To Sticker or not to Sticker?

Val

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Posts
6,729
Loc
Carson City, Nevada
When do you NOT put a sticker on the back? I don't if it isn't a frame that we built (ready-made, someone else's that needed repair or fitting, etc), but often am tempted if it's my complicated matting in someone else's frame. I don't though. I also don't if it's a dry-mount only, no frame.
The sticker goes only on the dust cover of our frames, and, when I remember, a UV sticker when warranted. Sometimes I will write the date in tiny letters under the label.
Views on Stickering?
 
I won't put it on a frame I didn't make, but I will put one on the foam core of a drymount job just in case they might want to frame it later.

I will put it on readymades because I made all of mine.

Also won't put it on a job that is going to be re sold through the artist that originally brought it in. (So if a photographer is getting something framed for their customer, they typically like to have the customer believe they did it)
 
I think the most useful sticker is one that specifies exactly what you DID do.

I've had people bring in projects I've worked on and complain that the mounting was bubbling, for example. Then I have to go dig up the original work order to show them that it was dry-mounted (poorly) when they brought it in to be framed.

They may lose the sticker (or peel it off, if their intentions are malicious,) so you still need to file work orders, but it will head off some honest misunderstandings.
 
I sticker only on frame packages that I have completed or if I redid matting and glass in customer's existing frame and it looks really nice!! On all drymounting and plakit. And UV sticker where used.

The "not" are the redo, ugly, old or resale.
 
We keep a pile of our competitors' stickers and put them on anything we would be embarrassed to put our own on. Of course, we also put Baltimore Ravens stickers on the inside, under the dust cover, of all Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia we have the misfortune to frame, so clearly we are ethically challenged...

Joe
 
Roz, what do you mean by "the redo"?
 
Ha...I like Joes remedy..
Actually in our shop we forget 1/2 the time to sticker anything...that's not good! hmmm. Are your UV stickers something you make up ???.
When We do remember to sticker them it is usually our busn card on the back. {Placed there only so the customer remembers what our phone # is to call us if need be. Never gave a thought to a bad job by others...! Good thinking, me thinks!

Are we in Alaska ready for stickers??? I am the only frame shop in town, so far.
 
I don't sticker a job that has interior elements (or a lousy frame) which we either did not do or do not conform to our standards. Also, If a piece has pre-existing damage, I note a description of it on a small form I designed and affix it to the backing board under the dust cover, so some future frame archaeologist can assign credit and blame accordingly.
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Rick
 
What Paul said,

But we leave it off some jobs, where customer has insisted on something 'orrible.

We have always used a stamp, not a sticker, can't peel it off. If the backing is waterproofed, we still stamp, then magic tape over it. We do have labels if needed.

We use UV glass that has a slightly better % blockage than Tru Vu CC and is not rippled like Tru Vu, slightly cheaper too. But the stickers that come with it have the supplier's phone No - So we don't use them, unless we cut that bit off.
 
Robo,so why not just cut that bit off? I need to work on remembering to put the UV sticker on every time.

Rick, I like the idea of putting the note inside, under the dust cover in the event of pre-existing damage. I also note it on the framing order form, in front of the customer, and have them initial, or just flat sign it. Interesting how many times I've heard "Oh, I never noticed that before!" and rest assured they would've noticed after I framed it and then blamed it on me! That one's gotten me out of a few sticky situations. In the event it wasn't noticed until later, I will actually call the customer and tell them "I was just getting ready to work on your piece and noted something we didn't notice before, there's a small scratch on...". That's saved mine a time or two also.
I have a confession to make...I'm superstitious. I won't put the sticker on until the very last thing, before it gets put away for pick-up. Afraid if I do it sooner, I'll find a flumb or something and will have to redo it. Sometimes I find the dang flumb anyway, and don't know what to blame it on then! (poor eyesight? Just had eye surgery, 20/20 now, can't blame it on that!) Oh yeah, the Flumb Fairy!
 
I put a copy of my business card on the dust cover and if I haven't done the complete frame, then I will put a note indicating exactly what I did, e.g. "mattes by:" if I only replaced the mattes.

I like Rick's idea of recording any damage and placing it in the framing package
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I make a note in my own records of any damage (and have made the customer aware of it), but that info would be helpful in the future if it was being reframed.
 
Originally posted by Val:

I have a confession to make...I'm superstitious. I won't put the sticker on until the very last thing, before it gets put away for pick-up. Afraid if I do it sooner, I'll find a flumb or something and will have to redo it. Sometimes I find the dang flumb anyway, and don't know what to blame it on then! (poor eyesight? Just had eye surgery, 20/20 now, can't blame it on that!) Oh yeah, the Flumb Fairy!
Val:

With me it has nothing to do with superstition. That's the last thing I do (as well as attaching hangers to the wire) before wrapping the piece. It is like a ritual...


