Yes, we do. There are still country agencies and remote or smaller newsagencies and art shops who send their customer's work
to be done outside at wholesale factories. We of course, , have our own picture framers and manufacture all photo frames, picture frames at our industrial premises in Moorabbin, Victoria. With us your artwork will never get forwarded on, double-handled and maybe, get lost or damaged. Making picture frames begins with a consultation. A customer comes in with a print, photograph, poster or other artwork to be framed. Together with the customer we select an appropriate picture framing combination and we agree on a price.
We then write out a Work Docket setting out the framing instructions, details, customer's name and completion date. The customer pays a picture framing deposit a leaves the artwork with us for framing. We then first mounting and, if required, matting the artwork. That mean either cutting a backing board for the art and, when needed, a window mat. This is the coloured piece of cardboard you often see inside a picture frame surrounding an image.
Then we hinge and assemble the whole "sandwich" that is the backing, the art and the window mat all together. The sandwich is then measured for frame-cutting and put away, out of harm's way, under the the fitting-up benches. With the frame-cutting measurements we then select and chop the picture frame moulding into the four sections that are needed to make a picture frame. After this the sections are touched-up, painted, checked once more and then joined with v-nails, using good quality woodworking PVA glue.
The freshly joined picture frame is then put aside and allowed to "rest" or "cure" for at least 24 hours so as to let the glue holding the corners, harden. The day after we cut the glass for the picture frame, and then clean and polish the glass, ready for glazing. The sandwich under the bench is retrieved, placed on a fitting-up bench, checked for cleanliness and the freshly-cut glass placed on top of it. We check the assembly once more for assembly and then tape the four sides of the glass to seal the sandwich.
This helps keeping and maintaining the inside of the picture frames clean by blocking the entry of dust and insects from the outside. We then put the sealed sandwich inside the now cured picture frame and proceed to fit-up and finish the entire picture frame assembly with picture framer's tape and rings with cord or wire for hanging. The finished picture frames is checked for one last time, fitted with white cardboard corner protectors and taken to the customers' finished work area for the later collection of the customer.
Of course there can be many more steps and processes for other specialized framing, but for most jobs, that's how we will picture frame your art.
Personally -I prefer to let my picture framer do everything. I tried a couple of times to put glue and spray on my puzzles so that I could put them into some picture frames I bought but I ended up with a sticky, yucky mess. First the adhesive spray wouldn’t come out of the can, then it came out in spurts and blobs, then with some liquid glue I spilled some in the puzzle cracks and it leaked through underneath and didn’t stick, then I knocked the puzzle trying to clean up the spill, in other words, disasters!!!!! I don’t know why this always happens to me but maybe I’m not an arty-farty-crafty person. so I take my puzzles to my picture framer to get them picture framed and I live happily ever after!
You know, here in the Northern Territory there are still a lot of picture framing agencies especially around Katherine, Palmerston and Tennant Creek. These agencies are usually run by the local Newsagency, Post Office or Photography outlet. These agencies are well-patronized by the locals who find them very useful. This is because the towns are small and cannot support a full time picture framing shop. So people go to these agencies once in a while to get their photos and pictures framed. They order picture frames and mats from samples the agents have and pay up front for the picture framing. The agents then sent the people’s artwork to the big picture framers in Darwin. The Darwin framers then frame the customers’ pictures and send parcels back to the country agencies by bus. It’s not a bad system. Sure the odd picture frame glass breaks or a photo frame gets a bit knocked around but that’s rare. By and large, the picture framing agencies wok well and people like them.
About a year ago I got a whole lot of family photos done and frame by a PixiFoto store in Chadstone shopping centre. I got quoted $1,480 which was a lot of money but there were 6 of us in our family and I did get 12 photo done. The photos came out not bad, not the best but reasonable. Anyway the day I went to pick them up they also had a picture framing special for photo frames. They said that my framing would normally cost $1,190 but for that week only they could do it for nearly half price. I chose the photo frames samples, paid in full ( I had to ) and told them to go ahead. When I hadn’t heard from them after a month I gave them a call. They kept stuffing me around for another 7 weeks until my husband and I went to their shopping centre store and created a small scene. The franchise owner then admitted that they had "sent out" my photos to be framed and that no one could find them !!! Apparently they don’t do their own picture framing but send out to a factory in Sydney to be done. They never told me that when they took my money! To make things worse they wanted to charge me to re-print the photos because they said that they didn’t lose them but the picture framers did. Anyway we took them to VCAT and won but guess what? A couple of months later most thef PixiFoto store collapsed and closed down. I lost more than $2000 and I don’t think I’ll ever see my photos, my photo frames or my money ever again. My advice to you? Make sure your picture framer is not an agent and actually makes you picture frames or photo frame at the store !!!