A finished puzzle is hundreds of loose pieces that have to stay flat as one sheet. We frame it on a rigid board, in a frame cut to the puzzle as you built it.
We frame finished jigsaw puzzles at 1242 Davie Street. A finished puzzle is held together only by the fit of its pieces, so it bends and comes apart when you lift it. Framing gives it a rigid board behind, a frame around the edge and, if you want one, a sheet of glass or acrylic in front. After that it hangs on a wall like any picture.
Glued or loose: the first choice
The pieces have to be joined into one sheet before a puzzle can hang upright. There are two common ways to do it, and we talk through both with you at the counter.
Glue on the front. Puzzle glue is a clear liquid brushed over the picture side. It runs into the gaps between the pieces and dries as a thin film that joins them. Many people do this at home before they come in. Some glues leave a shine on the surface.
A board on the back. The puzzle is fixed to a stiff board from behind, so nothing is put on the picture side and the printed surface keeps its own finish.
Both ways are permanent. The puzzle becomes a picture and stays one. If you hope to take it apart and build it again one day, say so before any work starts.
The frame is cut to the puzzle you built
The size printed on the box is a guide, and the finished puzzle often differs from it. Two puzzles with the same number of pieces from two makers can also differ in size. Ready-made frames follow a different list of sizes again, which is why a store frame so often leaves a gap or crops the picture. We measure your puzzle and cut the frame to that measurement.
Paintings are measured the same way, because their sizes vary as much as puzzles do. Return, an acrylic on canvas of a large block with a tree on top floating above a dark sea, is 61 by 78.7 cm, and a frame for it would be cut to that measurement.
ReturnOne-of-a-kind original$1,446.00Free insured shipping. 14-day returns.See this original
Three ways to show it
Framed to the edge. The frame meets the puzzle directly, and the inner lip of the frame covers a narrow strip of the picture on each side. Check that no title or signature sits in that strip.
With a mat. A mat is a border of card with an opening cut in it. It lies over the puzzle, covers the outer edge and gives the picture some space from the frame. Our mat border width guide shows how wide a border suits each size.
Floated. The whole puzzle shows on a backing board, with a border of that board visible around it. This suits a round puzzle or one with a shaped outline. You choose the colour of the board.
Glazing
Glazing means the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front of the frame. On a puzzle it keeps dust out of the gaps between the pieces, where a cloth cannot reach. Three points decide which sheet to use.
Reflection. Many puzzles have a glossy surface, and plain glass adds a second one. Anti-reflective glass reduces the reflections, so the picture is easy to see from across a room.
Weight. A large puzzle makes a large frame. Acrylic weighs less than glass and does not shatter, which matters in a child's room or above a sofa. See acrylic vs glass.
Fading. Printed inks fade in daylight. UV glazing filters out ultraviolet light, the part of daylight that does the most damage to print.
A large picture makes a large, heavy frame whatever it is made of. Mistaken World is an oil on canvas, 100 by 120 cm, showing an open box that holds a pyramid, a red balloon and small figures in robes. It is one of the originals in our gallery.
The size of the puzzle is the largest factor, because it sets the length of moulding (the shaped wood or metal the frame is cut from) and the size of the glazing. The type of glazing comes next. A mat or a floated layout adds board and cutting. A puzzle that arrives loose needs more work than one that arrives joined. We quote at the counter when we have seen the puzzle.
How to bring it in
Slide a sheet of stiff cardboard under the puzzle and lay a second sheet on top. Tape the two sheets together along the edges so the puzzle cannot slide out, and carry it flat. If you live outside Vancouver, send the height and width of the finished puzzle and a photograph. A finished diamond painting has its own needs, covered on our diamond painting framing page.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop, and see custom framing for everything else we frame.
How it works
1
Bring it in, or send photographs
Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.
2
We look at the actual piece
What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.
3
It is made by hand and fitted
Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.
Common questions
Do I have to glue a jigsaw puzzle before it is framed?
A jigsaw puzzle has to be joined into one sheet before it can hang upright in a frame, and glue on the front is one of two common ways to do that. The other is to fix the puzzle to a stiff board from behind, which leaves the picture side untouched. Both are permanent. Bring the puzzle loose or already glued, and we talk through the choice at the counter.
Will a jigsaw puzzle fit a standard ready-made frame?
A jigsaw puzzle rarely fits a standard ready-made frame, because puzzle makers and frame makers work from different lists of sizes. The size on the box is also a guide, and the finished puzzle often differs from it. We measure the puzzle as you built it and cut the frame to that size, so no edge is cropped and no gap shows.
How do I carry a finished puzzle to the framing shop?
Carry a finished puzzle flat between two sheets of stiff cardboard. Slide one sheet under the puzzle, lay the second on top, and tape the two sheets together along the edges so the puzzle cannot slide out. Keep it level in the car. For a large puzzle, ask a second person to hold the other end so the cardboard does not bend.
Does a framed puzzle need glass in front of it?
A framed puzzle does well with glazing, the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front, because dust settles in the gaps between the pieces and is hard to remove. Glazing also stops fingers from pressing on the pieces. A glued puzzle can hang with no glazing if you accept dusting it. For a large puzzle, acrylic keeps the frame lighter than glass.
Can a puzzle with a missing piece be framed?
Yes, a puzzle with a missing piece can be framed. The gap shows the backing board behind it, so ask for a backing board in a colour close to the picture around the gap, which makes the gap harder to see from across a room. Some puzzle makers replace a lost piece when you write to them, so ask the maker before you bring the puzzle in.
Can a round or shaped puzzle be framed?
Yes, a round or shaped puzzle can be framed in a square or rectangular frame. The puzzle is floated, which means the whole puzzle shows on a backing board with a border of that board visible around it. You choose the colour of the board. The shaped edge of the puzzle stays in view, and the frame is cut to leave even space on all sides.
Will the colours of a framed puzzle fade?
The printed colours of a framed puzzle fade with long exposure to daylight, as other printed paper does. UV glazing filters out ultraviolet light, the part of daylight that does the most damage to printing inks, and it slows the fading. A wall away from direct sun slows it further. A puzzle hung with no glazing has no filter in front of it.
10% off your custom framing when you show this code at our shop
We frame, stretch canvas and reframe by hand, in our own workshop inside the gallery at
1242 Davie Street. Enter your email and your code appears right here. Show it at the
counter and we take 10% off the job. The code does not expire.
Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.
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In-shop offer · 1242 Davie Street, Vancouver
Get 10% off your framing at our shop
Add your name and email and your code appears on the next screen. Show it at the counter
and we take 10% off any framing, stretching or reframing job you bring us. It does not
expire.
Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
I got my order today and your work is really good. I didn’t expect to get a certificate for this painting, it was a surprise. Thanks for caring about small details.
The support team was really helpful and followed up nicely, wich I really appreciated. The painting is just like the photo – great quality and very detalied. I just wish it arrived a bit sooner, but honestly it was worth the wait.
I received my painting today. The support team was great and very responsive. The artwork is exactly what I was hoping for – even more beautifull in person. Truly a valuable piece. I’ll definetely order again. Thank you!
