Custom Framing vs. Chain Stores: What's the Real Difference?
If you have a piece of art, a treasured photograph, or a family heirloom that needs framing, you have plenty of options. Big-box craft stores, online frame services, and independent shops like ours can all put a frame around your piece. But the results can be very different, and the differences often don't show up until years later.
Here is what we think is worth knowing before you decide.
Who actually builds your frame?
At many large retailers, the person who helps you at the counter isn't the person who builds your frame, and the frame may be assembled elsewhere and shipped back. That isn't inherently bad, but it means the person advising you may never touch the finished piece.
At Richard Sumner Frames, everything happens in our Palo Alto studio. The person who designs your custom picture frame works alongside the people who cut the mat, join the corners, and mount your piece. If something needs adjusting, we can fix it on the spot. Our framer Jaime Munoz has been with us for over 25 years, and installations across the Peninsula and San Francisco are handled by the same hands that built the frame.
Protecting your artwork matters
A frame protects your artwork as much as it displays it. Materials that look identical on day one can behave very differently over decades:
Mats and backing: Standard mat board is acidic and can yellow, and over time it can stain the artwork it touches. Acid-free, conservation-grade board doesn't.
Glazing: Conservation glazing filters harmful UV light, which is a major cause of fading in prints, photographs, and watercolors.
Mounting: Archival mounting methods hold your piece securely without glues or tapes that damage it, and they can be reversed if needed.
We use conservation materials on every job, not only on special orders. For a family photo, a child's drawing, or a valuable original, the goal is the same: it should look as good in 30 years as it does the day you pick it up.
Design is a conversation, not a menu
Choosing a frame from a wall of samples can be overwhelming, and it's easy to end up with something that technically fits but doesn't feel right. Good framing design considers the artwork, the room it will hang in, and your taste.
Our owner and designer, Mahmut Keskekci, works one-on-one with each client. Mahmut came to the U.S. from Turkey more than 40 years ago with a degree in electrical engineering. Then he met Richard Sumner and discovered that his real passion was art and framing. He eventually bought the business, and he still loves sharing design ideas with customers. Interior designers rely on that eye, and so do people framing their first piece.
We can frame what others can't
Not everything fits a standard size or shape. We regularly work with:
Original paintings, fine art prints, and vintage posters
Textiles, jerseys, and memorabilia in shadow boxes
Odd sizes and difficult pieces
If you aren't sure your piece can be framed, bring it in. We'll tell you honestly what's possible.
When a chain or ready-made frame is perfectly fine
Custom framing isn't right for everything. If you're hanging a casual snapshot in a dorm room or a rental, an off-the-shelf frame can be a sensible choice. Custom framing tends to be worth it when a piece is irreplaceable, valuable, sentimental, unusual in size, or something you want to display for a long time. We'd rather tell you that than sell you something you don't need.
Why independent matters
We are an immigrant-owned, family-scale business, and we've been part of downtown Palo Alto since 1972. We are one of the city's oldest businesses and the only custom framing shop left downtown. When you work with us, you're not one of thousands of orders moving through a system. You're a neighbor, and many of our clients have been coming to us for decades.
We think that shows in the work. One client told us that the artist of a piece we framed said it was the best framing he'd ever seen. Another, an interior designer, calls us her go-to shop for all of her clients.
Bring in your piece
The best way to see the difference is to compare in person. Come by 628 Emerson Street in downtown Palo Alto, Monday through Saturday, 10am to 3pm, or book an appointment for dedicated one-on-one time with our designer. We'll walk you through your options and give you a written cost breakdown, with no pressure.