How much does it cost for custom picture framing?

Written by a picture framer, and not an online blogger

<—- me, the picture framer

I am a better picture framer than I am a writer/blogger, so you will have to bare with me as I answer the most common and difficult question in our business….

“How much does it cost for custom picture framing?”

Answer: It depends… What are you framing?

Keep reading below, and we will dive in a little deeper to the major cost drivers of custom picture framing and general estimated framing packages.

Size Matters!

The bigger the size of an item, the more material will be used to frame that piece. Granted, you may choose more expensive products for a small item at times, but if you frame an original painting worth a million dollars at 10”x10” and a cheap poster from Etsy at 18”x24” with the same material, it will still cost more to frame the cheap poster.

Frame Choice Matters!

We offer thousands of different framing options and they all have their own price. So when you framing something the same size, but use a simple painted black frame versus a decorative gold leaf frame. The price will be different.

Design Matters!

Not all designs are equal. In fact, in the custom world, almost none are equal. Beyond choosing a frame, you will often have other elements to decide on in your framing package. Matting options can increase the size and add materials to the project. If you artwork requires and special handling/mounting, additional material and labor charges may apply. Is your item 3 dimensional? Shadowboxes often will cost more traditional framing packages. Often a more simple design will cost less than more elaborate design.

Glazing Matters!

We use a variety of glass and acrylic products in our framing packages. More and more people are leaning towards using acrylic in framing for safety reasons these days, but our top acrylic product also carries a larger price tag. If you are choosing a glazing product with an anti-reflective coating (which helps display your items better), it will cost more than a product that doesn’t have it. If you framing something that doesn’t require glass (or just are choosing not to use it), chances are it will be less expensive than a similar sized item that is framed with glass or acrylic.

It all matters!

Ultimately, there are plenty of variables that will drive the cost of your custom framing package. There is no matter of fact price for the cost of custom framing. Otherwise it wouldn’t be custom!

With all of this said, here are some fairly average price ranges for various sizes of framing from our shop here in St. Paul, MN.

11” x 14” — $150-300

16” x 20” — $200-450

18” x 24” — $250-$600

20” x 30” — $400-750

Need more specific pricing?

Stop on by with your items to be framed. All consultations are free and we can go through all design options to meet your needs.