Contents
PFM is a member of:
Volume 32, Number 10
PPFA, The Professional Picture Framers Association ACC, Art Copyright Coalition SOG, Society of Gilders
On the Cover Whether it's a high school, college or professional team, the featured Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey with cut vinyl logos clearly illustrates the framing creativity possible for sports memorabillia. For the full story, see page 16. Image courtesy of Don Strouf
Features 16 Framing Sports Memorabilia 20 Framing Jerseys 28 Consumer Lifestyle Trends Impacting Framers
20
Columns 12 Mat Doctors 24 Mastering Mounting 38 Design of the Month
Departments 8 10 32 34 35 36 37
Editor’s Note Industry News Product Showcase Distributor Spotlight Crossword Puzzle Index of Advertisers Crossword Solution
38
24
28
Picture Framing Magazine® (ISSN 10529977) is published monthly, plus one issue by PFM Publishing, LLC, 330 Mounts Corner Dr. #313, Freehold, NJ 07728; phone 732-5365160; 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 © 2021 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 Publishing
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PICTURE FRAMING MAGAZINE www.pictureframingmagazine.com Bruce Gherman • bgherman@pfm-group.com • 848-444-5202 Kimberly Biesiada • kbiesiada@pfm-group.com • 848-231-3510 I N TE RI M E D I TO R Chris A Paschke • cpaschke@pfm-group.com A RT D I RE C TO R Jin Dong • jin@wcafexpo.com
E X E C U TI V E PU BLI S HE R E D I TO R
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 Brian Wolf, CPF • John E. Ranes II, CPF, GCF • Tim Franer, CPF William B. Adair • Ken Baur • Jared Davis, MCPF, GCF • Paul MacFarland, MCPF, GCF James Miller, MCPF, GCF • David Lantrip, MCPF, GCF
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A D V E RTI S I N G C O O RD I N ATO R
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TRA D E S HO W D I RE C TO R E X HI BI TO R S E RV I C E S
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CONTENTS
PFM PUBCO • BOOK DIVISION BOOK SALES COORDINATOR
pfmpubco@pfm-group.com
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PFM PUBLISHING, LLC PRE S I D E N T
6 PFM October 2021
Bruce Gherman
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK T
Jerseys, sports memorabilia, vinyl lettering, and how current consumer trends all impact framing this month.
CONTENTS AD INDEX 8 PFM October 2021
he continuation of our discussion from last month’s issue of fall trends is headed by a feature article by Ginger Hartford on consumer trends this month. Sustainable style is that which does no harm to the environment, like use of bamboo, rattan and raw natural bers which is currently being embraced by the use of warm neutral colors, woven mats and baskets in home decor. Global forecasters feel that nostalgia and retro both remain strong as seen with The Goodtime Hotel’s fabulous Atrium Lobby mural as the header of Ginger’s article. The tropical motif may be typically reminiscent of Florida but also recalls the retro days of 1980s, as does the showcased bedroom of Faith Blakeney Design Studio’s photo (p. 30). Hartford’s review of consumer trends for the fall discusses how it can impact moulding selection and frame design (p. 28). Yes, we are still masking and struggling with Covid, but consumers, bloggers and Instagram inuencers continue to create hubbub over trends that include our demand for sustainable products, calming colors and embracing the eclectic. Today’s eclecticism embraces numerous styles such as modern, vintage and bohemian. Unlike minimalist styles, eclectic interiors have knick-knacks, like vintage dinnerware, modern sculpture, or
an old trunk. Mixing patterns, global inuences, vintage and contemporary, eclectic style is not characterized by rules or structure, but rather by mixing and matching decor looks into one cohesive theme. The business of framing memorabilia is at the forefront of this month’s featured topics with all things sports. From our total slam dunk Design of the Month signed Michael Jordan basketball (p. 38) to elaborate decorative CMC designs. Don Strouf shares his love of sports while offering tips to grow your sports framing business (p. 16), and Jarrod Perrott showcases his design talent using Wizard’s PathTrace program to replicate logos and special day events (p. 20). Brian Wolf wows us yet again with his nostalgic mention of Sean Hunt--whom Brian and I remember well--for his development of the traditional V-Groove that revolutionized matting design. Add to that the CMC and voilà! this month’s Lazy Man’s V-Groove (p. 12).
Chris A. Paschke Interim Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS PPFA Members Earn Prestigious Designations
Asian theatre traditions. A temporary exhibition of the Benin bronzes,
Julie Walsh, owner of WorkShop Gallery & Framing in Toronto,
which Germany has pledged to restitute to Nigeria, is also planned.
