WOODLAND STUDIOS

"How to get a great job at the best price".
  ( Following are answers to some of our most common questions. )

What is Woodland's most important Framing Tip? 
( besides making sure you choose Woodland :)

Use conservation materials. It costs a bit more, but the benefits far outweigh the additional cost. The relatively small investment can double or triple the preservation life of everything from posters to original art, prints, memorabilia and family heirlooms.

How much does custom framing cost at Woodland?

As is true with any framer, "it depends" on materials and labor. But $100 - $500 would be a good average price range. If you have a budget in mind, please discuss it with us in the beginning. Woodland works with dozens of moulding and framing suppliers and has over 1,800 frame choices that range from low cost poster frames, to very expensive, hand-painted, hand-carved mouldings from Italy. If budget is a key criteria, we can save time in the design process by steering towards solutions that fit your budget.

Can I just order the materials and put it together myself?

We are happy to help you at any stage of the framing process. Even if all you need is a mat, piece of glass, moulding or just help putting an old frame back together. Many times customers bring us a frame they found in a garage sale and ask us to help them dress it up.

Can you restore damaged or antique frames?

Restoration is one of Niki's favorite things to do. We have restored frames so well, you can't even see where the damaged or missing piece was. Also, we've re-painted, and even faux painted frames to match specific colors.

Think of framing as 'building a piece of custom furniture.

Each custom frame is built specifically for you.  Even on simple projects, it is a labor intensive process. First, there's the design work, which can often take an hour or more. Then there's ordering the materials, cutting mats, conservation mounting, glass cutting, fitting and sometimes hand painting, sewn needlepoints, shadowbox construction and more. Think of custom framing like this... often several artists and craftspeople are involved with designing and handcrafting your custom frame into a personalized, preservation display piece of furniture that will last for generations.

How are Woodland's prices vs. other frame shops?

All things being equal, Woodland's pricing is very competitive with almost any frame shop. The truth is, most frame shops follow basic industry formulas for pricing materials and services.  Usually, when a significant disparity exists, it is generally because one framer was using lower quality materials and/or labor methods than the other (sort of like apples to oranges). This is not helpful to customers or other framers because customers are being misdirected and other framers appear to be overly expensive, when in actuality are delivering a quality service at a very fair price.

How can I save money when custom framing?

If you have the tools and skills, you could order the materials from Woodland and do the labor yourself. If you are not an experienced framer, it would be good to get a book on Conservation Framing, or ask us for pointers on how you put it together. Woodland can recommend books and on occasion, we even offer classes on custom framing.

Custom Framing VS. Readymade Frames

Sometimes you can find a really good deal on a readymade frame. Sometimes you find them in complete kits or even open backs with no glass, mats or backing. If preservation is one of your goals, the most important thing is to be sure you are using conservation quality materials. Often, people start looking for readymades, and discover it's just takes more time, requires more tools, and is more complicated than what they planned for and decided to pay the extra money for custom framing services. If we know you're on a budget, we can't match most readymade kit prices, but we can help you find a custom framing solution at the most reasonable price.
 
So, what's the big deal about 'framing by artists'?

Just as interior designers have their own 'style', so do framers. When you invest in custom framing, you should 'choose' your framer as carefully as you would the artwork you hang on your walls. When you visit a frame shop, be sure to check samples of their work to see if they reflect the style of framing you want. You'll notice that all framers have a 'style' that reflects their color preferences, matting selections, moulding choices, et

For example... Woodland hates V-grooves! Although we can do it, we rarely do because to us it looks like an outdated trend, left over from the 90's and reminds us of tacky poster art.  Hmmmm... ok, ok, so maybe that's a little extreme. But, it does illustrate my point and makes a clear statement about Woodland's "style" (ie., if you want v-grooves, Woodland is probably not your best choice. :)

If you have other questions call (608) 877-8007...
or, bring in your piece for a no obligation design consultation.