mark_rogers

Framing without a mat is less expensive, and less archival since over the long run the print will eventually get stuck to the glass. For those just selling less expensive decorative artwork this is fine. There are no rules for framing but there are some guidelines. In general the idea behind the original gallery style framing for photography is a simple black frame and white mat with decent borders. This was especially true with black and white photography. The idea being you want the frame to separate the image from the wall but not distract from it. However this is a very contemporary look and does not go well in a household with something like a western decor. When thinking about framing you have to consider where will it be displayed and for what purpose? For a gallery exhibit it is typically a good idea to have a theme and not to have the frames detract from the theme. Framed images being sold to go into someones house is a totally different ball game. When custom framing a single image for display in a house you want to select a frame that works with the image and works with the decor...this is where custom framers earn their money.

I happen to be the owner but have you considered Frame Destination? If you only want the frame and no contents they can ship the frame unassembled (need to contact them). That will at least save on the shipping cost.

<p>Tim, UV radiation can be present in indoor lighting as well, but not to the degree it is in sunlight. Overall light intensity is very important also. Mark McCormick-Goodhart of Aardenburg Imaging & Archives had told me that a picture behind UV glass in one location can fade faster than a picture behind regular glass in another location due to light intensity differences. <br> In the case of advertising prints and out door signage, that is almost never going to be dye or pigment based inkjet prints. Instead it will actually be printed on a UV printer which uses UV radiation to cure the ink. In that cases, UV-radiation is good for the print. </p>

<p>Tim, the fading of the OBA over time will take several years and it just means it will not convert UV-radiation as well. It will just be a possible minor color shift where there is ink, and where there is not, the brightest whites may not be as bright. It may be difficult to notice without doing a side by side comparison. In the case of your own prints, it is a non issue since your digital copies will not be fading. It is generally more of an issue for someone that is paying good money for a fine-art print where they cant just reprint it, but might want to pass it on to their children. For most the issue I am bringing up is not a big deal since most are not concerned about archival framing. I did have a customer that accidentally bought UV-filter acrylic and was disappointed at the effect it had on his print which is what caused me to investigate this issue.<br> <br />Frame shops are often held liable for the print degrading over time so they will tend towards archival framing which means UV filter glass or acrylic. In the case of framing something like a newspaper article which is guaranteed to fade in a short amount of time they will suggest photographing the news paper article and framing the copy while keeping the original in the dark.</p>

<p>Yes, it is just a temporary filter effect. However, the optical brightener agents are subject to fading over time. As the OBAs fade you will get the yellow effect on a permanent basis so it is useful to keep the print in the dark.</p>

<p>There are some great inkjet papers that are really bright such as Epson’s Exhibition Fiber paper. Unfortunately, the bright papers are using optical brighteners and optical brighteners rely on UV radiation to make them bright. I recently tested 8 different types of glass and acrylic with different levels of UV-filtration on this paper. You can see the results here:<br> http://blog.framedestination.com/glazing/oba-inkjet-paper-and-framing-glass-choices/</p>

<p>I live in TX and own an online frame supply company. My company has to charge everyone that lives in TX sales tax unless they are exempt and file an exemption form with my company. When my company purchases online from a company that does not charge sales tax (usually because they are outside of Texas) we file with the state indicating that we made the purchase and we pay sales tax directly to the state. Individuals and businesses are supposed to do this, however, as many have said most individuals do not. However, most businesses do. People do not because most people don't even know they are supposed to and you are not likely to be audited by the state (I have never heard of it, but cant say it never happens). As a business owner I have to register with the state and I have to file with the state on regular basis for sales tax. Worse yet, I have been audited by the state and yes they verified that we were paying sales tax on all our purchases both in state and out of state. They also verified that customers we did not charge sales tax were either exempt or resided out of state. Even though the state found us 100% compliant it was still a painful process that cost a lot of time and money in staff overtime and accountant fees.</p>