Framing Sports Memorabilia MOUNTING FRAGILE ITEMS • GIVING YOUR SHOP A FACELIFT
Contents
PFM is a member of:
Volume 30, Number 9
PPFA, The Professional Picture Framers Association ACC, Art Copyright Coalition SOG, Society of Gilders
On the Cover This multi-opening design created by Mark Klostermeyer, MCPF, and his team at Design Frames in Falls Church, VA, celebrates the career of Lou Gehrig by showcasing World Series tickets and other memorabilia collected during Gehrig's years on the diamond. For the full story on this design, see page 54.
Features 12 18 24 32
Framing Sports Memorabilia Mounting Fragile Items Refresh Your Shop in a Weekend Wrapping Fabric Liners
24
Columns 38 Preservation Practices 44 Successful Retailing Panel 54 Design of the Month
Departments 8 10 43 48 50 52 53
Editor’s Note Industry News Crossword Puzzle Product Showcase Distributor Spotlight Index of Advertisers Calendar of Events
12
18
32
54
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.
Have a question or comment? Tell PFM what you think.
PFM Publishing
83 South St., Unit 307, Freehold, NJ 07728 • Phone 732-536-5160 • Fax 732-252-2270
PICTURE FRAMING MAGAZINE www.pictureframingmagazine.com Bruce Gherman • bgherman@pfm-group.com • 848-444-5202 Kimberly Biesiada • kbiesiada@pfm-group.com • 848-231-3510 A RT D I RE C TO R Jin Dong • jin@wcafexpo.com • 848-231-4082
E X E C U TI V E PU BLI S HE R E D I TO R
Mail letters to PFM 83 South Street, Unit 307, Freehold, NJ 07728
CONTRIBUTORS
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 M AT D O C TO RS 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
B USI N E S S E D I TO R
ADVERTISING SALES
sales@pfm-group.com • 848-444-3058 Ellen Blatt • ellenhobbypub@cs.com Bruce Gherman • bgherman@pfm-group.com Rob Gherman • robgherman77@gmail.com Sean Kliemisch • sean@wcafexpo.com CIRCULATION
Call (732) 536-5160
D I RE C TO R O F A U D I E N C E D E V E LO PM E N T
Maureen Robertson • maureen@wcafexpo.com PRODUCTION
A D V E RTI S I N G C O O RD I N ATO R
Jin Dong • ads@pfm-group.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS TOLL FREE: 888-238-0049 pictureframing@omeda.com
WEST COAST ART & FRAME EXPO • NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Fax to (732) 252-2270 Attn: PFM Editor
A division of Hobby Pubco • www.wcafshow.com
Deborah Salmon • dsalmon@wcafexpo.com Mindy Gruenbaum • mindy@wcafexpo.com E X HI BI TO R S E RV I C E S Maureen Robertson • maureen@wcafexpo.com TRA D E S HO W C O O RD I N ATO R Gary Coughlin • gary@wcafexpo.com C O N F E RE N C E C O O RD I N ATO R Alan Pegler • alan@wcafexpo.com TRA D E S HO W D I RE C TO R BU S I N E S S M A N A G E R
WCAF EXPO SALES
sales@wcafexpo.com
CONTENTS
E-mail to editor@pfm-group.com
AD INDEX Letters may be edited for space and clarity
6 PFM September 2019
PFM PUBCO • BOOK DIVISION BOOK SALES COORDINATOR
pfmpubco@pfm-group.com
PFM PUBLISHING, LLC PRE S I D E N T
Bruce Gherman
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
T
Whether you’re taking on a remodeling project in your shop, adding a revenue stream, or honing a technique, you’ll benefit from working on your business. CONTENTS AD INDEX 8 PFM September 2019
his month’s issue has a focus on two concepts that often go hand-inhand: shadowbox framing and framing sports memorabilia. Creating custom frame designs for jerseys and other sports collectibles is a profitable revenue stream for many retailers, so it is well worth brushing up on the subject as we enter the busy fall season. In his latest article for PFM (page 12), John Ranes offers creative and timeless frame design ideas to sell to sports fans of all persuasions. And in “Mounting Fragile Items in Shadowboxes” (page 18), Jim Miller discusses proven techniques you can use to frame fragile, three-dimensional objects safely and beautifully. This issue’s Design of the Month feature (page 54) is also sports themed; Mark Klostermeyer and his team at Design Frames celebrate the memorable career of Lou Gehrig, with a focus on his many home runs in World Series games. The piece makes use of a fabric-wrapped mat and multiple openings to house a variety of Gehrig collectibles. Speaking of fabric mats, you can brush up on your technique with the help of David Lantrip’s latest article
(page 32), a how-to on wrapping liners. If you’re looking for another way to breathe new life into your business while also boosting its image to current and potential customers, take inspiration from Jared Davis’s latest, “Refresh Your Shop in a Weekend” (page 24). Davis explores several improvement projects you can complete in anywhere from a few hours to a few days to make your business feel like new. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the things you have to get done day to day. Those tasks are, of course, important, but equally as important is taking a step back to evaluate your business overall. It’s only then that you can identify areas in need of improvement and form an action plan to strengthen them. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from industry peers; good ideas are worth sharing!
