UNIVERSAL ARQUATI’S WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE • WINNING DESIGNS FOR SPORTS COLLECTIBLES • TIMELESS MATTING TECHNIQUES
Contents
PFM is a member of:
Volume 30, Number 2
PPFA, The Professional Picture Framers Association ACC, Art Copyright Coalition SOG, Society of Gilders
On the Cover In this month's Supplier Profile, Universal Arquati's Mark Gottlieb (from left), Avi Feigenblatt, and Jon Bromberg discuss their company's growth over the past two-and-ahalf decades. For the full story, see page 24.
Features 18 Sports Memorabilia Framing 28 Timeless Mat Designs 36 Fabric-Wrapped Matting
Columns 12 24 32 46
24
Mat Doctors Supplier Profile Retailing Success Style Snapshot
28
Departments 8 10 42 43 44 45
Editor’s Note Industry News Distributor Spotlight Classified Ads Index of Advertisers Calendar of Events
46
36
Picture Framing Magazine® (ISSN 10529977) is published monthly, plus one issue by PFM Publishing, LLC, 83 South Street, Unit 307, Freehold New Jersey 07728; phone 732-536-5160; fax 732-252-2270. Subscription Office: Picture Framing Magazine, PO Box 612, Northbrook, IL 60065-0612; phone 888-238-0049. Subscription: $20 per year U.S., $40 U.S. Dollars per year in Canada and Mexico, $60 U.S. Dollars per year for all international. Single copies, $5.95. If a paid subscription magazine is returned by the U.S. Postal Service as non-deliverable, Picture Framing Magazine will maintain the subscription for one year. If after one year a new address is not provided, Picture Framing Magazine will cancel the order. No refund will be available for that account. Periodicals class postage paid at Freehold, New Jersey, and at an additional mailing office. Entire contents © 2019 by PFM Publishing, LLC. Printed in U.S.A. Picture Framing Magazine registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to Picture Framing Magazine, PO Box 612, Northbrook, IL 60065-0612 Agreement Number 1691910 Disclaimer The opinions and information in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher and are therefore not to be viewed as such. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. PFM does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial, nor does the publisher assume any responsibility for the consequences that occur should any such material appear. PFM and PFM Publishing assume no responsibility for content, text, or artwork of advertisements appearing in PFM except those promoting PFM. The Publisher reserves the right to review all advertising materials submitted for publication and to not accept any such material deemed inappropriate for any reason.
PFM GROUP
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E X E C U TI V E PU BLI S HE R E D I TO R
CONTRIBUTORS B USI N E S S E D I TO R
Jay Goltz • PRE S E RVATI O N E D I TO R Hugh Phibbs • M O U N TI N G E D I TO R Chris A. Paschke, CPF, GCF Tim Franer, CPF • John E. Ranes II, CPF, GCF • Brian Wolf, CPF William B. Adair • Ken Baur • Jared Davis, MCPF, GCF Paul MacFarland, MCPF, GCF • James Miller, MCPF, GCF
M AT D O C TO RS
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CONTENTS
PFM GROUP STAFF PRODUCTION
Gary Coughlin • gary@wcafexpo.com Jin Dong • jin@wcafexpo.com C O O RD I N ATO R Jin Dong • ads@pfm-group.com
A RT D I RE C TO RS A D V E RTI S I N G
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PFM PUBLISHING, LLC PRE S I D E N T
PFM PFMseminars PICTURE FRAMING MAGAZINE
6 PFM February 2019
Bruce Gherman
Excellence in Art and Framing Education
WEST COAST ART & FRAME
EXPO & THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
N
Creative use of matting materials, designs, and techniques will result in truly custom framing your customers will love.
