Inexpensive custom frames? --pro photos sized wonky

[BeachBum]

So I paid a "new" photographer to come take some shots of my kids. (She has a business, but hasn't been doing it very long). The deal was she would shoot for an hour, edit and give me the disk. I saw some "sneak peek" shots and they were fantastic! She hasn't finished editing yet, but uploaded two for me to MPix so I could print them for father's day.

Well, come to find out they are sized for 4x6 proportions. So I can't get a 5x7 or 8x10, or 16x 20. I have to get a 8x12 or 12x18 or 16x24. UUUUGGGGHHHH.

I really hadn't budgeted for custom framing! I'm so annoyed. I emailed her about it and she didn't even know or "get it" at first. Then after checking with some other photographer friends she got back to me and kind of just said "my bad", I'm new...I should have shot further away so that I could crop all the images to a "standard" size.

So here I am with pictures I LOVE, but I need some inexpensive frames. Unless you guys have some secret sources for 8x12 or 16x24--they are going to need to be custom. Got any resources for me? And then I keep getting confused on if it is the size of the frame I'm reading or the size of my photo with or without mat etc. I keep confusing myself!

[katydid1971]

Micheal's has frames in those weird professional photo sizes.
ETA: When I wanted to frame a very old very weird sized picture from my gp's wedding I went to Micheal's and they cut a mat the was the right size but worked in an 8x10 frame. The mat was less than $20 and framing the picture would have been very expensive.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i've never used them, but i know Michael's does custom-framing and there are always coupons for 50-60% off custom framing orders.

[nfowife]

I just get a standard frame and have a mat custom cut. Hobby lobby has matboards for $8 and they custom cut them free while you wait.

[Tanya]

Kiddie Kandids at BRU does 8x12 collages, so I'd bet they have frames.

I hate how places have these weird sized photos.

[cvanbrunt]

I use this company and I'm very happy with the work.

http://www.pictureframes.com/scripts.../wa/CustomMade

[Gena]

If you need something inexpensive, you could always go with "floating frames" like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Canopy-Flo...-of-2/10404222

I've seen this type of frame at many stores. As long as you get one that is larger than the print, you don't need to worry about the actual size. We've used this type of frame for unusually sized pics and I have been happy with them.

[ohiomom1121]

Originally Posted by nfowife

I just get a standard frame and have a mat custom cut. Hobby lobby has matboards for $8 and they custom cut them free while you wait.

So good to know, thanks! Is the $8 for any size? I have one of those silly 10x13s that I need a mat for from Portrait innovations.

[indigo99]

If you get files from a photographer then it is absolutely standard for them to be in a 4x6 ratio. That is what the camera files are so that just means that the photographer hasn't cropped them. If you don't print a 4x6 then you are just having part of the image cropped off, also perfectly normal practice with any photographer. I always discourage 8x10 crops because they are very square, and you do lose a lot of the image. 5x7 isn't that bad though, and any lab like mpix should allow you to order those enlargement sizes from your files.

The only issue would be if she actually RE-sized them so that the files are only large enough to print at 4x6, but I really doubt that is the case. They are probably just full-sized, high-resolution from her camera.

ETA: I reread, and it seems like you are saying that there isn't enough room around the edges so you don't want to lose any of the image. Since the photographer seems to have admitted that this is her error, I would choose the photos that I wanted enlargements of and ask her to design files with extra space around the image so that they can be printed at normal sizes. Then you can have mats cut or you can just use standard frames and have the white or black "faux mat" around the image. I'll msg you with a better description if this doesn't make sense.

[dhano923]

Also 12x18 frames are available at many stores. I know they have them at Michaels and Aaron Brothers. My DH does photography and we have a few framed 12x18 pics.