Ontario, Canada, earned the prestigious Master Certified Picture
A number of dance performances, film screenings, concerts,
Framer (MCPF) designation
and lectures took place during the summer months, as well as an
in August. The Professional
open-air festival in the Schlüterhof courtyard. For more information,
Picture Framers Association’s
visit humboldtforum.org.
MCPF
designation
requires
a candidate to meet rigorous
Framerica®’s Mike Roome Reaches Two Decades
qualifications, including suc-
October 1, 2021, Yaphank, NY – Mike Roome, Framerica’s longtime
cessful completion of a hands-on custom framing examination and
production director, recently celebrated 20 years with NY based
demonstrating a thorough knowledge of preservation framing.
moulding manufacturer Framerica. “Mike is one
In addition, three PPFA members earned the Certified Picture
of a kind, a true leader that continues to push the
Framer (CPF) designation, passing the online exam in August: Nina
boundaries even after 20 years,” notes Jay Van
Shannon, CPF, Frame Art & Design in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Lisa Loun-
Vechten, Framerica’s executive vice-president.
ders, CPF, The Kennedy Gallery in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands;
“We are all proud of his accomplishments.”
and Denice Celley, CPF, Mobley’s Framing and Gallery in Raleigh, NC. Nina and Denice previously participated in the free CPF Exam Study
For more information call 1-800-372-6422
Mike Roome
or visit www.framerica.com. PFM
Groups. Candidates for PPFA Certifications must demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills, and practice and have attained a standard of excellence that can be trusted throughout the industry. These accomplishments are desirable designations to communicate to customers the high level of training and education achieved.
HELP WANTED
$800 Million Museum Opens in Berlin’s Former Royal Palace The Humboldt Forum, a vast museum complex in a partial reconstruction of the Prussian royal palace in the center of Berlin, recently opened its doors after almost two years of construction- and pandemic-related delays. The
complex,
which had a final budget exceeding $800 million,
expects
to
welcome up to 3 million visitors per year, Humboldt Forum, Berlin, Sept. 2020 by Ernstol via Wikimedia Commons
according to The Art Newspaper. Easing re-
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strictions in Germany allowed for the opening of six exhibitions on the ground and first floors of the building on July 20. The second and third floors of the Forum’s west wing are expected to open on Sept. 22, with displays of Berlin’s ethnological and Asian art collections. These include a section on Japan featuring a
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tea house, Chinese imperial art, and parts of the African collections. A rooftop restaurant is also expected to open this month. The second and third floors of the east wing, with the rest of the ethnological and Asian displays, will open in the first half of 2022. Among these are sections on the history of the Afro-Brazilian diaspora in the Amazon region, the global diversity of Islam, and Southeast 10 PFM October 2021
Classified Want to work with one of the pre-eminent fine-art framers in Sydney, Australia? We are looking for experienced framers to join our conservation and framing team. If excellence, quality, design, dexterity, detail and precision form part of your everyday aspirations, if dealing with precious artworks for demanding clients motivates you...You may be the person we are looking for. Potential for part ownership for the right applicant. Send us your resume and a covering letter to: sophie@conservationframing.com.au
SPORTS MEMORABILIA A HIDDEN MARKETING GEM By Don Strouf
H
ow many times a day do we hear that “I only spent
the off season they may have more time and money to do
$10 on this print so I don’t want expensive fram-
it right. My frame shop sees about 30% of my business as
ing?”
sports framing. I do get referrals from other frame shops in
The custom framing industry is always changing and
my area telling me that they aren’t really into sports so they
there is often a fine line between what people want to spend
send their customers my way. We live in a world right now
and what they are willing to spend. However, I have found
that pretty much anything can be found on the Internet. So
that when it comes to sports memorabilia framing, the only
to get inspiration for projects I sometimes Google the athlete
thing the customer says is, “I want a really nice framing that
or team to get to know them better. You don’t have to be a big
everyone will be jealous over.”
sports fan to get part of the business; you just have to know
I do a lot of framing for parents of school age kids that
how to use a computer.
are in sports. So every year I will usually pick one child and
Before CMCs came into the framing industry, if you
contact the parents to get permission to take photos off of
wanted to do something unique you either had to learn the
their social media and frame them up nicely. In return for
craft of hand carving or find someone with calligraphy skills.
