The Best Online Framing Services
It’s easier than ever to get custom framing for your photos and artwork with the advent of services like Framebridge and Simply Framed. But which online framing service is the best? We’ve got a breakdown all the factors to consider when choosing a custom picture frame company:
Custom Framing Company Quick Comparison Chart
| Framing Company | Cost for 8"x10" frame | Mail in Framing Available? | Photo Printing Available? | Variety of Frames | Coupons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Framebridge | $79+ | Yes | Yes | High | $20 off first order of $175+ with: TWENTY175 | |
| 2. Simply Framed | $72+ | Yes | Yes | High | None | |
| 3. Picture Frames | $69+ | Yes | Yes | High | None | |
| 4. Framed & Matted | $75+ | No | No | Moderate | Discount with e-mail sign-up | |
| 5. Level Frames | $72+ | No | Yes | Moderate | Discount with e-mail sign-up | |
| 6. Artifact Uprising | $69+ | No | Yes | Moderate | None |
FAQs about Choosing an Online Framing Company
What is Mail-in Framing?
If a company offers mail-in framing, they’ll send you packaging for your print, poster, photo, or original artwork, so you can mail it in to them for professional framing. It’s fairly easy to find companies who will let you design a custom frame, but many simply ship the frame to you, and it’s up to you to put your artwork in the frame.
Mail-in framing makes the process easier, especially when you have art that’s a little rippled or otherwise difficult to frame. I had the pros at Framebridge frame a large vintage poster for me, and they did an amazing job of smoothing it.
However, if you have a simple framing job, and don’t mind handling the framing yourself, it may be cheaper to order an assembled frame that you can insert your photo or artwork into.
Is it safe to use mail-in framing?
I’ve personally never had any problems using mail-in framing. However, I wouldn’t recommend sending in irreplaceable photos or art. There’s always a chance of packages being lost or damaged in the mail. For family photos, think about scanning in the original, and uploading it for printing. In general, valuable art or physical items you’d like framed are probably better off being handled locally, or carefully measure so you can order the custom frame and do the framing yourself.
Can I have any photo printed and framed through these services?
Many of custom framing services will let you upload, or choose from your Instagram photos to have them print and frame for you. They’ll frame most any photo for you, so long as it’s your own photo, and not someone else’s copyrighted material.
Also, keep in mind that the pixel size of your photo will determine how large it can be printed (i.e. a photo taken with a DSLR camera can be printed at a larger size than photos taken with your phone).
