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If you’ve been meaning to spruce up your home’s bare walls, your photo app is overflowing with unforgettable memories, and your social media’s “like” tab is filled with beautiful images, you owe it to yourself to learn how easy it is to order premium framed art online. Whether you need an extra-large statement piece in a stunning frame, or an assortment of charming, minimalist, framed smartphone snapshots to cheer up your space, many businesses make uploading an image and pairing it with the perfect frame a breeze.
Since nothing is more disappointing than receiving a sub-par framed print for which you’ve overpaid, I researched, compared, designed framed pieces, and tested a number of different services. Based on that research, I’ve assembled a list of the best online framing services, offering the widest array of framing options and styles, a streamlined design process, and the highest quality prints you can find on the internet.
What to consider when using an online framing service
Quality
Look for features that indicate that the service’s prints and frames were made for longevity, such as ultraviolet-protected acrylic to prevent fading, and premium archival materials (cotton mat boards, acid-free tape, etc.) that keep your illustrations and photos from deteriorating over the years.
Variety and versatility
The best printing services will often offer customers a huge range of options, including frames of many sizes, colors, and materials such as wood, plastic, and metal, an archive of existing prints to browse through, and an adaptable image editing app so buyers can easily resize, rotate, and crop uploaded images so they fit within their preferred frame.
Price
Online framing services vary wildly in price from affordable to fairly expensive, depending on the size, type of frame, the customization options you want, shipping and handling fees, and other factors. Extra-large pieces and extravagant custom orders are likely to be on the pricier side, so it’s worth comparing costs and services across multiple companies to find the business best suited to your project and budget.
Customer service
Since you’re ordering a special framed item and may not be a design expert yourself, a good online framing brand’s customer service is always an email away to make sure your art is properly aligned and photos are crystal-clear before you buy. The best online framing services pride themselves on helping customers select the best frame for their art, double-check that uploaded images will be crisp and vibrant for the printer, and field questions throughout the customization and ordering processes.
Our top picks for the best online framing services
Best budget online framing service: Keepsake
It’s difficult to find an online framing service that maintains a balance between affordability and quality, but the simple, inexpensive, and well-made framed prints Keepsake offers are your best option for budget-friendly framed art. Even its largest frames are modestly priced, and with an assortment of styles and colors to choose from, fast shipping, and the fact that each order is locally handmade, Keepsake is an excellent option for getting more while spending less.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: No, but it’s very affordable
- Customization: Yes, frame style, size, image crop, etc.
- Starting price: $29
What we like:
- Surprisingly affordable
- Large variety of frames
- Hand-assembled frames
What we don’t like:
- Its only image-editing feature is a crop tool, so plan on uploading pre-edited or perfect images
The bottom line:
Everyone has a handful of favorite photos on their phone, and Keepsake is the easiest and most budget-friendly way to get those memories on the wall where they belong.
Keepsake
Best online framing service for quality frames: Nations Photo Lab
Nations Photo Lab features a sizable range of expertly crafted frames that make it easy to enhance your favorite photos and illustrations with a timelessly stylish and sturdy frame. (They also made our lists of the best photo printing services and best photo book makers.) Their designer wooden frames are evocative of a museum or art gallery, and whether you would prefer a small tabletop frame or an extra-large wall-mounted portrait, each of NPL’s frames are handmade to order and shipped quickly. Nations Photo Lab’s framed prints are a bit pricier than the average framing service, but well worth the investment as an extra-classy touch for art you want to display forever.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: Yes, on orders $89+
- Customization: Yes, frame styles, display hardware, mat colors, etc.
- Starting price: $56.35 (8 inches x 10 inches framed)
What we like:
- Variety of premium frame styles, colors, and materials
- Available in eight sizes
- Professionally handmade to order
What we don’t like:
- Since orders are handcrafted, shipping may be delayed during and right before major holidays
The bottom line:
If you need a special frame to match your home’s style, consider Nations Photo Lab and its impressive array of hand-assembled frame options.
