Looking for Bulk Photo Frame and Printing

penguinswillrise on 19/01/2021 - 16:55

Hi there,

I'm an enthusiast photographer looking to start selling prints but would like to get a grasp of the supply chain before I do so. I mostly post on Instagram so most of my photos come at the 4x5 aspect ratio. I recently tested out printing a 40x50cm photo and have it placed in a 50x70cm black frame and absolutely loved the result. Few of my friends have expressed their interest so I'd like to do a survey on possible suppliers as I'd like to start consistent. Plus my frame did not come with a photo mat which I expect to have if I wanna sell them.

Could any of you recommend companies in Sydney to do 40x50cm lustre prints and black photo frames around the 50x70cm size with 2-3cm thickness who do bulk pricing? Photo mats would be nice too.

Cheers

General Discussion

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 19/01/2021 - 17:44

    You should just buy a photo printer. A3+ printers can only print up to 33 cm x 48 cm but that's close enough to the size you're looking for. You'll probably want to mat them into larger frames anyway. Printing at home gives you instant results, you can print test grids to get your edits looking just right, and if you don't need the prints to last more than a decade or so without fade then you can happily use generic photo inks too, or pop the genuine inks back in if you need a print that might be on a wall for 50+ years. You'll have your own choice of photo papers too, from standard luster to exotic rag papers.

    What are they printing on that's 3cm thick, did you mean 3mm?

    • penguinswillrise on 19/01/2021 - 18:37

      Never considered that, thanks for the suggestion. I looked it up and they're not half bad for the price. Yeah I guess with my own printer it would be much easier to test out print colours as well as paper choices.

      Sorry I meant the frame being 3cm thick. I got the IKEA FISKBO which is exactly the aesthetic I was after and cheap too compared to the competition but unsurprisingly it is pretty flimsy.

      • AustriaBargain on 19/01/2021 - 18:40

        Frames are one thing to source, the matboard is another because cheap frames with glass on them that are nice enough to buy don't always come with one. And even if it does come with a mat it might not be the right size or shape for whatever print you have planned. You can learn to cut your own matboard, or buy precut ones to standard frame sizes, or go to a place and get them cut for you, or order online from a place that cuts them with a computer. And suppose you want a mat in baby blue, no standard cheap frame will come with a blue mat.

        You could learn to make your own frames too if you really wanted.

  • skido on 19/01/2021 - 17:48

    can we request mods to open up an art / photography category for forum discussion? feels like it doesnt fit into any of the current categories

    • penguinswillrise on 19/01/2021 - 18:08

      Thank you. I spent the longest part of this post trying to figure out which section to put it under.

  • GG57 on 20/01/2021 - 11:53

    You could look at undertaking a framing workshop, particularly if it is run by a supplier of frames, mats, etc.
    They usually discount purchases post-course, and you could probably get an ongoing discount for bulk frames and mats etc., particularly if you are sticking with the same frame type for all prints.
    From experience, if you have the materials at hand it doesn't take long to make a frame and finish it off. If you are working on the same size for the majority of your prints, getting a few frames and mats ready ahead of time is probably even more efficient.

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