Ready Made Frames

Pictures, Pictures Everywhere and
Not a Frame in Sight

Pictures, photographs, certificates, paintings & Diplomas are everywhere you look these days; but it has not always been this way. Before 1913, if you wanted to hang a picture or portrait you had to have a frame for it custom made or needed to make that frame yourself. Then something happened that changed this practice forever. In 1913 the very first Ready Made picture Frames were manufactured and sent to merchants/stores to be sold to the general public. More than likely, these first frames were constructed of wood or metal; as these were the predominant materials of the time used in manu- facturing a wide variety of things. Later on, Plastic, Acrylic and Ceramics were also used in the manufacturing of these ready made frames; thus giving consumers a very wide variety to choose from when they went searching for the perfect frame for that special picture, certificate or memento.

Ready made frames come in a wide selection of sizes that start at 4 in. by 6 in. (4 x 6) and go all the way up to 22 in by 28 in. (22 x 28) with the following sizes falling in line between these two: 5 x 7, 8 x 10, 8 ½ x 11, 8 x 12, 9 x 12, 11 x 14, 12 x 16, 12 x 18, 14 x 18, 12 x 24, 16 x 20, 18 x 24, 20 x 24 and 20 x 30. If you have something that is in between, larger or smaller than these sizes, you may need to have a frame custom made for the picture. There are many shops and craftspeople that specialize in custom made frames.

Wood frames are most commonly made using the following types of wood: Mahogany, Walnut, Oak and Maple. These are Hard Woods that are chosen by crafters and furniture makers alike because they are extremely sturdy and provide years of enjoyment and service to the people who have purchased the items they are made from. These frames can be painted, stained, varnished or unfinished (you only see the natural color of the wood).
Most Metal frames are made from Gold, Silver, Platinum or Steel/ Steel Alloy. These, too, have their own unique functionality and design appeal. Most people choose metal frames for their decorative style and accents. These can be Gilded or Painted or Lacquered or Plain.

While Plastic and Acrylic frames may have come onto the market much later than Wood or Metal frames they have a very unique appeal of their own. Most people will choose one of these for convenience or for the fact that they can see the entire photo or document without anything getting in the way, as both Plastic and Acrylic are translucent (see through). Plastic frames can also be made in a variety of colors.

There are also many different design styles to choose from, but I won’t go into them here. Suffice it to say that when it comes to choosing a ready made frame for those treasured mementos; you have a large selection to choose from!!