I used a program from Gallery Software since 1992 and it was a real BEAR to use. It was very clunky and had no modification options to personalize the program to fit individual needs, ie., message changes for invoices and workorders, logo additions, address changes, etc. Support was virtually nil and they had a annual maintenance fee of several hundred dollars per year which got you nearly nothing!
I switched to Frameready 3.0 in 1999 and never looked back! The ease of use, versatility, and professional support you get from Bert DeRoo, Carol, and the staff at Soft Touch Solutions is worth much more than the purchase price of the software. (See Decor magazine, June, 2001, pp. 81 - 84 for an interview I participated in about computers in the gallery/frame shop.)
I am presently using Frameready 4.1 and I simply love it. It can handle stacked mouldings, multiple mats with or without fillets, special cuts, and you can add any special service or product that you offer to the list of items shown in each category. I have added things like the cost of cameos, the cost of doing mat laminated spacers used in shadowbox designs, and brass nameplates of different sizes/types. All the messages that appear on each one of my printouts are personalized for my gallery including the gallery logo, address, and phone number that prints out at the top of each invoice and monthly statement.
The customer data base is automatically updated each time you enter a new customer or add a new address or phone number for an existing customer. You can enter automatic discounts if you offer them to commercial accounts or preferred customers. One of the handiest things is the updates that you download from the Frameready website for all of the frame and matting supplies that you carry in your gallery/frame shop. They are updated by the suppliers and you can arrange to receive an e-mail when new updates are posted so you don't have to waste time checking the site for updates. They download and automatically update all of your prices per foot, cost per mat board, and enter any new items that have been added to the supplier's offerings. It will also automatically delete any outdated mouldings or matboards.
As I mention in the Decor article, be nosy when shopping for a new computer program! Ask questions. One thing that nobody needs is to pay for extra bells and whistles that you may never use in YOUR shop on a day to day basis. Be realistic about what your needs may be in your own situation, not a theoretical one that some salesman sets up for you. I don't use bar codes, for example. That may be a big selling point for some gallery programs but it wouldn't do ME one bit of good. And I don't want to pay for something that I will never use.
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****4 mitered corners away from that perfect frame****