Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What if I want to return my order?

A. In most cases, your order will have been manufactured especially for you, to your specifications. For this reason we do not offer a refund or exchange for goods that are not faulty. This is in accordance with the Distance Selling Regulations.

Q. Do you have a minimum order quantity?

A. No. You can order as little or as much as you like. However discounts and delivery benefits apply with large quantity orders.

Q. How do I know you have received my order?

A. We will send you a confirmation email to the address you gave us. This should happen within a few minutes but we have noticed that sometimes the email can be in people's spam folders - directed there by an over-zealous spam filter. If the email hasn't arrived with you within 6 hours, please contact us.

Q. When will you take payment for my order?

A. Payment for goods ordered online will be taken on the day of despatch. If for some reason we are unable to despatch your order within our usual delivery time we will not charge your card, and you will receive notification from us to that effect.

Q. Can I have an account?

A. For businesses and larger organisations we are happy to discuss terms. Please contact us and let us know your requirements. We do not extend credit to individuals.

Q. Can I order by telephone?

A. To minimise errors on our part it is not policy to take orders over the telephone. That said, we will always try to help you out as much as we can, so if you are genuinely struggling to place an order then please contact us for assistance.

Q. Do you accept Purchase Orders?

A. Yes - if you are a government body, a multi-national company, or another large and trusted institution we may be able to help. Please contact us and let us know your requirements.

Q. Large, regular frame and mount orders?

A. The majority of our business is with regular clients from many different business sectors. We have all of the necessary capabilities in place to deal with large regular orders.

Q. How much do you charge for delivery?

A. Our delivery charges are calculated and shown when you add your items to the shopping basket and are based upon destination, weight and size. The lowest charge we have for most of the UK is just less than £6.00 + VAT, and the highest, for large frames is approximately £12.00 + VAT. For offshore destinations and the highlands of Scotland the charges are more expensive, reflecting the costs imposed upon us by our parcel carriers. We sometimes have free delivery offers, and these are shown in your shopping basket.

Q. Do you deliver on weekends?

A. We do not offer a weekend frame delivery service (other than Royal Mail) on grounds of cost. However, if you really want the goods delivered on a Saturday then please contact us to discuss with our sales team. This is quite an expensive service, and we would highly recommend you try and arrange an alternative weekday delivery address.

Q. Do you offer discounts for students?

A. We do not offer discounts specifically for students. However, all of our prices are set to be the lowest in the industry for comparable products.

Q. I've seen an identical frame but for a cheaper price?

A. We are confident that we can beat any genuine price for the same product, sold on the same terms. Let us have the details and we will see what we can do.

Q. What is your lead time?

A. Despatch of all orders is usually made within approx. 5-7 working days during peak times. If you have an urgent requirement we have a priority service available at extra charge, but please contact us before ordering. If for any reason the timescales cannot be honoured you will be kept informed.

Q. Do the prices shown include V.A.T?

A. The prices shown on the website do not include V.A.T. This is included, along with delivery charges, when your item(s) is/are added to the shopping basket.

Q. When do you deliver?

A. After the goods are manufactured, we despatch using either Royal Mail or our nominated parcel carrier (currently City Link). Mail usually goes 1st class and parcels are delivered on a next working day service. The carriers usually delivers between 7:30am and 6:00pm, however we don't exactly know what time they will deliver to your door. Timed deliveries are possible at extra cost - please contact us to discuss.

Q. Channel Islands - no V.A.T?

A. If you live in a V.A.T-free part of the UK such as the Channel Islands, we can deduct the V.A.T for you prior to invoicing. However, this requires some manual intervention at our offices so please contact us prior to placing your order.

Q. Do you offer discounts for bigger frame and mount orders?

A. We are happy to say that we do offer discounts. Have a look at our standard discount structure.

Q. Are the photos on your web site a good representation of the finished product?

A. All photographs on this website of products have been taken and colour balanced by professional photographers. We can't however compensate for variations in colour between monitors due to settings and model.

