WELCOME TO OUR NEW FRAMING STUDIO
We have been toying with the idea of framing for a while now but we just couldn’t find the quality of frames or the price we wanted. One day I was discussing my frustration with Carl who works in our print studio and bingo. The answer was staring us in the face all along.
Meeting Carl was one of the best things that ever happened to HMC. Carl joined our team as our printer but has metamophosised to being our hero in many ways, not least because he was amazing when we hit a rocky patch due to illness and helped keep the business going. He can turn his hand to anything, pretty much.
As a trained engineer, he has a thing about precision. We get no complaints about the quality of prints because he is so fastidious about quality and hand checks every order (he is mortified if there are ever any printing issues).
Years ago I trained in picture framing as a hobby but felt it too big a responsibility for to take it on. So when he suggested that he would like to hand make our custom frames then it seemed like a no brainer.
So between us, we set about choosing samples and launching our framing studio. Equipment has been sourced, packaging custom made. We were ready for the off. Just one problem. The beautiful Ash wood moulding is pretty much made of volcanic rock. It’s divine to look at but its the toughest wood ever to pin. But, with the purchase of the mother of all pneumatic underpinners (which could even pin a limpets tooth) we finally cracked it.
All our lovely solid wood frames are custom made by us in our printing studio. Each frame is bespoke and made to order. We only use FSC certified solid Ash made in the UK meaning our wood is sustainably forested. The solid timber is then stained and lacquered to offer you one of three choices of finish; white, black or natural ash.
The frames come in two sizes - medium or large. We can frame a medium print in a medium frame. Or a medium mounted print in a large frame. Or a large print in a large frame. The mounts are good quality and have a nice texture to them. Carl, will hand mount each design.
We didn’t think there was a viable alternative to glass but we were wrong. We use a fantastic superior shatter resistant acrylic glass. Carl discovered it and we love it – its genuine quality glazing. We have all our prints framed up in our office and I’ve been studying them to see if they resist dust OK or if they warp and they behave like glass I’m pleased to report.
All our frames are carefully taped and sealed on the reverse and include a signed label confirming authenticity. The frames come provided with saw tooth hangers and are expertly packaged in custom made boxes ensuring they arrive with you in perfect condition.
It took a while and fair to say at one point Carl never wanted to see a piece of Ash as long as he lived. Thankfully we stuck with it and we are proud to produce a genuinely lovely handmade product.