Kimberly Biesiada Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS Framerica Expands Summer Internship Program Framerica’s paid summer internship program has expanded each year since 2009 to include new areas of learning and responsibility. Students interested in business, manufacturing, and design have participated and gone on to
Since the company’s founding in 1905, the Booth Felt name has been synonymous with high-quality, American-made felt products. As a long-standing pioneer in the felt industry, the Booth Felt Co. Inc. has championed felt-fabricating technology to its modern capabilities. Customers across industries such as
successful careers.
aviation, automotive, engineering, casket manufacturing, fram-
The company has now
ing, cabinetry, and art supply continue to rely on Booth Felt’s
partnered with a local high
diverse line of products for projects big and small.
school to give select graduating students the opportunity to
Framerica’s Almendarez Celebrates 15-Year Milestone
learn and explore a real-world
Carlos Almandarez, Framerica’s second shift director, recent-
work environment with the op-
ly celebrated his 15-year anniversary with the
tion to remain long term. “The school administra-
discounts and promotions.
Rosner (center) with two of the 2019 interns.
tion brought us talented, enthusiastic young adults looking to learn and grow,” notes Dave Rosner, senior VP. “We are thrilled to offer this to our local community, but it’s likewise been a wonderful thing for Framerica.” For more information, visit framerica.com.
Booth Felt Launches New Website The Booth Felt Co. Inc. has launched its first-ever e-commerce website. The storied felt maker, which has supplied felt strips, discs, dots, sheets, and other custom products to major manufacturers, innovators, and craftspeople around the world for decades, has now made a significant part of its catalog available
company. Almandarez has also done a wonderful job on the trade show circuit representing Framerica, according to the company. “Having someone with Carlos’s leadership abilities is an incredible asset for our company,” notes Jay Van Vechten. “We’re very fortunate to
Kunze Joins 3A Composites USA as Director of Marketing, Product Management 3A Composites USA has appointed Chuck Kunze as director of marketing and product management for the company’s graphic display and industry/transport businesses in the Americas. Kunze has extensive marketing expe-
online at www.boothfelt.com.
rience, including product line management,
In addition to the hundreds of
new product development, commercialization,
industrial-grade felt materials, which
brand management, and strategic planning. In
include die-cut parts, engineered
his new role, Kunze will be focused on the de-
non-wovens, adhesive-backed materials, wool felts, SAE wool felts and, of course, decorative and craft felt supplies, online for purchase, the new Booth Felt Co. site will feature regular blog posts, a monthly newsletter, news about products, and special
CONTENTS AD INDEX 10 PFM September 2019
Carlos Almendarez
have him here.”
velopment of unique graphic display solutions Chuck Kunze
with the company’s leading brands of FOMECOR®, SINTRA®, GATOR®, DISPA®, DIBO-
ND®, and LUMEX® G rigid substrates. For more information, visit 3ACompositesUSA.com. PFM
DESIGNING SPORTS SHADOWBOXES By John Ranes II, CPF, GCF
Note that the framer has actually used all three colors of the Broncos jersey in the matting selection. The curved opening at the top helps balance out the added detail at the bottom area of the design.
