Picture Framing Business – All You Need to Know to Get Started

Curious about Picture Framing Business? Thinking about starting your own business? Take a look at our post to learn all you need to get started!

If you’re into art or photography, picture framing is right up your alley. Fun, interesting, and exciting for those who have the mechanical aptitude, picture framing is a great business to be in. 

The best part about picture framing is that it appeals to all adult age groups. Maybe you’ve worked all your life in a fast-paced corporate office or you’re a young, ambitious entrepreneur with a creative side to you. Whoever you are, framing might just be that change or opportunity you’re looking for. 

Other than that, picture framing can also be a wonderfully profitable and rewarding retirement business. 

If you’re eager to start your own picture framing business, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s jump into what you need to know to get your very own picture framing business started.

Starting Your Picture Framing Business

Picture framing is a popular home-based business. Especially for those who are already making a living in similar fields, like painting or photography, it can be a long-term secondary occupation as well. 

Since many home-based businesses start as hobbies, it’s important to know there are quite a few big differences between having a business and having a hobby. 

Understanding the Difference Between Hobby and Business

Unlike a hobby where you’re doing it just for fun, when it’s a business, that means there’s fiscal responsibility and a goal to earn profit. You’re responsible for your customers’ possession that’s been given to you for framing. 

Speaking of which, customer service comes into play, and they have the rightful expectation to be satisfied by your service. Businesses also need to meet certain legal requirements and have documents like a vendor’s license and tax identification. 

Now that you know the differences, a home-based picture framing business will need to provide professional results and earn a profit in return. Presented below is a list of ways you can do just that! 

Find out more about how you can get better results, improve your profitability, and save time and money:

Connecting with Suppliers

It’s smart to have two or more suppliers under your belt. Sometimes just having one is enough, but it all depends on how much you buy.  Furthermore, if you come across wholesale suppliers, you’ll find that they are most likely to do business with professional picture framers. 

Professionals tend to buy large quantities as opposed to those who have a home-based framing business, so there’s a chance they might decline to work with you.  

Thankfully, you can still rely on national suppliers if you’re ordering through telephone or buying online. You might even get discounts depending on the quantities. 

We recommend combining your needs first and buying from a few suppliers instead of buying little from several suppliers. Speaking of which, here’s a link to getting the best ATG tape out there! 

Staying Updated with the Industry

It’s always a good idea to stay informed about what’s happening in the industry. Magazines such as Picture Framing Magazine and Décor Magazine are two of the best magazines that are solely dedicated to picture framing. 

Not only are these monthly publications giving you a useful insight into what’s happening, but they’re also gateways for you to learn more about educational opportunities, new tools and equipment, trade shows, specialized books, and informative articles as well. 

It is through these publications that you can stay connected with the picture framing industry. 

Proper Training and Education

While you can easily learn enough from reading different books to start picture framing as a hobby, when it comes to starting a business, you have to look beyond that and consider practicing and learning the fine points of the craft for the future of your business. 

If you intend to earn an income as a picture framer, you need to gain the skills and knowledge required to work professionally. 

A proper framing has the power to protect valuables from facing any hazard, as well as provide exceptionally beautiful displays.  

In contrast, improper framing can not only damage the item of value but can also leave them exposed to environmental harm as well. 

It’s essential to learn about your liabilities. Sign up for classes that can help you learn more about framing and the different ways you can preserve items.   

Keeping Your Work Storage Organized

Sometimes a customer will entrust you with a valuable property of theirs to frame. Most times, these valuables can hold deep sentimental value to them and can’t be replaced at any price. 

Therefore, it’s your responsibility as a professional to provide not only safe packaging but also storage for incoming work and projects in progress until the mounting and framing are complete.

Appropriate storage ensures that the customers’ property is safe and protected from moisture, mechanical damage, dirt, dust, insects, and other hazards. 

Having organized storage will help you keep track of everything and make your business run smoothly and efficiently.  

Wall-Mounted Glass and Board Cutter

Yes, you can cut glass with hand tools, but you’ll get better, faster, safer, and more consistent results if you have a wall-mounted machine instead. 

A wall-mounted machine cutter usually has a sturdier, more heavy-duty mechanism than a mat cutter. While most framing boards can be cut using a straight line mat cutter, a wall-mounted machine eliminates the action of having to change the settings on the mat cutter altogether. 

This helps to put less stress on the precise settings of a mat cutter when you’re sizing larger, heavier framing boards. 

Dry mount Press and Underpinner

You know you’ve made it as a professional when you’re able to frame whatever your customers bring you. The most popular items that people bring in are posters, photographs, and open edition art prints, and many of them need to be permanently mounted. 

And what better way to do that than using a dry mount press machine? A dry mount press machine is relatively compact, can operate on conventional household electrical services, and can take care of most of your permanent mounting needs. 

Furthermore, your frames may already be joined by suppliers. If not, then you have to join the corners yourself by using glue and brads. 

This is where an underpinner comes in handy. Considered to be vital to professional framing, it automatically and quickly inserts fasteners into the bottom of a frame. An underpinner also provides the strongest, tightest miter joints.  

Storage and Packaging

Lastly, after your frames are built and done, it’s time to package and store them temporarily until it’s picked up by the customer. You have to make sure the packaging is suitable and sustainable for transport. 

If there’s anything worse than damaging an order, it’s damaging both the painting and the new frame you built for it. Being extra mindful and paying attention to your packaging is key to having a successful picture framing business! 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, we’d like to say that the picture framing industry is constantly evolving, so storefront framing businesses can flourish by keeping up with the latest tools, equipment, techniques, and materials. 

The best part is that there’s always something new you can learn and help your picture framing business grow larger and become profitable. 

Don’t forget to share your tips with us in the comments below. We hope our article gives you the push you were looking for to get into the picture framing business!