letting me use the photos, after about 6 months of displaying
But now we have a lot of different options with the click of a
the piece in my shop, I give it to them, free of charge. Usually the parent shares pictures of the piece with other parents who start flooding in wanting their child’s photos done also,
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at full price. Every once in a while I will make the framing special such as when the local high school football team won state two years in a row, I ended up framing 30 jerseys each year. And when the Willamette Little League made it to the
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Little League World Series and I framed their jerseys along with memorabilia from their trip. In the custom framing business we see seasonal framing such as graduations, weddings, etc. However, sports framing is a year round business, whether they are framing stuff to get ready for the big game party at their house, or in 16 PFM October 2021
mouse. Whether you are recreating a team logo, tracing the jersey for the cutout, or simply adding text on the matboard, your imagination is your limit of what you can do. My suggestion is to not overdo it. We need to remember that the subject matter should always be the star of the framing. That can sometimes be difficult when the customer sees some of the samples in the shop and they want to add everything they see into their framing. Of all the sports framing I have done, only about 10% has to do with local pro sports teams. The best thing you can do is contact your local high school and talk to the athletic director. They usually have a few old jerseys lying around that they will be more than happy to let you have.
I cut into the borders with designs or lettering. It was important to use a more simple black and silver in the Raiders piece because of all the insets and detail pieces. I traced each patch and inset them into the mat helping give it a wow factor. So many times I see framers just cutting rectangles or circular cuts around patches and pins. Going
Saunders jersey with memorabilia from the Willamette Little League World Series trip. One of my favorite things to use in sports framing are football and basketball textured mats. They have perfected them so well that I even have pro football players asking if I got the football leather from Nike. I learned early on with using these mats is that less is more. A 3” mat with no cutouts or lettering tends to lose its appeal, so
the extra step will not only make it look amazing, but it will set you apart from the other framers in your area. A few sample pieces in your shop may attract a whole new clientele.
Cutting Oregon Ducks team name, player and number help balance the photo in this presentation.
Social media is an excellent ave-
framing specials. You will get a great
nue to reach new sports framing cus-
response. Most of them will think that
tomers. Every high school sport has its
it’s inexpensive and will choke at the
own Facebook page whether it’s run by
price you give them. Don’t get discour-
the school or the parents. Add yourself
aged. Hold your price firm because I
and your business to as many groups
can tell you that sometimes it takes a
as possible and start posting pics or
lot more time in the beginning to do projects as you learn the tricks of the trade. I can’t tell you how many times they have brought in a ready-made frame with everything and asked me to complete it as they just can’t figure it out. I charge accordingly and upsell the UV glass, matboard, etc. In the end they spend a lot more than they originally had planned, and they’re happy to do it because they already tried and couldn’t do it themselves. The other thing I did was add a vinyl cutting machine and a small wide format printer. My original plan was if the framing business died down during
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Covid I could fall back on printing services and vinyl lettering and designs. But thankfully the framing has not slowed down and I find myself adding
AD INDEX
the printing and vinyl into a lot more of the sports framing, whether adding a football field in the background, or creating sports logos a lot smaller than I can with my Valiani Nexus CMC. My customer wanted the team’s 18 PFM October 2021
up the day before the Super Bowl as he was having a Super Bowl party at his house. The Buccaneers won and I’m taking full credit as superstition runs high in the sports world, had I not got it done in time, I’m almost sure they would have lost. It was about 10 years ago that I realized what a huge market sports framing was. Since then I have met Olympians, local college athletes, pro
A leather textured mat needs cutouts or lettering to break up the boarder pattern. new logo on his Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey and the old logo placed over the sleeves as though they were actually on the jersey. It took me a little while to figure out what I needed to do, but from a distance it they appear as sleeves, but are matboard pieces with vinyl logos. The team name is also vinyl lettering. The customer picked it
Barrett Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey with accented use of cut vinyl logos.
athletes and coaches at every level.
tom framing industry. Be creative and
There is not a week that goes by that
have fun in your designs as you will
I don’t get a message from someone
find that most sports fans are a lot of
that was referred to me by one of them.
fun to deal with as well! PFM
Just remember, no matter where you live you will always have a market for sports framing whether it’s the players, parents, or just fans. And the best part of it is that a lot of the championships are right around the first of the year when it slows down a little in the cus-
Don Strouf Don has been framing for over 35 years and just celebrated the 6th year anniversary of Ducko’s Custom Framing 2.0 on July 20, 2021.
PFM October 2021 19