Custom framing quotes can look wildly different from one piece to the next, and it's rarely obvious why from the outside. Rather than a single price list, the cost tends to come from a handful of independent decisions stacking on top of each other. Here's what actually moves the number.
Size, but not in a straight line
Bigger costs more, unsurprisingly — but the relationship isn't linear. A large piece needs sturdier moulding to avoid warping, thicker or reinforced glazing so it doesn't flex, and sometimes special handling just to move it safely. Doubling the dimensions of a piece can more than double the framing cost, because several materials scale with area rather than with the frame's perimeter.
The moulding itself
Frame moulding ranges from simple painted wood to hand-finished or gilded profiles, and the material and finishing process is one of the more visible cost differences. A wider or more ornate profile also uses more raw material than a slim, minimal one.
Glazing choice
As covered in our glazing guide, standard glass, UV-filtering glass, museum glass and their acrylic equivalents sit at genuinely different price points, because each step adds a manufacturing process on top of the last. This is usually the single biggest lever in a quote after size.
Mounting and mat boards
Acid-free, conservation-grade mount board costs more than standard board, and for good reason — it won't discolour or damage the piece over years of contact. Multiple mats, coloured mats, or a mount cut with an unusual window shape all add labour on top of material cost.
What's actually being framed
A flat print or photograph is the simplest case. Canvas, textiles (shirts, christening gowns), 3D objects that need a shadow box, or anything fragile that needs special mounting all add time and sometimes specialist materials that a flat paper piece never touches.
Museum-quality work
For genuinely valuable or irreplaceable originals, framing can include reversible mounting methods, hinge techniques that won't damage the piece, and materials chosen specifically so nothing is permanently altered. This level of care takes longer and uses different materials than framing a poster, which is reflected in the price.
Getting an accurate picture
Because so much depends on the specific piece — its size, material, condition and how it'll be displayed — the only way to get a number that means anything is to have the actual item looked at rather than estimate from a description. It's worth bringing a piece in (or a clear photo with dimensions, at minimum) rather than trying to compare quotes in the abstract.