Nations Photo Lab
Online framing service with the best gift selection: Frameology
There are plenty of services that will print your photo and place it in a simple frame, but Frameology sets itself apart from the crowd by offering attractive alternate options that anyone will appreciate. I was particularly impressed with their glossy acrylic glass offerings, HD aluminum sheet prints, and re-stickable wood and canvas tiles, and since they are affordable, it’s especially easy to fill up a wall with crisp and crystal-clear prints. Frameology’s products are fairly priced, ship quickly, and make for a quick, simple, and attractive present.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: No, $7.99 in the United States
- Customization: Yes, sizes, frame styles and colors, image zoom function
- Starting price: $19
What we like:
- Stylish collection of alternate framing options
- Reasonably priced
- Dependably vibrant and clear prints
What we don’t like:
- Minimal photo editing is limited to drag and zoom functions
The bottom line:
If you’re looking for an unconventional yet uniquely stylish present, Frameology’s slick “floating” acrylic, aluminum, and stick-on prints are sure to impress, but their classic frames make for high-quality gifts too.
Frameology
Best online framing service for artists: Art.com
Although Art.com is known for its gigantic assortment of illustrations, paintings, photographs, and other pieces of art, it’s also adept at framing your own digital art in multiple sizes and frame styles. Once you’ve browsed Art.com’s collection for even more wall art, uploading an image and selecting your preferred designer frame is a quick and simple process. Whether you’d prefer a classic frame, a stretched canvas, or a rugged wooden board, the team is on hand to ensure your digital art looks its best when printed, and the free shipping for most orders makes Art.com that much more attractive for getting original art framed.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: Yes
- Customization: Size, frame styles, mats, etc.
- Starting price: $75 for a 9 inch x 12 inch framed print
What we like:
- Mammoth collection of prints to browse through
- Sizable range of frame styles
- Speedy and free shipping
What we don’t like:
- Free shipping may not apply to extra-large frames
The bottom line:
Art.com’s extra-large assortment of artworks, and option to have your own photos framed, pairs well with its generous assortment of frames. It’s a top pick for gifting or easily decorating a home.
Art.com
Best online framing service for digital photos: Artifact Uprising
Artifact Uprising’s user-friendly interface and its variety of customization options sets it apart. The company’s minimalist picture frames are well suited for tasteful portraits, stunning landscapes, and other photographs. These simple yet stylish frames excel at highlighting your digital photos, and with so many versatile options to choose from, it’s easily the best photo printing service for your living space. Shopping tip: If you’re looking for a service for creating memory books, Artifact Uprising is a great choice. The site made our list of the best wedding photo albums.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: No
- Customization: Yes, many sizes, frame styles, mat options, etc.
- Starting price: $32
What we like:
- User-friendly design interface
- Large number of sizes to choose from
- Top quality frame materials and construction
What we don’t like:
- Additional frame color options would be appreciated
The bottom line:
Artifact Uprising’s premier frames are beautiful and durable, and its user-friendly frame customization makes readying your digital photos for your wall quick and easy.
Artifact Uprising
Best online framing service for canvas: Canvaspop
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Although many online framing services offer a canvas print option, no one comes close to the customizability, variety of canvas-based products offered, and overall quality of Canvaspop’s signature canvas prints. Canvaspop stands apart due to its especially durable and pixel-perfect prints, the ability to order a canvas in a custom size, and it’s featuring unique prints, such as its AI-generated modern art and lovable pet portraits—easily the most thoughtful canvas print gift money can buy for a pet parent.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: No
- Customization: Yes, canvas size, custom image, style filters, etc.
- Starting Price: $101 (8 inches x 10 inches canvas print)
What we like:
- Extremely easy to make something impressive
- High-quality canvas prints
- Excellent customer service
What we don’t like:
- No digital editing tools offered, but the company’s pros handle image alterations for you
The bottom line:
If you need a quality canvas print, Canvaspop’s large sizes, variety of product options, and cheerful customer service is a surefire way to get exactly what you wanted on the wall.
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Canvaspop
Best online framing service for options: Snapfish
Snapfish has the most feature-rich image editing app on this list, affordable pricing, and a solid variety of framed options from which to choose. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift, this print service is the clear winner: Some of its many offerings include printed maple wood panels, tabletop glass prints, wall mounted metallic tiles, and much more. I also highly recommend Snapfish for anyone who needs a service for easily tweaking, resizing, and adding sentimental messages to prints to make them extra-special.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: No
- Customization: Yes, sizes, frame styles, comprehensive customization app
- Starting price: $29.99
What we like:
- Intuitive app provides impressive range of customization options
- Sizable collection of framing options and more
- Fairly priced
What we don’t like:
- Website features annoying popups
The bottom line:
Snapfish features plenty of frames and a comprehensive customization app for unique framed pictures, but their canvas prints, framed tiles, and niche photo-printed products are worth investigating.
