Custom Framed Prints vs Store Bought Frames: What You're Really Paying For
After over 15 years of creating newborn and maternity portraits for families, one of the most common questions I hear is about framing. As an award-winning photographer in Walnut Creek who has helped hundreds of families display their most precious memories, I understand the temptation of store-bought frames. They're affordable, readily available, and seem like a practical choice. However, I've also witnessed the profound difference that custom framed prints make in how families experience and preserve their portraits
The truth is, custom printing and framing serves a fundamentally different purpose than ready-made frames. While both have their place, understanding what you're really paying for helps you make the best choice for your family's treasured photographs.
Let me walk you through the differences between custom framed prints vs. store bought frames.
The Foundations
Materials for Longevity with Custom Artwork Framing
When I create custom framed prints for my clients, every material is selected with preservation in mind. I work exclusively with archival-quality materials to prevent yellowing, fading, and chemical breakdown over time.
Each photograph is professionally printed on premium photographic paper that delivers rich, accurate colors and exceptional detail. The frames themselves are hand-selected and professionally constructed to provide both beauty and structural protection for your investment.
Store Bought Frame Materials
Mass-produced frames, by contrast, are designed for affordability and immediate availability rather than long-term preservation. The backing materials and mats often contain acids and lignin that can cause discoloration and deterioration over time, particularly in humid environments or when exposed to light.
This doesn't mean store bought frames are bad. They serve their purpose for temporary displays, inexpensive prints, or images you plan to change frequently. However, for professional portraits that capture your family’s milestone moments, the difference in materials can become significant over the years.
Why Dimensions Matter For Photo Framing
My Custom Printing and Framing Approach
Every custom framed print I create is manufactured to the exact dimensions that best showcase your portraits in your home. As a Walnut Creek newborn and maternity photographer, I compose images with specific aspect ratios and visual balance in mind. When we crop or adjust photographs to fit standard frame sizes, we often compromise the artistic integrity that I put so much thought into.
Whether your portrait requires unique dimensions to preserve its impact or you're creating a framed photos wall where consistent sizing creates visual harmony, we build the frames around your images rather than forcing your images to fit predetermined sizes.
Standard Frame Limitations
Store bought frames restrict you to standard dimensions (typically 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 inches). While these can work really well for snapshots and casual photographs, professional portraits often require different proportions to maintain their intended effect.
When you try to fit a professionally composed portrait into a standard frame you risk cropping meaningful portions of the image and changing up the overall image. For award-winning photography where every detail is intentionally captured, these compromises can significantly affect how you experience the image in your home.
The Longevity of Photo Framing
The Importance of Archival Quality
The cost of custom framing reflects an investment in preservation technology and materials specifically engineered to protect your portraits for generations. When I frame your newborn's first portrait or your maternity images, I'm trying to preserve these momentous milestones for years to come.
The archival materials actively work to preserve your custom framed prints. Acid-free backing prevents chemical reactions that cause deterioration. UV-protective glazing shields against light damage that causes fading. Professional construction ensures the frame itself protects against humidity, environmental contaminants, and the natural aging process.
The Lifespan of Store-Bought Frames
Ready-made frames are designed for quick, easy photo framing. The materials may degrade your photos, potentially affecting them down the road. For images without deep sentimental value (such as, seasonal décor, fun casual prints, or temporary displays) this trade-off makes perfect sense.
However, for newborn portraits from those precious first days, the perfectly scheduled maternity images, or milestone moments you'll treasure forever, the difference in longevity becomes a meaningful consideration.
Design Support and Display Options
My Comprehensive Photo Framing Services
At Eva Baker Photography, I offer personalized design consultations for every framing project. We explore various photo framing styles together and what artwork would look best in your home.
Framed Canvas Prints add a touch of timeless elegance with rich texture and depth. Each photograph is meticulously printed on premium canvas and finished with a polished, gallery-quality frame, ready to hang and enhance any room.
Acrylic Wall Art transforms your space with vibrant, high-quality presentation. Printed on crystal-clear acrylic, this option enhances colors and details for a striking, modern look with a sleek, glossy finish that adds sophistication to contemporary homes.
For framed photo wall displays, I use specialized design software that shows you exactly how your gallery wall will appear before we commit to the design. This technology transforms individual portraits into cohesive artistic statements.
DIY Gallery Walls with Store Bought Frames
Creating a framed photos wall with ready-made frames can certainly be done, and many people enjoy the DIY process. However, it often involves trial and error with spacing, challenges coordinating mismatched frame styles, difficulties achieving visual balance, and the frustration of patching walls when arrangements don't work as planned.
Store-bought frames offer limited design choices; usually a few color options in standard profiles. While this simplicity appeals for casual displays, it provides less opportunity for the customization that creates truly cohesive, professionally designed gallery walls.
When to Choose Store Bought vs Custom Framed Prints
Think about the purpose and value of the photographs you’re framing. Both options serve different purposes, but knowing what you’re framing, will help you match the right solution to the right need.
Choose Custom Framed Prints For:
Professional newborn and maternity portraits you want preserved for generations
Family photographs with deep sentimental value
Images that will become family heirlooms
Gallery walls requiring cohesive, professionally designed presentation
Portraits with non-standard dimensions that deserve proper showcasing
Photographs you want displayed prominently as meaningful art in your home
Choose Store Bought Frames For:
Inexpensive prints you plan to rotate seasonally
Casual snapshots without long-term preservation needs
Temporary displays or decorative accent pieces
Standard-sized images where exact fit isn't critical
Situations where immediate availability and budget are the primary concerns
Fun, changeable displays like children's artwork or seasonal décor
There's wisdom in using both approaches strategically throughout your home. The casual family snapshot from last weekend's San Francisco park visit can work beautifully in a ready-made frame. But your newborn's first year milestones deserve the protection and presentation that custom printing and framing provides.
The Impact of Meaningful Displays in Your Home
Whether you choose a vibrant framed photo wall in your living room, a stunning acrylic piece in your office, or an elegant framed canvas in the nursery, showcasing these moments brings them into your daily life in meaningful ways.
Instead of digital files viewed occasionally, you're surrounded by reminders of love, growth, and cherished milestones. Your children see themselves celebrated and valued. Visitors immediately understand what matters most to your family. The photographs we create together in my studio become living parts of your home's story.
This is why I'm passionate about helping families choose the right display options. Custom printing and framing isn't about luxury for its own sake, it's about creating tangible, lasting connections to the moments that define your family's legacy.
Making the Choice That's Right for Your Family
The decision between custom framed prints and store-bought frames isn't about one being better than the other. It's about understanding what each option provides and making intentional choices based on the value and purpose of the photographs you're displaying.
For professional newborn and maternity portraits, custom artwork framing offers protection, beauty, and longevity that honors the significance of these memories. For casual prints and temporary displays, store-bought frames serve their purpose beautifully at accessible price points.
The photographs we create together deserve to be seen, enjoyed, and treasured. How you choose to display them should reflect both their meaning to your family and your vision for how you want to experience them in your home for years to come.
Let’s Create Timeless Heirloom Art For Your Home
I would love to help you explore custom framed prints, framed canvas, acrylic wall art, or heirloom albums that perfectly showcase your family's most precious moments. Whether you're interested in a single statement piece or a complete framed photos wall gallery, I provide personalized design consultations to ensure your portraits are beautifully preserved and displayed throughout your home.
Contact me today to discuss custom framed prints or to schedule your newborn or maternity session.