Our 'Frame Design Studio' is an application which offers a mock-up of a frame and/or mount to provide you with as close to a true picture as we can achieve with modern technology. However, although the sections of wood used to build these mock-ups have been professionally photographed, the mock-ups themselves are 'doctored' to provide a more natural representation of the frame under 'normal' conditions.

In short, if exact colour match is very important to you, then you should not rely on the images shown on the web site. If you contact us, we may be able to send a sample, depending on order size.

Q. What is included with my frame?

A. The frame or frames you have ordered include ultra-clear acrylic safety glazing or glass, 2.5mm MDF backing board and appropriate frame hanging fixings. We can vary this configuration upon request. Once received, you'll need to put your artwork inside the frame and attach the hanging fixings which will take you a few minutes only.

Q. How deep are your picture frames?

A. Each picture frame moulding (the material from which we make the frame) has what's called a "rebate depth". This simply means the inside dimension from the front (where the glazing sits) to the back. Rebate depths vary from 5mm to 30mm. The exact dimension can be found by looking at the web page for that one moulding and reading the description.

If you wish to frame something which is thicker than paper, then you need to make sure that the rebate depth is at least 7mm bigger AND you need to tell us in the "Further Instructions" section of the checkout page. If you want one or more mounts in the frame also, then add 1.5mm x the number of mounts to the 7mm.

For example, say you had something to frame that is 6mm thick. Just add 6mm + 7mm to find the rebate depth you need - in this case 13mm or more. If you also wanted a mount, then it would be 6mm + 1.5mm + 7mm = 14.5mm or more.

The easiest way to deep rebated frames is by using our Fast Frame Finder and choosing the appropriate options.

Q. Large picture frame needed

A. The web site is designed to allow frames up to 1220 x 915mm, and mounts up to 1200 x 815mm. If you have a requirement for an item larger than this we may be able to assist. Please contact us via email stating your requirements (including the MLDA reference number of the preferred frame style from the web site) and we can let you have a price.

However, we only have the ability to box items sizes upto 1445mm x 1245mm so anything larger will need to be collected from us.

Q. Can I frame something that is quite thick?

A. Frame moulding is supplied in varying rebate depths (inside depth, front to back). We have an FAQ with a quick calculation for determining the appropriate depth here.

If you wish to frame something that is very deep, say a golf ball or a hat, then please contact us to establish feasibility and cost.

Q. Will my picture frames hang or stand?

A. All frames are designed to hang, and fixings are supplied for this purpose. However, if you want a stand for your frame, you may choose one in the Design Studio under Section 6: Options. Alternatively you can browse and purchase a stand from the accessories section here.

Q. Can I have sample pieces before I buy?

A. We do offer a sample service if your order is likely to exceed £75. Please contact us to request your sample(s).

Q. Can you make frames from mouldings not shown on the web site?

A. Yes. We can manufacture frames from just about any moulding available. Why not contact us with your requirements.

Q. Are your picture frames easy to put together?

A. Your frames are pre-assembled in our factory. With the wooden frames you only need to put the string on once your artwork is in place. For aluminium frames the process is slightly different, your frames are still assembled with us but once you receive them you will need to unscrew one end and slide the fixings and string on the back. With the frame, you will receive a simple guide to help you with this process.

Q. Can I have a photo mount with no hole in the middle?

A. Yes you can. All you need to do is to specify this in the Further Instructions area on the checkout page or ring us informing us that you don't want an aperture cut out. If you don't do this then we will cut the mount as per normal.

There is no price premium for this service.

Q. Do you supply oval shaped mounts and frames?

A. If you wish to place an order, then please go to our Mount Design Studio and design a mount with a rectangular opening into which you you can fit your desired oval. When you are happy, please click the green button 'Add to basket'. If you wish to proceed, click the button entitled 'One Step Secure Checkout' and, in the "Further Instructions" section of the checkout page, please let us know that the mount you want is to be oval, not rectangular. There is no charge for this service.