CONTENTS
W
hether you are framing a signed pro-
As most of us know, framing sports memorabilia can
fessional sports jersey or a collection of
be profitable. In this day and age, many consumers—even
AD INDEX
World War II memorabilia in a shadow-
those who might typically order framing online or visit
box, the core design and mounting challenges are the
a big-box craft store—will venture into an independent
same; you want to produce an interesting design that
custom frame shop with a sports jersey in hand. They
has a certain “wow” element for the customer, but you
come to you because they want it done right. The jersey
also need to protect and preserve the objects being
(or other piece of sports memorabilia) is an emotional
framed. In my framing seminars on this subject, I have
keepsake, whether it came from their favorite NFL player
often told fellow framers who may be overwhelmed by
or their daughter’s soccer team, so they feel the need to
this task that it can be simplified by focusing on those
see a professional framer to come up with the design.
two main goals—creating a framing presentation that
Before we explore some design ideas for framing
is both aesthetically pleasing and mechanically sound.
sports memorabilia in shadowboxes, there is an import-
12 PFM September 2019
The Must-Attend Industry Event
TRADE SHOW
CONFERENCE
EQUIPMENT DEMOS
SHOW SPECIALS
NETWORKING
SPECIAL ROOM RATES
Register Today! TRADE SHOW: January 27-29, 2020 CONFERENCE: January 26-29, 2020
www.wcafexpo.com
WEST COAST ART & FRAME
EXPO AND
THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Sometimes a customer will ask for an “over-the-top” design—I get that. In those cases, we as framers need to find a comfortable balance. The other area where framers wrestle with design is the incorporation of matting, as the matting is much narrower than one would suggest for, say, a piece of fine art of the same size. A framer who would propose a 4'' to 5'' mat on a watercolor of 40'' x 32'' will often only use a 2'' mat or less on a sports jersey of similar proportions. I think it’s important to recognize that one of the basic functions of matting is to create some breathing space between the artwork and the frame and environment. Introducing a solution like matting—in other words, letting the background create this breathing space—gives us a bit more area around the subject, as seen in the Green Bay Packers shadowbox illustrated here (page 16).
TELLING A STORY In the Packers example, you will also see multiple other Note that the framer has embraced the capability of his CMC by reproducing the team logo in gold pen upon the centered panel design. The anniversary dates have also been drawn onto the matting, which is a bit subtler than had they been cut into the mat.
elements added to the frame design, such as Super Bowl medallion coins and collectible rookie cards. The idea with shadowbox presentations is that any stranger can put together why the item is framed and what it is all about without hearing an explanation. This is true with any shadowbox framing challenge, whether it be military memorabilia from a family member or a wedding memory box.
ant note I’d like to make about the sales side of the process. As many of you already know, customers who don’t typically frequent frame shops may be unprepared for the cost of framing a sports jersey. Jerseys are complex, and framing them correctly is labor-intensive, with multiple components
It is always better to have a few too many items to add and decide with the customer which ones to include and keep in the presentation. This almost always comes down to a combination of emotion (what’s important to the owner) and which items truly complement the main subject.
involved. They also require a larger-than-average frame most of the time. All of this contributes to the final price tag. It’s a good idea to have that discussion with your cus-
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY: CMCS AND ALTERNATIVES
tomer up front. Using proper terminology and speaking to
There is no question that the computerized mat cutter has
the honestly right from the start will help dispel any price
given custom framers the ability to do amazing things with
shock that might have come later. Doing this also makes it
sophisticated, intricate cuts. It’s knowing when and how to
easier for you to start pulling out great, creative design ideas
wield this power that is sometimes tricky.
to get your customer excited about the project.
