We at Craft & Oak have drafted a mini-guide on how to choose the perfect frame for your custom gifts! You’ve gone through the process of either creating a Star or City Map by picking a location using our custom map maker (editor) and now your poster has finally arrived at your door! But now you need a frame and aren’t really sure of where to find one, or what kind of frame to choose for your map. This how-to guide will help you figure out what kind of frame you should purchase. Professional framing is expensive, so this guide is meant to be more of a “DIY” style guide, for those who want their artwork to look good on a budget.
Of course, we do offer framing options - currently, we offer a 12x18" Simple Black Wood Frame or 18x24" Simple Black Wood Frame with a Plexi-Styrene Front Face.
Neutral or Colored Frame?
I personally love both options, but it depends on your room and depends on what color map you chose using our map editor software. If you want your map to really stand out, choose a frame color that matches the color of your map. Just make sure that the frame width itself is narrow so that it does not overpower the map that you are framing. This type of colored framing is helpful in a room with a lot of other artwork on the walls. This will ensure that full attention is given to your piece when being looked at.
When I think of neutral frames, I think of a brown or black natural wood frame. I personally have a few simple black frames from retailers such as Cheap Peets (a local SF retailer) and Craig Frames. The frame is cheaper, at $32 before discounts, and fit 12x18 or 18x24 prints quite well. You can also find all sorts of other frames on CraigFrames. I highly recommend that you check them out, especially if you are still looking for that perfect frame.
The Room
The room that your map poster is going in will also dictate the type of frame you’ll want to purchase. First, the frame should work with the details of the room - if the room is a room filled with ornate and interesting details, the frame should complement those details. Second, the other decor in the room will dictate what type of frame you will also want to choose. If you have, for example, eight other pieces of artwork with a similar type of frame color/style, you may want to stick with that same frame/style for your map poster. Lastly, you will want to make sure that the wall surrounding your artwork and your frame goes well together. These steps will ensure that your map poster looks perfect in any setting.
Where to get Frames
So if you’re going to do it yourself or you’re on a budget, here are some options to consider:
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Craig Frames: as mentioned previously, this place is one of the best resources for buying frames on a budget! Who doesn’t love value?
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Craft & Oak: we do offer 12x18" and 18x24" frames in black that fit the exact poster you are purchasing from us.
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Framebridge: I’ve actually admired this start-up for a while, the premise is that you send in your physical piece of art to them, they frame it for you and send it back to you for a fee. Really reasonable prices, great e-commerce website (I’m quite envious), and overall good business model.
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Amazon: You have to do a little digging with this one, but if you’re able to find an 18x24 or 24x36 frame on Amazon - then score! Usually cheap and of course, comes with fast shipping.
If you need any assistance with using our custom map maker, also known as the editor - please don't hesitate to e-mail our support team at [email protected]
Cheers!
Humphrey Yang, Co-Founder of Craft & Oak