CONTENTS AD INDEX 8 PFM February 2019
ow that you have a little more time on your hands than you did during the holiday bustle, it’s a great opportunity to roll up your sleeves and work on some inpirational designs to showcase to your customers. Our February issue focuses on creative mats and matting, and highlights some beautiful techniques and designs you could add to your own repertoire. How about incorporating the classic appeal of fabric into your matting? In his latest article (“Timeless Fabric Designs,” p. 28), Tim Franer explains, with visual detail, how he has successfully employed fabric mats in an array of projects. And in “Adding Custom Appeal with Fabric-Wrapped Matting” (p. 36), David Lantrip offers step-by-step insight into a whimsical, tiki-inspired frameing project which was enhanced by the specialty fabric wrapped around the mat. Only a portion of frame shops offer custom fabric-wrapped matting, so having it as an option for your customers means you’ll be a cut above the rest. There is plenty of inspiration to be found in the area of mat cutting,
as well. In his latest Mat Doctors column (page 12), Brian Wolf discusses how to easily add ornamentation to the bottom of your openings by taking advantage of ready-made shapes in your CMC design program. By capitalizing on templates, you can achieve this standout look without the time-consuming drawing process. In “Playing Ball with SportsThemed Frames” (page 18), Meg Glasgow showcases four frame jobs she completed for customers who brought in sports memorabilia. All reflect creative matting techniques, including home plate and fence shapes which were cut into a mat surrounding two baseball jerseys. As important as it is to be creative with your framing, it’s equally important to price your product correctly. In his Retailing column (page 32), Ken Baur covers pricing matboard in your point-of-sale software system. Get inspired, get designing, and remember to charge what your one-of-a-kind work is worth!
Kimberly Biesiada Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS Framerica’s Fundraising Drive a Huge Success
England and Florida, respectively. He has earned multiple sales awards over the
Framerica’s annual fundraising effort to raise monies to help lo-
years and has a solid reputation across
cal families was its best
the industry for consistently providing out-
yet. This year, employ-
standing customer support and service
ees donated gift baskets
levels that exceed expectations.
which were raffled to other employees. Framerica matched all donations, which were then provided to Long Island Cares, an organization seeking Framerica’s annual food drive was a great success for the company.
to help those hungry on Long Island. “It is an honor to do it and a great
Brian Fenske
He believes in the importance of conducting business with integrity and forming
effective, consultative partnerships with customers. Fenske is excited about the opportunity to work with Universal Arquati Moulding and to assist new customers in reaching their goals. He can be reached by email at BrianF@universalarquati.com.
Santos Celebrates Decade at Framerica
tradition for Framerica,” notes Corinne Ferrara. For more infor-
Al Santos, Framerica’s director of shipping,
mation, call 800-372-6422 or visit www.framerica.com.
recently celebrated 10 years with the company. “Al is terrific,” notes Jay Van Vecht-
Fenske Joins Universal Arquati Brian Fenske has joined Universal Arquati as a sales representative in South Florida. Fenske comes to UA with a successful 24-year sales career in the industry serving customers in New
CONTENTS AD INDEX 10 PFM February 2019
en, executive vice president. “His ability is matched only by his consistency and dedication. We are fortunate to have him on our team.” PFM
Al Santos
PLAYING BALL WITH SPORTS-THEMED FRAMES
By Meg Glasgow
O
f all the types of custom framing projects
Incorporating the fence design from their logo into
that customers bring into our shop, sports
the matting was a key part of the concept, but equally
collectibles remain at the top of list. That’s
important was the color scheme. They requested col-
not surprising when you consider the massive size
ors of white and silver—perfect! A simple color story
of the sports collectible industry. Forbes reported
would keep the visual focus on the photos and jersey
that the value of the market has reached $370 bil-
names. But to keep the project from resulting in a bor-
lion worldwide with over 200 million collectors. This
ing look, I wanted to use shapes, shadows, and layers
is a big opportunity for framers to capture a bigger
for added interest. I worked in the home plate shape at
piece of this market by promoting more shadowbox
the top and fence shapes at the bottom. The mats were
displays. Framing offers the perfect solution for col-
designed using Wizard’s PathTrace.
lectors wanting to protect their valued item while en-
The photo shows the layers inside the frame. The
joying it as it is displayed on their wall. I hope these
mat is held halfway between the backing board and
design ideas spark your own imagination when it
Tru Vue Museum Glass. It holds the baseball in place
comes to stepping up your sports shadowbox game.
and gives the piece extra dimension. Two sets of side walls elevate the mat off the backing mat and hold
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CELEBRATING THE FIRST PITCH
the glass in place.