Frames - We don't supply oval frames

Q. Can I have a mount with more than 1 opening?

A. If you can't find a standard mount we may be able to manufacture it for you. In order to establish a price and feasibility we will need to see a drawing that can be emailed, faxed or posted to us. This doesn't have to be a great technical drawing but does have to clearly show your proposed layout and dimensions for opening, gaps and borders in millimetres.

If you could also indicate colour and preferred style (single mount, double mount, luxury single, or luxury double) that would be helpful

If you also want a frame also then we will need the MLDA number from the web site of the moulding you would like. You can use our Fast Frame Finder feature to select this.

Q. Is your mount or glazing blue?

A. Have you received your picture frame order and have found that the glazing and the photo mount appear blue? Well if this is the case don't panic!

The blue covering is actually a protective layer designed to prevent having scratches on your glazing. To remove the film carefully pull back the covering slowly to reveal the transparent finish. If you apply this technique correctly you should avoid having any static build up.

If you still have any issues don't be afraid to ring or email us.

Q. I don't want glazing with my order

A. No problem. Go to the Frame and Mount Design Studio, click on option 6 "Choose Glazing", and select "No Glazing" - the price will be adjusted downwards accordingly.

Q. How do I clean my acrylic glazing?

A. We would suggest that you do not use any kind of chemical solution on the acrylic, just use a clean soft cloth and wipe over very gently to avoid any scratches. We do however sell anti-static cloths that cleans the glazing with no hassle.

Q. Does my frame come with glass?

A. A smashing question. The frame will be supplied with high quality, ultra-clear, acrylic safety glazing as standard. You can order glass as an option for any frame up to 610mm x 610mm by using the Frame and Mount Design Studio, click on option 6 "Choose Glazing".

Q. Is your mount or glazing blue?

A. Have you received your picture frame order and have found that the glazing and the photo mount appear blue? Well if this is the case don't panic!

The blue covering is actually a protective layer designed to prevent having scratches on your glazing. To remove the film carefully pull back the covering slowly to reveal the transparent finish. If you apply this technique correctly you should avoid having any static build up.

If you still have any issues don't be afraid to ring or email us.

Q. Why Won't My Image Upload?

A. This could be due to a number of reasons:

File Size

There is an upper size limit in the Design Studio of 10mb. Anything over that and the Design Studio will show an error message.

It is not, however, recommended that you upload JPG only files anywhere near this as processing will be slowed considerably leading to poor performance whilst drawing the framed image. It is better to resize your image to a more manageable size. We suggest less then 500kb but the smaller the better.

There are many freeware utilities on the market that will provide this re-sizing capability for you. We recommend IrfanView which is one of the most popular image viewers and editors available, but you will find many more in Wikipedia

File Type

If your image is less than 10mb and still won't load, then it is possible that the image you are uploading is not the popular JPG type, which is the only one supported by the Design Studio.

Most internet connections, even the apparently "fast" 8mb download ADSL type, are quite slow at uploading files. For example, it is not unusual for an 8mb connection to have a download speed of 3mb and an upload speed of 40kb - considerably slower. This can sometimes give the appearance that the upload has stalled.

Image upload is for convenient preview of your image in a frame. We do not provide a printing service.

Q. I have a technical issue

A. This site has been tested using Microsoft IE6/7, Mozilla Firefox 2.0+, Google Chrome v2.0+, Apple Safari v4.0+ and Opera v9.0+ on Windows XP and Vista. Many of our customers use Apple Macs without experiencing any difficulty.

To work correctly you must have cookies and javascript enabled.

Q. The frame studio will not load?

A. If the frame studio will not load on your computer then make sure you have javascript and cookies enabled in your browser settings.

Q. Can I edit my frame designs?

A. Yes, after creating a frame in the design studio and adding it to the basket you can go back to your basket and find the frame which you have just added. Next to the image of your design it says edit, click it and make your changes.

Q. Is the website secure?

A. Yes, this website has employed 128 bit encryption technology in order to securely transmit your personal details across the internet. This can be seen by clicking the padlock symbol in your browser when you are in your shopping basket.