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My fiancée made a wonderful series of 3 watercolor paintings for me of the musical instrument I play. She’s not a pretentious paper art genius (she makes digita

My fiancée made a wonderful series of 3 watercolor paintings for me of the musical instrument I play. She’s not a pretentious paper art genius (she makes digital art for video games), so she just used the standard size she bought at the store that came as a full stack of tear-off pads for watercolor: 14”x20”, assuming that we would just be able to slap them in frames when we were done. All the local framing shops and even the chain store quoted us hundreds of dollars just to cut the border mats that would adapt them to standard frames. Online I found a solution that was tens of dollars for all 3 frames and mats and it really made me feel like a loser for going out of the way to drive around and shop local in the SF Bay Area.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
So I encountered this Purgatory over the course of several years, since I began to earn professional certifications. These certificates came in standard Letter size, 8.5x11 pages, with glossy durable paper. They also issue them electronically in PDF format, Letter-size as well, so it's easy to print them and even upgrade paper quality. Last year, I finally earned graduation from college, and my certificate came in the mail: 8.5x11 as well! So where are the Letter-size picture frames? I want to hang these credentials on my wall, or frame them and place them on a shelf! They will look very nice that way! But all picture frames on the market are for 8x10 photographs! So it's horrible; I can't use the standard-issue, original certificates at all. I can't print them as-is, and reducing their size does not yield the 8x10 aspect ratio you need. Eventually, over the course of several years, I've managed to amass a few 8.5x11 picture frames from thrift stores. It wasn't easy, they don't match one another, and they're uncommon, but they do exist. Likewise, no big-box store or specialty framing store seems to carry such an animal. So if these frames are so unobtanium, why are these authorities issuing certificates in this size? Don't they know we have little hope of framing them nicely? Surely there is some sort of disconnect, and surely there is a market-niche opportunity, especially for college-grads, like Josten's, or our college bookstore, to source these and sell them to us!
- ghaff 3y ago
  I’ve bought 8.5x11 frames at the local arts and crafts chain so they’re not quite unobtainium. But 8x10 is definitely more common.
- TaylorAlexander 3y ago
  Yeah there’s so many different options for 8x10 and then 8.5x11 there’s often only very cheap looking thin glossy black plastic frames. Take a look at a company called Craig Frames. That’s where I get my A3+ frames and they are lovely. Pay attention to which ones are solid wood and not just a veneer, if you have a preference. Though the veneer looks good too. My only frustration with this situation is that I have to go online as local shops ignore that size.
- wlesieutre 3y ago
  Rather than picture frames, you might find 8.5x11 sold as “document frames” https://www.michaels.com/shop/frames/wall-frames/document-frames https://www.michaels.com/shop/frames/wall-frames/document-fr... (and also as “diploma frames” or “certificate frames”)
ghaff 3y ago
Local framing is very artisanal and therefore quite expensive. These days it almost certainly makes more sense for all but the high-end case to just go online. Reminds me to add some frames or at least mattes to my to do list.
- addaon 3y ago
  > Local framing is very artisanal and therefore quite expensive. Local framing can be art in itself, and can definitely enhance art. As an example, I have a Vonnegut silkscreen print ("Black Heart") that I find quirky and endearing and love its origin -- but is a bit of a challenge to present in a way that doesn't dominate anything with which it shares a wall. I would have gone with a large mat and oversized frame to reduce the impact of some of the more... exotic... color choices; but the framing shop I worked with proposed a double frame with an outer black frame and an inner painted green wood frame that /exactly/ matches the color of the piece, and the result is stunning.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago

So I encountered this Purgatory over the course of several years, since I began to earn professional certifications. These certificates came in standard Letter size, 8.5x11 pages, with glossy durable paper. They also issue them electronically in PDF format, Letter-size as well, so it's easy to print them and even upgrade paper quality. Last year, I finally earned graduation from college, and my certificate came in the mail: 8.5x11 as well! So where are the Letter-size picture frames? I want to hang these credentials on my wall, or frame them and place them on a shelf! They will look very nice that way! But all picture frames on the market are for 8x10 photographs! So it's horrible; I can't use the standard-issue, original certificates at all. I can't print them as-is, and reducing their size does not yield the 8x10 aspect ratio you need. Eventually, over the course of several years, I've managed to amass a few 8.5x11 picture frames from thrift stores. It wasn't easy, they don't match one another, and they're uncommon, but they do exist. Likewise, no big-box store or specialty framing store seems to carry such an animal. So if these frames are so unobtanium, why are these authorities issuing certificates in this size? Don't they know we have little hope of framing them nicely? Surely there is some sort of disconnect, and surely there is a market-niche opportunity, especially for college-grads, like Josten's, or our college bookstore, to source these and sell them to us!

ghaff 3y ago
I’ve bought 8.5x11 frames at the local arts and crafts chain so they’re not quite unobtainium. But 8x10 is definitely more common.
TaylorAlexander 3y ago
Yeah there’s so many different options for 8x10 and then 8.5x11 there’s often only very cheap looking thin glossy black plastic frames. Take a look at a company called Craig Frames. That’s where I get my A3+ frames and they are lovely. Pay attention to which ones are solid wood and not just a veneer, if you have a preference. Though the veneer looks good too. My only frustration with this situation is that I have to go online as local shops ignore that size.
wlesieutre 3y ago
Rather than picture frames, you might find 8.5x11 sold as “document frames” https://www.michaels.com/shop/frames/wall-frames/document-frames https://www.michaels.com/shop/frames/wall-frames/document-fr... (and also as “diploma frames” or “certificate frames”)

ghaff 3y ago

Local framing is very artisanal and therefore quite expensive. These days it almost certainly makes more sense for all but the high-end case to just go online. Reminds me to add some frames or at least mattes to my to do list.

addaon 3y ago
> Local framing is very artisanal and therefore quite expensive. Local framing can be art in itself, and can definitely enhance art. As an example, I have a Vonnegut silkscreen print ("Black Heart") that I find quirky and endearing and love its origin -- but is a bit of a challenge to present in a way that doesn't dominate anything with which it shares a wall. I would have gone with a large mat and oversized frame to reduce the impact of some of the more... exotic... color choices; but the framing shop I worked with proposed a double frame with an outer black frame and an inner painted green wood frame that /exactly/ matches the color of the piece, and the result is stunning.