We Ordered seven Different Picture Frames to Find the Best Online Service

Photo: Courtesy of Framebridge

With smartphones, each of united states of america is walking around with tens of thousands of photographs of our friends, family, and pets every mean solar day. (Right now, I have just over 15,300 photos stored on my telephone.) In the past, information technology was unlikely that any of those photos would make the journeying from pixels to actual ink on newspaper, but in 2019 press and framing photographs is actually easier than you think. At that place are tons of online-framing services that will take photos straight from your phone or Instagram feed and plow them into framed works of art.

To find the all-time online photo print services (ahem, Mother's 24-hour interval gifts) nosotros tested a handful of online-framing services, focusing on sites that permit you upload a photo, cull a frame and mat, and purchase straight from a website or an app. To accurately test for impress quality beyond retailers, we chose to simply use images taken with an iPhone 7. We also opted for frames on the small side to accommodate all kinds of placement and considering a giant framed photo might be more than of a burden than a gift. Below, the results.

Our examination frames in the Strategist office. Fifty to R: American Frames, Level Frames, But Framed, Artifact Uprising, Keepsake, Canvas Popular, Framebridge

During the ordering process we took notes on each retailer's user experience. Things that stood out were broad arrays of frames and mats to choose from, gratis basic retouching, PDF proofs, image adjustments, and option of hardware. As our framed photographs arrived we judged each one on four criteria giving each a numerical rating from 1 to five.

Shipping: How long did it take to go far? Was it well wrapped? Could the packaging possibly piece of work for a souvenir?

Print Quality: How professional does the print look? Does it await better than what any normal person could impress at abode? How does it compare to looking at the same photo on a telephone screen?

Frame and Mat Quality: Is the frame made from quality materials and well assembled? Is the mat staying in place or does information technology shift? Does the hardware seem sturdy and piece of cake to use? Is the acrylic dust-free and of good quality?

User Experience: Could whatever consumer use this service? What options are available and how much customization is possible? Do they offer image adjustments? dissimilar sized mats? Do they have an app?

Framebridge Sonoma Custom-Framed Photo

Shipping: 5 | Print Quality: five | Frame & Mat Quality: five | User Experience: 4.v

Framebridge offers a wide enough diverseness of framing options without becoming overwhelming. You can upload a photo from your phone or computer (they have an app but we didn't use it) or you tin send something in and they'll provide a flat box for you to use. They as well offer design services to help you cull a frame or hang a gallery wall. The former is free and similar to a try-on spectacles service. They ship four designer-chosen frame samples to your home then you can pick in person. The latter volition run y'all effectually $200.

Nosotros went for the simplest selection they offer: choose a frame, upload a photograph, pay, and wait for it to make it. The procedure couldn't have been easier, and it's worth noting that they offering free shipping. When choosing the size of your frame and print Framebridge lets y'all see a preview of your frame in a room for scale. The merely negative we institute is that they don't offer prototype aligning or a PDF proof the manner other services did (we docked a one-half a point). Our framed photo arrived in seven days and was packed and then securely you could accept dropped it off the back of a truck without it being damaged. The photograph itself turned out actually well. Framebridge prints on archival paper and doesn't offer dissimilar paper options, which might be frustrating for some but eliminates an extra determination (plus the paper quality is skillful). There are several mat options including no mat at all and yous can modify the width of your mat in one-half inch increments. The frame is well-assembled and to be honest looks extremely professional, every bit does the UV-protection acrylic. It comes with extra hanging hardware in addition the wire at the dorsum of the frame, besides.

TL;DR:If yous're looking for a user-friendly service for regular people with a lot options and the potential for some design help this is your best bet. It's also the best pick for ordering multiple frames for a gallery wall.