CONTENTS
THE SPORTS JERSEY: WHAT MAKES A DESIGN GREAT? This is subjective to some degree, but generally speaking,
AD INDEX
less is more, and we want to work with harmonic, complementary colors when designing around a sports jersey. We want the accent colors of the jersey to stand out and not have to compete with the framing. However, due to the dramatic nature of the beast, sometimes these rules of design do get thrown out the window. 14 PFM September 2019
Here (top left), Tim Frates of MegaPixel in Montrose, CO, has incorporated the Denver Broncos logo into his matting presentation, which helps tell the whole story. He utilized both a Valiani CMC and a Trotec Speedy 300 laser cutting machine to create these intricate designs. This blue and black Inter Milan jersey has also been matted, but with a different concept of hugging the outline of the jersey. One advantage of a design of this style is that it can maximize the amount of matting. Created by Italian framer Massimiliano Cincinelli, what really sets this design
stable. Reversibility is an obvious key consideration, as is using preservation-grade materials and techniques. While some framers still sew mount the entire jersey into position, others use a tagging gun such as those from Attach-EZ. A third option is to use a combination of both these solutions when mounting a jersey, first creating a custom form within the jersey made of Coroplast (fluted polyester corrugated board). This combination technique may allow for greater efficiency and accuracy. Most framers already know that the use of adhesives, glues, and staples of any sort are not appropriate when mounting a jersey. Another key to success is creating a substrate that is strong enough to support the jersey and collateral material while also remaining lightweight. We have found that matboard mounted to 5mm foam core creates a great substrate Please note the walled sides with solid green backing rather than matting, which creates a bit more breathing space. Also, the color choice of complementary green allows the gold accent colors of the jersey to stand out.
that can be penetrated by a pin or small Dremel drill, allow-
apart is his use of incorporating the team logo and 100th an-
Junior Olympics performance by Peyton Robertson. Framed
niversary details within a band of matting across the waist
by Barb Pelton of Artfully Framed in Poplar Bluff, MO, this
of the jersey. All the cutting was executed on a Valiani CMC,
design has the challenge of framing five different objects,
which allowed the framer to take on such challenges. The
including a document poster and medal with lanyard.
football club’s logo has also been duplicated with a gold stylus writing head on his CMC.
ing for polyester tags or sewing. Let’s examine memorabilia from an AUU Swimming—
Sports medals with lanyards often challenge framers during the design process; it’s a lot of loose material to work with. What to do with it? Pelton’s solution was to hide the
MOUNTING CONSIDERATIONS
length of the material underneath the document, revealing
When talking about framing sports jerseys, it’s important to
just enough that viewer sees the continuity.
address the techniques used to mount them and keep them
When we talk about frame design, one prevailing theory is when the mat cutting becomes complex, a good framer minimizes color so the presentation doesn’t overpower the focus on the art. In this case, the white matting and white frame works beautifully and allows each component to stand out. It’s clean, balanced, and creative. All shadowboxes present unique challenges. How we utilize basic elements of good design and sound mounting techniques will assure that the project not only pleases the customer, but also that it passes the test of time. PFM
CONTENTS
John Ranes
AD INDEX The white-on-white presentation works wonders with the multi-colored lanyards, ribbons, and photographs incorporated in this display. The design to conceal the medal lanyard under the document is simple genius! 16 PFM September 2019
John is an instructor of framing workshops and seminars worldwide. John teaches for the Professional Picture Framers Association and consults for The Fletcher-Terry Company and Tru Vue. John was awarded the PPFA Lifetime Achievement Award at the Las Vegas Convention in January 2015. John, with his wife, Sarah, own The Frame Workshop of Appleton, a frame shop and gallery in Appleton, WI, which has won over 100 framing awards, including two successive awards from the Fine Art Trade Guild in the UK as well as a National Australian Framing Competition award. His shop opened in 1978 expanded in 2009, and has diversified into Gifts, Christmas Collectibles and Home Décor. Their business celebrated 40 years in September 2018.
Distributor Spotlight
CONTENTS AD INDEX 50 PFM September 2019
Have a question or comment? Tell PFM what you think. Mail letters to PFM 83 South Street, Unit 307, Freehold, NJ 07728 Call 732-536-5160, Fax to 732-252-2270 Attn: PFM Editor or E-mail to editor@pfm-group.com
Crossword Challenge Puzzle Solution
PFM PFM Subscriptions Subscriptions Manage your account online! Whether you’re signing up for the first time or making a change.
http://www.pfmsub.com/Renew PFM September 2019 51