Two questions come up on every framing job: how long will it take, and how does it get to me in one piece. Both have real answers, and the honest version of the first is that it depends on things we will tell you before you commit.
What decides how long framing takes
Whether the moulding is in stock
This is the single biggest variable. A moulding we hold can be cut the same week. One that has to be ordered in adds however long the supplier takes, and for an unusual profile that can be considerably longer than for a common one.
If timing matters, say so at the start. There is almost always a close alternative in stock, and we would rather offer you that than have you waiting.
Size
Large pieces take longer at every stage: cutting, joining, glazing, fitting, and packing. A very large frame is also a two-person job.
How complex the package is
A plain floater frame on a canvas is quick. A double-matted work on paper with a fillet, museum glazing and a float mount involves more cutting and more fitting. Neither is difficult; one simply takes more hours.
What we find when we open an old frame
On a reframing job, the timeline depends on what the last framer did. If we open a frame and find the work dry-mounted or taped down, we stop and talk to you before doing anything. See reframing an old or inherited painting.
We give you a date before you commit, not after. Tell us the piece and what you want done, and you get a real timeline as part of the quote.
How a framed original is packed
A framed piece in transit faces three risks: impact, vibration, and pressure on the face of the frame. Packing addresses each one.
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Glazing goes to acrylic. Anything travelling any distance is glazed with acrylic rather than glass, as a matter of course. A broken sheet of glass inside a sealed package does not just mean a replacement pane; it means broken glass moving around against the artwork. See acrylic vs glass.
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The face is protected. A barrier layer over the glazing so nothing bears directly on it, and on glass, tape across the pane so that if it does break the pieces stay put.
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Corners take the impact. Moulded corner protectors, because corners are where a dropped package lands and where frames come apart.
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Foam wrap, then a rigid outer. The foam handles vibration; the rigid outer handles impact. Neither alone is enough.
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Nothing moves inside the box. A piece that can shift will shift for the whole journey. The package is filled so the frame cannot travel.
Large or high-value pieces go in a fitted crate rather than a carton.
What happens with a painting you buy here
If we frame a piece you have bought from us, it ships framed and ready to hang, with hardware already fitted, under the same terms as any other order: free fully insured shipping, 3 to 7 business days within Canada and 5 to 10 to the USA, with a Certificate of Authenticity.
The 14-day trial still applies. If it is not right, you can return it within 14 days for a full refund and we pay the return shipping. Keep the packaging until you have decided, because it is built for the piece and it is what makes a safe return straightforward.
Unpacking
- Open it flat, face up, and lift the piece out rather than tipping the box.
- Cut only the outer tape. Cutting deep into a package is how glazing and frames get scored.
- Leave any face protection on until the piece is at the wall.
- Let it sit indoors for a few hours before hanging if it has come in from the cold. A frame brought straight from a cold van into a warm room will condense.
- Keep the box.
Bringing a piece to us
If you are in Vancouver, bring it to the gallery at 1242 Davie Street, open seven days. Carry it upright, never flat, and never by the top of the frame alone. If it is glazed and the glass is old, tape an X across the pane before moving it.
If it is too large to move easily, send photographs and measurements first and we will work out how to handle it before anything is lifted.
Common questions
Can you rush a framing job?
Sometimes, depending on what is in stock and what is already on the bench. Ask, and be specific about the date you need. If we cannot make it we will say so rather than promise and miss.
Do you ship framed work to the USA?
Yes. Framed originals ship to Canada and the USA with free insured shipping, the same as unframed pieces. Framed packages are heavier and more fragile, which is why the acrylic and the crating matter.
What if it arrives damaged?
Photograph the packaging before you unpack it any further, then the piece, and contact us. Shipping is fully insured. Do not throw the packaging away, because the carrier will want to see it.
How long does a typical custom framing job take?
It varies with the moulding and glazing chosen and what is already in progress, so we give a specific estimate once we have the details of your piece rather than one blanket number. Simple jobs with in-stock materials move faster than a wide ornate moulding or a coated glazing that needs ordering.
Does framing add to the shipping time for a painting?
Yes, since the piece is framed before it ships rather than shipped bare and framed separately. We factor the framing time into the overall estimate we give you at order, so the quoted delivery window already accounts for it rather than being a surprise addition.
How is a framed painting packed for shipping?
In a rigid crate or heavy-duty box built to the piece's size, with corner protection and padding against the frame and glazing, and with the whole shipment fully insured. Larger or heavier framed pieces get correspondingly stronger packaging built to hold up over the full transit distance.
Can I track a framed shipment the same way as an unframed one?
Yes, tracking works exactly the same regardless of whether the piece shipped framed or unframed. You get the same tracking information and the same fully insured coverage either way, on shipments to addresses across Canada and the USA, so there is nothing different to set up for a framed order.
Does international shipping outside Canada and the USA carry the same terms?
We currently ship with free, fully insured delivery to Canada and the USA specifically. For a location outside those two countries, contact us directly and we will let you know what is possible and what it would cost, since it falls outside our standard shipping terms.
