It could be argued that all you really need to do with a miter joint on a picture frame is glue it since it's not like the frame is going to take a beating. Any error will be multiplied 4 times around the perimeter of your frame, and you'll be hatin' life when you try to get your frame put together. If they don't make a *perfect* 90 degree corner, you'll want to adjust your saw until they do. The easiest way to check your saw for accuracy is to set it to 45 degrees and cut two pieces of stock - then put the pieces together to make a 90 degree corner. I find that a carefully set up chop saw will do a great job if the blade is sharp, and the saw is set up *very* accurately. Tools for accurate miters range from old-school miter boxes to shooting boards (used for truing up miters with a hand plane), guillotines, table saw sleds, and chop saws. There are several ways to build a frame - but most of them involve some kind of mitering for the corners. I'm demonstrating one possible way to achieve the second method. Either way will work - there's just more waste in the first method and more risk of possibly damaging the print when you get to the "trim to size" step - but it's a lot more forgiving should your placement be less than ideal. When mounting the print, you have two options: 1) Spray the adhesive and while it's still tacky, apply it to the general center of your backing material - and then trim to size once it's dry, or 2) Figure out your layout, cut your backing to size, set up registration points (tape strips), spray the adhesive and while it's still tacky, very carefully place the print. However, if the piece is printed on heavier stock paper and isn't too big, it's fairly simple to mount it yourself. It's pretty easy to wrinkle the print when mounting it, so I *usually* have someone else do this for me. I'm going to say right off that if the piece to be framed is much larger than this print (13"x23"), or, is printed on thinner stock, it's smart to have a service bureau or sign company do the dry-mount since they have all the equipment and expertise. Overall, I'd say that you should expect to spend around $30-$40 for something this size (13" x 23") and more for something larger. ![]() The wood probably cost around $8, the spray paints about $8, the acrylic and Gatorboard were scraps. Supplies you will need: Acrylic sheet Wood of your choice (in this case some Poplar I had lying around) Finish of your choice (in this case I used rattle-can paint (Krylon brand) and acrylic airbrush paints) Glue (wood glue, polyurethane, or epoxy) Small screws (preferably shorter than 1/2" and smaller than or equal to #6) A suitable mounting substrate (like foam-core or Gatorboard) Spray Adhesive (I used 3M #45 General Purpose Adhesive) Blue Painter's Tape Cost is actually pretty low assuming you have some of these supplies already lying around. ![]() Granted, these design elements add a little bit of time to the construction of the frames, but for me, the extra time is worth it. ![]() Over the years, I've built quite a few frames and have adopted my own design elements that, for me, have resulted in strong, light, clean frames that usually have an element of the framed piece incorporated into them. I recently acquired a signed print from one of my favorite artists ( Chris Sanders) and decided to build a custom frame for it. Build your own frame *exactly* how you want it.Get someone - whether a shop or a bored relative - to frame it for you.Hope that the picture is a "standard size" and buy an off-the-shelf frame, or, frame sections.It seems like if you want to frame a picture of piece of art, you're stuck with three courses of action:
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