Gallery Natural Custom-Framed Print

Aircraft: 4.eight | Impress Quality: 5 | Frame & Mat Quality: 5 | User Experience: 4.3

A close second behind Framebridge, Just Framed offers press and framing services together or printing services on their own. You tin also send in drawings, a favorite scarf, a newspaper clipping or a love letter for them to frame. 1 interesting departure between these ii is that Simply Framed partners with artists, designers, and galleries to provide wholesale framing. Their tagline is "Trusted by artists, fabricated for everyone" and the site itself is similar a mood board for framing ideas. On the downside, Simply Framed doesn't have an app nor does it offer the same kind of designer assistance equally Framebridge, though its customer service was very responsive to our emails. The process of choosing a frame and uploading an paradigm was easy — our only complaint is that y'all're asked to choose between fine-art print, fine-fine art photo, personal photo, and Instagram at the outset and the frame options are not the same in each category despite similar sizing. This meant we did a lot of extra clicking around to consider our options. On the plus side, Just Framed allows you to choose from 10 different impress papers, five mat styles, and 8 different mat materials. You lot can also alter the mat width in half-inch increments, which is overnice if y'all're dealing with a modest photo.

Shipping took a bit longer — ten days after ordering (though technically 5 business days since we placed our order on a Friday). The bodily frame was non wrapped as heftily as our Framebridge bundle but nothing was damaged and it seemed secure enough. The epitome quality is as practiced as Framebridge with lots of detail in both lights and darks and impressive for such a pocket-sized file. The construction of the frame and mat are impeccable and there's even a quality-control stamp of approval on the kraft-paper backing. As for the acrylic, you take the choice between five different options ranging from regular UV-protective shatter-proof acrylic to museum-quality UV, anti-glare, anti-static, and scratch-resistant acrylic but simply the first option is free.

TL;DR: If you're framing of import artwork or family mementos, Simply Framed may be a meliorate option for y'all and information technology is however very easy to employ. But if you're in a hurry to get a gift, it presents more options than necessary.

Keepsake Custom-Framed Photo

Aircraft: 4.five | Impress Quality: 5 | Frame & Mat Quality: 5 | User Feel: iv.five

If you lot're on a budget, Emblem is definitely your best choice. Frames start at $25 and most of them won't accomplish over $twoscore. We ordered a beachy white-wash wooden frame with a bright-white mat and a five-by-seven print for $29. Keepsake is another framing service that has an app, which is how we placed our order. The whole process, minus deciding what to print, took about v minutes and was actually a lot of fun. I squeamish integrated option in the app is creating a personalized gift card with a photo. This would be a really nice style to give new moms or moms of young kids a gift from a child past including their photo on the card. Emblem doesn't come with equally many options for mats or printing paper or design aid as some of the other services. And once y'all have chosen your frame and photo y'all tin't get back in and make edits which is frustrating. Merely it'southward 100 percentage something you could order for a Mother's Solar day gift on your lunch break from your phone.

Aircraft is not gratuitous from Keepsake but it was less expensive than other retailers, simply $4 dollars to send our order. Our package arrived rapidly and in excellent status. Because it came wrapped in articulate bubble wrap the gift card could exist seen through which was a sugariness addition. Everything almost the print, the frame, the backing and little cork wall bumpers makes it difficult to believe that it cost under $thirty bucks.

TL;DR: If you're looking for speed and surprising quality at an affordable toll Keepsake is your best bet.

American Frame Custom-Framed Photo

Aircraft: 5 | Print Quality: v | Frame & Mat Quality: 5 | User Experience: 4.5

If you already have some cognition of print papers and other framing materials and you lot're kind of picky about your frames go with American Frame. The site allows you lot to upload a photo, choose your mat and frame, click and ship merely like the other online services. Only it requires a lot more determination making and the interface is not every bit intuitive (they told us that they are in the eye of updating their system). That said, it offers the widest variety of frames, mats, newspaper, and customization of all the services nosotros tried. Another important distinction is that it's the only service we tried that offers free bones retouching and a bunch of other retouching options for an added cost.