“Swing for the fences, and swing real hard” is a phrase
AD INDEX
coined by Scentsy owners Heidi and Orville Thomp-
FRAMING A MIKE TROUT SIGNED JERSEY
son. At their 2017 convention in Kansas City, the pair
We wanted to create a special frame design for this
threw out the first pitch and wanted to commemo-
signed Mike Trout jersey and collector photos. Our
rate the special occasion with a shadowbox. With the
team went to work designing an elaborately cut mat
fence as the central theme of the project, I began de-
that is worthy of this baseball superstar.
signing a frame that would be a game-changer on the wall in their office headquarters.
18 PFM February 2019
Our primary objective is always to protect the items we’re framing from damage of all kinds. From
The photos were mounted to the black mat surrounding the jersey.
how it’s secured in the frame and the quality of materials used to the Museum Glass that protects it, we employ the highest standards and techniques to protect the value and preserve the items for generations. Here’s how we do it. First, we never use any permanent glues or adhesives on the collectibles. The jersey is stretched over an acid-free board and sewn in place to the supporting backing board with needle and thread. We take great effort to hide the
This design, centered around a special golf trip, benefited from layering so as not to look too busy or cluttered. Placement was also key; like this, the viewer’s eye moves down in a zig-zag pattern.
stitches from view while ensuring the item will safely be
took hours to draw out by hand and cut with a sharp blade.
held in place. Finding a solution for mounting the pho-
Thanks to our Wizard computerized mat cutter, we could
tos poses a bigger challenge. We can’t attach them to the
design and cut the multi-layered mat in minutes. We fin-
jersey, so our idea combined a complicated mat cut that
ished off the project with at decorative V-groove carved
attached to the black mat around the sides of the jersey.
into the mat and decorative logos in the upper corners.
It used to be that cutting a complex mat design like this
CYCLING SHADOWBOX Road cycling is a grueling endurance sport that is worth commemorating; especially when it’s done by a father-andson team. This shadowbox showcases several years of competition in The LoToJa Classic, the longest one-day road race
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in the US. When these items arrived in the shop, they were a colorful bag of brightly colored bib numbers, ribbons, and photos. There was so much going on with different shapes, colors, and patterns, that I knew the best design would introduce balance and symmetry to the collection. The poster
AD INDEX
would take center stage with the most important photos below. The racing bibs and medals would make nice compliments to each other on either side of the poster. The items in this shadowbox, which captures years of competitve cycling, needed a balanced, symmetrical frame design to tie them all together in a visually appealing way. 20 PFM February 2019
Cutting the double mat for the poster, photos, and medals was very straightforward. When designing the mat on my CMC, I left a wide empty space on the left where
the elevated panel would eventually be placed. I want to
the viewer’s eye would move across the items. I was care-
point out why this approach is effective in this design.
ful about placing the items so that your eye would move in
The medals on the right are visually “heavy” due to the
a zig-zag pattern through the frame. Beginning at the top
large size and 3-D shape. To create balance in the frame
with the light-colored photo, your eye moves down and
design, I wanted to bring the other items forward to give
across each item. Layering the objects keeps them visually
them more importance. I did this by cutting a white panel
connected and creates emphasis and areas of focus. With-
with two openings for the photos and a black mat under-
out layering, the shadowbox can be left looking cluttered.
neath. I top-mounted the race bibs to the mat and added
The best way to inspire customers with such sports-
the wrist bands at a 45-degree angle to mirror the medals
themed shadowboxes is to show them. Showcase exam-
on the right. That repetition creates balance. To hold this
ples of projects on your gallery walls. Include project pho-
raised matboard in place, I tucked it inside the two parts of
tos on your website with descriptions of the story behind
the side wall. Between the two sections of sides, I used ⅛''
each piece. With permission, share project ideas on your
black spacer to keep the mat in place.