Snapfish
Best professional online framing service: Framebridge
It’s understandable to be hesitant when ordering customized framed art online, but the knowledgeable and friendly team at Framebridge is on standby to help you select the best option. I was particularly impressed with its museum-quality frames, impressive variety of frame colors and materials, and how the versatile app allows users to brighten, crop, and rotate images with just a few clicks. Unlike every other framing service on this list, you can actually visit one of 22 Framebridge locations across the US, where customers can see hundreds of frame samples and get first-class advice for pairing your art with the most complementary frame in the store.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: Yes
- Customization: Yes, frame style, size, image editing, etc.
- Starting price: $30
What we like:
- Beautiful selection of frames
- Excellent customer service
- Premium print and framing components
What we don’t like:
- Physical locations are limited to nine states (for now)
The bottom line:
Whether it’s a gift or something to adorn your own home, Framebridge’s talented and friendly designers are on-hand to deliver premium framed art and photos.
Framebridge
Best online framing service for most cases: Framed & Matted
Many websites offer a wider variety of printing services, but the streamlined uploading and customization process, top-tier frames and mats, and outstanding customer service of Framed & Matted sets it apart as the go-to business for high-end framed art. I tested them to craft a piece featuring artwork from my book, “The Tome of Apeula,” and the brand’s craftspeople knocked it out of the park with a sturdy and beautiful golden frame, a pixel-perfect print of my primate’s poster, and surprisingly speedy shipping. Anyone searching for museum quality prints, sturdy wooden frames sporting a timeless style, and a premium construction sure to retain its beauty for many years to come should trust Framed & Matted.
Specifications:
- Free shipping: Yes, on all orders
- Customization: Yes, frame style/size/color, mat size/frame/color, print type, etc.
- Starting price: $100
What we like:
- Premier customer service
- Premium framing materials
- Surprisingly fast turn-around time
What we don’t like:
- Unable to ship to Alaska and Hawaii
The bottom line:
With its user-friendly customization app, stylish and durable frames, and team of friendly and knowledgeable designers, Framed & Matted is a top pick for framed art.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How can I save money on framing services?
Whether you’re planning on buying multiple smaller frames or one large premium edition, buying handmade custom framed art can get expensive quickly. Some of the most reliable ways to save on your order include searching for digital discounts via promotional codes or signing up for a mailing list, using your own image instead of one of the pricier pieces offered, and shopping around to find a frame with the style and size you want for less.
How much should I expect to pay for framing?
That depends on the piece’s size, the quality of the frame, and potential shipping fees. For example, the average price for an 8 inch x 10 inch framed, user-uploaded piece of art from the websites listed here is between $39 and $82. Selecting the finest customization options offered will significantly increase the cost, but a museum-quality order is worth the price for showcasing a meaningful image within a beautiful and well-made frame.
Is it worth it to get something professionally framed?
Absolutely! In addition to keeping beautiful art and precious photographs protected from fading or gathering an unpleasant layer of dust, and greatly enhancing the general appearance of your art with an attractive matching frame, a professional designer will ensure your framed image is perfectly oriented, the frame itself is top-quality, and that the final product will be as close to perfect as possible.
A seasoned framer will also assemble your preferred combination of artwork and frame more quickly and easily than the average person can, and it’s worth avoiding the time spent, as well as the uncertainty if you’re afraid of making a mistake, especially if you want to frame something bulky, unwieldy, fragile, big, or expensive.
Do paintings look better framed?
Whether a painting needs to be placed in a frame or not is subjective, however there are arguments for both. Some highly textured paintings may seem to lose definition and detail when set in an acrylic frame, but the same clear pane will shield paintings from dust, fading via ultraviolet light exposure, and smudging from being touched by handsy art enthusiasts. Generally speaking, it’s better for the longevity of a painting for it to be placed in an attractive and protective frame.
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