You could try Americanframe.com. nice frames are worth the money, and online should be less as you must do some of the work yourself. 8 ply mat is worth the upgrade. Standard size frames can be purchased (you were asking about 16x20s...but then your mat side widths may be different). If all those decisions are challenging then it's worth considering if the markup, advice, and service (I'd try local framer) would be worthwhile. Having all the same size frames but then various matting to get the images...may look unbalanced. Up to your preferences. Good luck, cool images!

I would advise using a simple size frame and not too wide. The work you are showing is so lovely and soft and a complex frame would take the eye away from the photos. You want the viewer's eye to go right to the prints. You may be able to find matching frames with prints on sale and then just remove the print and place your own pieces into the frame. Michael's usually has a sale section. Otherwise you should certainly be able to do it yourself. I really enjoyed seeing the prints, lovely.

The problem is with the size of the photos. if they aren't standard sizes they will need custom mats and that can be pricey. Just had 2 prints framed for my Grandson . For one I was able to buy a standard mat for 5.00 and a nice black frame for 29.99 minus 40percent, from Hobby Lobby. The other had to have a custom mat cut and that was 28. for double matting. didn't have a coupon for the other frame ... anyway, the whole shebang ended up being 99. which really is not too bad. If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they do run 1/2 off custom framing.

Have a framing shop do the matting, after you get all the photos in your possession, to end up all 18x24 ... then you can do whatever you want for the frames at almost any price point.

Old photos can be strange with mat colors - we spent about half an hour getting the right colors for two I had matted. (still unframed) because black looked bad, white was glaring and ... it took a while to find the right shade of grey.

Avoid the Michaels, Hobby Lobby and similar (they ship theirs out) in favor of a small local shop that may order in the board, but does the work in shop. Better quality and same or less cost.

Thanks for the thoughts on this. I think I did briefly peruse the Americanframes.com site, but I'll take another look there.

I guess my biggest "problem" is that my longtime framer retired a couple of years ago. He was absolutely wonderful - working from his crowded little house that he also ran an antiques business out of. He was so nice to work with, had a great eye, and was very reasonable for custom framing. Having work done elsewhere after I "lost" him was an eye opener. I had a coupon for Michaels, and even so it cost me an arm and a leg.

DH asked that I come up with an estimate on how much this little framing project will cost, as we are in the process of budgeting for some other things that we want to do around the house as well. I think my best bet may be to just go ahead and get the photos and have them matted to the same size, as lazy_gardens suggests. I will look around for another small local shop -- surely they still exist in my area. I also understand how getting the mat colors right can be tricky, and want to be sure to do that right the first time!

I wish I had a picture of the framed photo that hangs in our hallway upstairs. This is the style we want to mimic for these new photos. It has a 2" wide frame on a matted 11x14 and is perfect. (This is the one we had done at Michaels.) It's a gorgeous frame - simple but leather-wrapped - but I'm not paying that price again. DH fears that this could end up costing $800 or more, and I really hope not ... but I also see how quickly it all adds up.

Another question: These online places seem to sell the larger frames either without glass, or with "standard picture framing acrylic." What are your thoughts on acrylic vs. glass?

Franken Frames is another good place to buy custom made frames. Mount your images on a good acid free board and have the mats cut at a local frame shop. I prefer acid free mats. Then measure the outside of the matting and order your frame. If a friend can't cut the glass for you, a local hardware store probably will.

Downside to acrylic is that it scratches if you rub it (either on purpose to clean it or by accident) and glass is much more durable against rubbing. For large pieces some times people feel acrylic is safer; for artists who ship pieces to shows, etc. some require acrylic.

Ida, I've used pictureframes.com on a few occasions for single items. It does all the math for you. You start with the size of your artwork and you go from there. As you build, you can see the image take shape. I think you can even upload a photo of your artwork to get an idea. I believe they only ship with acrylic "glass" so if that's a problem, you would have to replace with real glass later on. Even if you decide not to use them, you can kind of play around with possibilities.

I've always found that the mat can sometimes be the stumbling block, especially if you like it slightly weighted (wider) at the bottom as I do. Pre-made mats are limited in size and it costs a lot to get one cut to size. A few years ago I spent $130 or so for a mat cutter and it's paid me back many times over in money I've saved.

Back when I was in the local camera club, we had to exhibit our photos matted (but not framed). I ended up learning how to do that part of the process myself when my photos weren't standard, due to cropping. Play around with cheaper mats, then step up to the mats you want. It saves a ton of money.

EDIT: I love those photos, especially the tipi!

Oh, gosh - there are SO many options out there! This really makes me miss my retired framer, as he would just start pulling various mats and moldings and I trusted him completely to make the piece shine (and he always did, so the pressure of having to wade through choices was pretty much taken off of me!). I've found this leather-wrapped frame on the Franken Frames site that I really like the looks of:

And I also like this one very much that I found on pictureframes.com:

The second one is very flat:

Looks like I can probably get each of these framed (assuming mats would run around $25 each) for about $100. With the cost of the prints, that's going to be between $475-$500 total. That seems like so much money, but the wall would then be complete and I could stop obsessing about what we were going to hang there!

Avoid Michaels - pricey and the know nothing about art. Find a small local shop/gallery that understands how to frame photos. Yours are very special.

Find out where the local artists go for frames. I discovered that in my area the artists' framer had both the best prices and the best eye for picking the right mat and frame.

Unfortunately, our local framing shop went out of business a few years ago and I don't like using online for this. So, I am relegated to Hobby Lobby or Michaels. But, I have found the personnel at both to have an impeccable eye for complementing artwork with matting. The man at our local Hobby Lobby has been there as long as the store, and always has great suggestions. They'll cut it as you wait, and I don't find them pricey at all. In fact, the local framer was at least 1/3 more in cost, maybe more. I still used and supported her until she went out of business, and you may want to find a small business owner. But, don't discount Michael's because it's a chain. You also won't have to worry about the mats denting or bending in transit like online. I also don't buy frames online because I prefer glass.

I don't agree that Michaels' framers know nothing about art. The man I dealt with when I took my last piece there guided me to the perfect mat and frame, and when I went back to pick up the piece when it was finished, there was a young woman working at the framing desk who was assisting another customer when I arrived. That young woman was placing mats and frames on a hand-tinted vintage portrait and her selections actually made just stand and stare in awe. They could not have been more perfect.

No, it isn't the lack of experience or knowledge that would keep me from going back to Michaels - it's just the cost. I may still end up using them to cut the mats, but buy my frames online.

Update: I ordered 4 of the frames that I posted above from pictureframes.com (thanks again for that link, Linelle!) ...

I like it!

and being close to them as you pass means you can get a close look.

Thanks, lazy_gardens! Yeah, hard to tell from the photo, but they're hung with the centers at 60" so a good viewing height when going up the stairs.

Almost missed the reveal, but these look great. I really like the frame you chose. My favorite framer has retired and closed shop, so I'm feeling lost as to framing these days.

They look very nice! I think you're right that more color would overwhelm the space.

It's kind of odd to think that lovely waterfall doesn't exist any more!

Donna

Thanks Outside and Donna! I too feel a bit lost as to framing, but was pleased with the "new" local guy who did the mats for us. It was about $85 to have four museum grade mats cut, which I didn't think was too terribly bad. Then of course we put them together ourselves in the frames. I was a little apprehensive about choosing acrylic over glass for the frames, but gosh I love it! I feared it would look cheap, but it doesn't -- it just presents the images clearly and without glare, which is what I hoped for.

Donna - it is strange to think that those falls are no longer there. Looks like a pretty powerful force to dam up!