glass upwards is actually better than transporting it face down.  The floor of some vehicles often is fitted with hanging points, tie lugs or other metal fittings which can easily crack the glass or mark and scratch the timber of the picture frame.

Finally, when we sell these frames to Customers, we caution them on how to carry and handle them.  Lastly, we advise them on where and how to fit their artwork inside the frames with tips on how to try avoid accidents and breakages. All that being said,  if and when a Customer breaks the glass, we suggest to them that we can cut a new glass pane, this being much cheaper than buying a new frame instead.

The fourth W, When are A0 frames sold, is also easily answered. We do, during business hours,  from our factory address which can be found in the Business Details and Factory Location section of Contact Us web page.

And the last and fifth W, Why are 0A frame sold is the easiest of all to address. A0 picture frames are sold because various art, prints and posters from all over the world are printed in this size and Customers want picture frames for them, it's that simple, supply and demand.

This particular, large format is roughly 16 times bigger than the commonest, standard A4 paper, this being 21x29.7 cms.  It is widely used in busy establishments and high-traffic locations. The large surface area of the A0 size, roughly 1000 cms, eminently lends itself for varied and versatile commercial uses such as motor and vehicle advertising industries, fashion and entertainments publicity and is the optimal, visual, indoor and outdoor marketing communication tool.

While on the subject of A0 picture frames there are a couple of other aspects relevant for Customers in buying these large, ready-made frames.  Perhaps the first that comes to mind is the issue of some Customers expecting us to fit up, or put their posters inside the frame, for free and as part of the store service when buying an A0 picture frame.

However, and as indicated earlier, the reason these ready-made frames are about 1/2 the price of custom A0 picture frames is because these are off-the-shelf, or ready-made frames.  All ready-made picture frames, wherever and whenever sold, the fitting up is done by the Customer themselves, and not by the supplier selling the frames.

This is a mutually beneficial and straightforward commercial arrangement where the Customer can save money and get cheaper goods if the supplier can save on labour costs.  As far as we know, no department store,  retailer or shop of ready-made photo frames or picture frames in Australia provides free mounting or fitting up services when selling off-the-shelf frames.

That being said, if a Customer is unable or unwilling to their own ready-made frame fitting up, we are happy to assist by providing a custom picture frame. Custom picture framing  invariably produces and delivers a better and sturdier picture frame, but with a concomitant higher cost.

While on the subject of modifying A0 ready-made frames, we are also occasionally asked for A0 picture frames with plexiglass , or a clear plastic glaze, instead of the clear glass these come with. Unfortunately it is impossible for us to fulfill this request since it is simply uneconomical for Customers. Local fabricators want around $150 to cut, supply and deliver even  one sheet of cut to size A0 perspex pane.

Another query we often come across is that of Customers wanting to fit a smaller-than-AO  print or poster inside an A0 picture frame.  This is occasionally requested because a Customer may have, typically, an A1 size poster which he or she thinks may work out well with a window mat.

However, in most cases, this is not an addition, or modification that tends of work out  satisfactorily because, in the first instance, an oversize window mat ( one that is larger than the standard size of 32"x40" or 812x1016mm )  is quite expensive to supply and cut and, secondly, wet or hot mounting will be required to mount and keep the print or poster flat.

Further, and from and aesthetic perspective, an A1 size artwork will not look harmonious or balanced inside and A0 size picture frame because the four sides will be too uneven with the top and bottom mat sides quite wide and the left and right mat sides much narrower.

The reason why our A0 picture frames sell so well is because these represent exceptional value for money.  If an oversize window mat and mounting are added to the price of the frame, then the cost advantage diminishes and the framing add-ons will make the frame as expensive as, if not more, than a custom picture frame.

A penultimate point worth mentioning is that of the delivery of these large, AO picture frames.  To our knowledge it is impossible to get a normal business Courier to deliver these frames and the few who do cannot and will not guarantee a safe delivery, meaning that either the glass, or the frame, or both will get broken or damaged.

We offer a delivery service for Customers who are in the neighbourhood but it is not inexpensive because doing so requires a commercial van and a dedicated delivery person  for the door-to-door delivery for about 1 to 2 hours.

This is why we suggest that the most practical delivery option is for Customers to take the picture frame away themselves. We will, of course, help load the frame in the vehicle provided this can de done safely and without posing any risk to occupants.

Perhaps a very last point, concerns the hanging of these big A0 picture frames.  The frames are heavy, as frames go, about 9 kgs each.  While we do not offer a picture frames hanging service ( several are readily found online )  we can offer a couple of tips which Customers have passed on to us.

The most important is not to use any kind of stick-on, self-adhesive or "magic" sticky wall hooks. These all fail with the passing of time. Customers have recounted that picture frames hung on wall with these kind of hooks can last for 6 months, a year, even 2 or more years, but eventually they all fail. When that happens, picture frames fall on the floor, often breaking themselves, furniture, objects, and in some cases, people, if hung above beds or sofas.

Another tip would be to consider using a professional picture frame hanger to hang these big frames.  Many are able to furnish Customers with online quotes, are readily available and ought to be able to proffer proof of insurance to cover for household installation losses, damages and accidents.