Our guild arrived under the expected shipping time and was packed with the same corporeality of care and precision as it was printed and framed — a lot. We chose a dark chocolate-brown wooden frame from their American hardwoods series which come from an FSC-certified factory in Northern Michigan. While information technology'south not the cheapest option, our order came to around $70. The frame is really well assembled and sturdy looking and the mat and print quality are extremely high. 1 other thing worth mentioning is that American Frame offers frames that you tin get together on your own which is great for artists and folks who want to save some coin. Their cheapest assembled frame and print option will run you around $40 with shipping. For the quality you'll go that's a nifty deal.

TL;DR: If you have more half an 60 minutes to devote to your framing project, loftier standards and are looking for tons of options give American Frame a attempt.

Level Frames Weathered Black Custom-Framed Photo

Shipping: 5 | Print Quality: 4.5 | Frame and Mat Quality: five | User Feel: 4.5

Level Frames offers several framing options: custom-sized frames, standard photo frames, collage frames, tabletop frames, and even custom frames for your vinyl. One time you've fabricated your pick (we opted for the standard hanging frame) the process is super simple and pared down. Afterward uploading your photo you can rotate, zoom, or crop information technology. Then you lot have the option betwixt lustre or matte paper and a full of 10 frame styles ranging from plain black or white, to vintage mode frames in gold or silver. You tin can either choose your ain mat width or y'all can click the Golden Ratio button which will adjust the mat to the best ratio for your photo size. There's a second push button that lets y'all share a preview of your frame with friends to get a 2nd opinion which could exist helpful for folks who have never had something framed before. Where acrylic is concerned there are three options with the anti-glare UV protector costing a mere $5 extra.

Nosotros were impressed when our lodge arrived in simply four days. And even more impressed with the quality of the frame and mat. The weathered black forest frame we chose is nighttime simply with subtle highlights that keep it from looking likewise heavy or serious. The mat is well cut and firmly sandwiched in place. As for the impress quality we chose lustre which seems to be enhancing the digital texture of the photo a tiny bit. Just honestly y'all take to look really closely to see that. With other services, the plethora of options could become stressful to navigate, and Level's automation and limited choices were actually a nice relief.

TL;DR: If you don't accept a ton of fourth dimension, you go overwhelmed by choices and you'd like some assist with the process this is the service for yous.

Artifact Uprising Brass Easel & Prints

Aircraft: v | Impress Quality: 4.5 | "Frame" Quality: 4 | User Experience: 5

Full disclosure, we tested Artifact Uprising's traditional framing services but nosotros establish them a bit underwhelming. Compared to the other services the frames were less sturdy and the mats shift hands inside the frame. But we were very impressed with the brand'south not-traditional framing options. This brass photo easel, which comes with a fix of 12 thick stock newspaper prints, is really prissy-looking and offers more photos for your money, fifty-fifty if it'south non technically a frame. The all-time affair about this culling is that y'all can rotate through the dozen photos every bit often as you want. The ordering process was extremely piece of cake and Artifact Uprising lets y'all relieve a ton of photos in a personalized queue for echo press or testing multiple photos in a frame. Once your images are uploaded, the site will warn yous if they're besides-low resolution which, don't worry, you lot can ignore if you want. Artifact Uprising is the simply service to offer image adjustments along with basic cropping and so you can make a photo brighter, darker, or turn it from colour to black-and-white. You tin can choose between prints with borders and prints that are full bleed just you can't cull the paper they are printed on. Even so the matte textured, nigh watercolor paper, prints are equally far away from the experience of viewing your photos on a screen as nosotros tin imagine.

The shiny brass easel came shipped flat and wrapped separately from the prints and was incredibly piece of cake to put together (but watch out for sharp corners). We docked this "frame" a point because information technology'south not technically a frame and considering your prints are not protected from grit, fingers, and other dirt.

TL;DR: If you lot're looking for traditional framing services, there are better options. But if you're looking for an alternative to the traditional frame, Artifact Uprising presents an interesting selection.

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We Got 7 Different Flick Frames to Detect the Best Service