The Framers Forum

Hi All,

What do you fine people do about protecting frame corners on finished work that's waiting to be collected?

People pay good money for framing, so I think I owe it to them (and the piece) to wrap things well.

I like the look of those blue foam corners....where's the best place to get them, please?

I remember yonks ago reading on here that someone made their own on the Morso, using lengths of the same blue foam....any thoughts on that?

All the best,

Paul

I use the fold together cardboard corners and I get mine from Simons, but most framing suppliers do them and as far as I know they all tend to be much the same.

Thank, Mark.

No chance the cardboard could scuff the finish (or do you put them in outside the bubble wrap?).

We use the blue corners and get them from centrado

Many thanks, Abacus.

Do you get one size, or do you have to stock several....and how much are they, please (the site won't give me prices, as I'm not signed up)?

P.

I've always thought the corner pieces you can get offer more psychological than actual protection.

They are also quite expensive.

Wrap the frames in Bubblewrap and avoid banging them on walls and you won't go far wrong.

I agree with prospero I remember the first time I used them, some 30 years ago, the first customer to come and collect their order tore the cardboard corners off to check the mitres, they thought I was trying to hide something this happens more I have found when you use corner protectors
I just use bubblewrap, also I'm trying to just use brown paper, just need to be careful on storage of the wrapped frame

I have always used brown paper and still do. It does the job and looks smart and professional. Folded correctly, you have four layers protecting each corner.

Some will maintain that brown paper will mark sensitive moulding but I have never had a problem. As for corner protectors, I associate them with dodgy mitres. Perhaps it's a psychological thing

Peter.

I buy boxes of 300 blue corners from Kite Packaging. They are cheaper this way but still cost a bit so only go around the more expensive frames. The rest of the time is bubble wrap or handy wrap.

The cardboard corners from Simons adjust to 3 different depths of moulding so are extremely flexible and a lot cheaper than foam corners and recycleable

Thanks very much, all. How you made such a seemingly dull thread interesting, I'll never know!

Part of the reason I was thinking blue foam corners, was to add value and make the customer feel like their work is important (as well as actually protecting it!). But I fully take on board ALL the pros and cons....and the other ways ya'll (Dolly) go about packaging your finished work.

Ta again,

Paul

The DIY way for foam corners is pipe insulation and a sharp knife (or a Morso if you want to be flash).

I hold my cardboard corners in place by going around twice with Handywrap. I am also a big fan of brown kraft paper on a large roll, which is very effective and cost effective as well. I have a tape wetting and dispensing machine (not one of the ones that cuts to exact lengths), but it's good for taping up the backs of frames and also parcels too.

I would like to use something else instead of Handywrap, but I am yet to discover any better, or more eco friendly way that is adequate. Just incase you are wondering, I am one of those who is not very pleased about what plastics are doing to our world that we have to live in. Brown paper is extremely easy to use and I am at a loss to understand why so many of us stopped using it.

I like to fold a piece of brown paper double, before wrapping a picture with it, which makes it even more durable packaging and it has the added advantage of being reusable, if the end customer wishes to. I don't think of this trend to reuse things as something modern at all, but I was brought up in an age when people use to reuse spring and wrapping paper, because that was the normal thing to do.

I use 2 sizes C25 @ around £80 for 700 and C45 @ around £60 for 400.

When we do large commercial jobs we bubble wrap each frame then use the large corners to fix two frames together face to face using handy wrap. This package proved very resilient and makes handling really easy.

I don't have enough space in my shop to fully accommodate all of my stock of framing materials, so stocking bubblewrap is not possible to consider at all. I don't expect that I will be the only one, who faces so little working space. I used to joke that in my first shop there was not enough space to swing a mouse, but my current shop is not much more the half of the available space and I have to be very restrictive to make my present shop usable at all.

As a result, choices of packaging supplies are severely limited by the avaiiibilty of working space and storage space. Most of my machine tools, have to be set up as I need them and stored away after use, there just is no usable working space if they are left in position when not in use. As you can probably understand, I welcome any advice concerning worthwhile packaging materials that require very little storage space, particularly if eco friendly and cost effective.

I only use blue foam corners if it's being shipped, otherwise I recycle all the suppliers bubblewrap.
If you want blue corners, buy it in lengths and cut to fit removing a V, to make it turn the corner.
The big reveal is an important part of the customer experience. I agree with others, if the corners are covered they can't really see what they're getting til they unwrap it at home..