social media sites. Social media platforms like Facebook,
GOLF TRIP OF A LIFETIME
Instagram, and Pinterest are great places to show sports collectors what you can do. PFM
Scotland’s famous St. Andrew’s Golf Course was a bucket list vacation for one couple, and this shadowbox commemorated their special trip. The wife in this husbandand-wife duo told me that she purchased a piece of plaid fabric; the pattern of which traces back to her ancestors. I really wanted to incorporate it into the frame design to help tell the story of their trip to Scotland. In designing this frame, I was thoughtful about how
CONTENTS AD INDEX 22 PFM February 2019
Meg Glasgow The owner of Finer Frames in Eagle, ID, Meg is a nationally recognized consultant in the art and framing field and the winner of Larson-Juhl’s inaugural Design Star competition in 2013. She travels widely around the US presenting sales and marketing seminars for small businesses, and has recently published her second book, “Recharge Your Business.” She is a popular instructor at The National Conference in Las Vegas.
Product Showcase
888 Manufacturing
Decor Moulding
Maxi-Hanger is used with any wall anchor, allowing this versatile hanger to work on almost any material. Can hold up to 100 pounds when properly anchored to drywall, plaster, cement, or brick. Use the anchor of your choice in the 3/16'' diameter mounting hole. Heavy zinc-plated steel. Patent pending.
Introducing Mason, a new line of eight textured styles that are a great combination of contemporary and dramatic. Two widths of 1 3/4'' and 2 3/4'' with black, gray, and white finishes and gold and silver lip colors are the highlights of these styles. Great for all types of art. Order corner kit #CS-MAS to get these styles on your walls today. Go online to see the most current moulding offerings, or place your order over the phone or by emailing order@decormoulding.com.
Call: 888-338-3318 www.888mfgcorp.com
Call: 800-937-1055 www.decormoulding.com
Fletcher Business Group
Framerica
The special grade of carbide and unique tooth geometry of the Atlas Saw & Tool saw blade is designed to cut thin-walled aluminum picture frame mouldings. Suited for dry cut processing or mist coolant, depending on frame thickness. Standard saw blade diameters range from 12'' up to 350mm with custom sizes also available.
Framerica’s newest finish is a sibling to its hugely popular Stainless collection, which has captivated the interior design market for more than a decade. Spumante, the coloring of the Italian sparkling wine of the same name, is a soft golden metallic with subtle undertones. “Spumante is the gold finish that designers and specifiers have requested from us,” notes Josh Eichner. Spumante is a Framerica exclusive, immediately available in profiles ranging to 3''.
Call: 888-484-1488 www.fletcher-terry.com
Call: 800-372-6422 www.framerica.com
Framing Fabrics
Larson-Juhl
The Marquis 3 collection includes 14 new colors especially chosen by Framing Fabrics’ design team. These new colors are neutral enough yet sufficiently diverse to ensure a wide range of use in the framing industry. The sample page is included in the company’s Designer Edition Fabric Sample Book, which can be purchased for $35.
Inspired by the historical Roman Colosseum, this collection features interesting textures and layered foils for a striking finished product. Resembling the Colosseum through its transitional black finish and burnished patina, this collection can be paired with multiple styles of art and interiors. A unique twist on a classic black moulding that will stand out on its own!
Call: 800-832-2742 www.nnigroup.com
Call: 770-279-5222 www.larsonjuhl.com
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Michelangelo Moulding
Universal Arquati
Two new series of barn wood mouldings are now available. The 429 width is 1 1/4'' and the 430 width is 2''—both series come in six natural gray and brown wood finishes which are so authentic, one senses the aroma of wet hay.
The popular Country Colors collection now comes with a sophisticated metallic lip, adding a touch of class to the distressed wood finish effect. This collection includes two profiles in three of the most popular colors: white, black, and brown, each with a choice of silver or gold lip. These combinations should make possible a large number of designs, suitable for contemporary or transitional needs. Please contact your local sales representative or UA by phone or fax (661-362-6262). Visit the website to view these mouldings as well as UA’s entire collection.
Call: 877-422-8812 www.michelangelomoulding.com
Call: 800-668-3627 www.universalarquati.com
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PFM February 2019 41