If a flumb will appear, it will, no matter how we vary the ritual!
 
Ah, "ritual". That feels better. Superstitious has a "wierdo" ring to it. Thanks Paul.
I still believe in the Flumb Fairy.
 
We used to put those UV stickers on the back, but they fade so fast we thought it was useless.

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We do leave nasty little notes like "Customers mats, pointed out acid burning and explained that the mats were destroying their artwork. Customer insisted on using them anyway along with the cheap frame and un-protecting regular glass. Copy of this note on file.", hiding under the dust cover. Had one come back.... and when I removed the dust cover in front of the customer... she blanched and said... "THAT! Was my CHEAPA$$ED EX-husband. Let's do it right this time." And we've laughed about it since.
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Originally posted by Canton Crew:
Of course, we also put Baltimore Ravens stickers on the inside, under the dust cover, of all Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia we have the misfortune to frame, so clearly we are ethically challenged...

Joe
OMG!!! JOE!!! Too funny! I got to keep that in mind! (And why is it that we have SO many Pittsburg fans in our area?)
 
The markings made by a rubber stamp should not
fade (given the right ink) and will not peel off.
If a date in included, the future will know when
the frame was last open what was used.


Hugh
 
I'm getting a whole roll of Huskey stickers and marking every Beaver and Duck certificate.... :D

Canton Crew, you've got big ones.
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We mark everything we finish with a sticker that shows our logo/address/etc, the framer's initials, date of completion, and order number. It makes it so much easier to cross reference the original designs when someone has a concern or wants to duplicate the project.
 
I can't recall ever having gotten any stickers for my UV glass. But not a problem..! I don't label every thing. Seems to me A person can tell right away if its not UV. So what do I got to tell them for. Labels are on the backside and are hardly ever seen or noticed. If they are noticed at all its only for a few seconds and up on the wall it goes never to be seen again until taken down several years later.
 
I also apply one of my business cards. I'm planning on kicking that up a notch, and start using the top portion of letterhead. The additional space will allow me room to briefly describe the article, date of publication, and conservation materials used to do the job.

(I frame my own acquisitions - antique paper collectibles - for the tourist and resident markets)
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Better be careful, Trapper. More than a few grumblers feel that our customers are indeed quite interested in the backside of the project
 
I use a Seiko smart label printer and every frame has a customised label - if its a repair or remount - the sticker has that information on it. If I am framing for an artist or photographer I can customise the label to their requirements - in the gallery every picture and print can have its own descriptive label - an indispensable machine.
 
I just had an $850 piece come in because the seller stuck his fingers through the dust cover as he started to deliver it. Deep frame. I will fill to the top and then paper it. They do care about the back....
 
See, Trapper, I told you so

Some framers get pretty worked up about this
 
Originally posted by Bob Carter:
See, Trapper, I told you so

Some framers get pretty worked up about this
Bob, I'm not sure it's fair to say I "get pretty worked up about this", but I probably think labeling is more important than Trapper does.

The back label information is handy later. Work order number and a few details about the assembly could save a lot of digging when Ms. Customer comes in with Johnnie's senior photo and says "Frame this one just like you did my daughter's picture when she graduated in 1997." She doesn't have to bring in the older frame, which went cross-country when Katie moved away. All we need are the numbers off the back label, which takes only a phone call to Katie's butler.

If we're talking about the whole back, and not just labeling, I say either fill the frame or recess the dustcover to fit right on the backing board, so there's no poke-through opportunity. And use a decent quality paper. Black turns brown or gray over time, and might mark the wall. Brown paper looks ordinary. White isn;t opaque enough. I use Lineco blue lignin-free paper on almost everything.

Customers usually look at the back of the frame when they come to pick up the finished work, and what they see matters. They can't see inside, so they check the corners and the back, hoping to find indications of the quality they're buying.

Rather than making the back a no-impression feature of the framing, I choose to make a favorable impression with it.

Not "worked up" about it, just making it the best it can be. On average, that costs me about 50 cents more per frame and I think it's worth it.
 
Yep, agree with Jim.

Bob, you were going to do a black vs kraft paper test. did you?

I have two stickers. One has my logo, address and stuff and my name like this "Cliff Wilson, CPF; Signature Framing" on one line. The other just has the shop name address, phone, and web site. Both are Gold foil with black lettering.

I put the logoed one on when I feel everything was done "properly." I put the other one on when anything is "amiss" do to prior condition or customer decisions.

I wouldn't send something out without my contact info! (aside from wholesale jobs that wind up with someone elses name on them)
 
Guys-Look, we're all friends here and I sure don't anybody to get upset over this issue

I have absolutely no problem with whatever you put on the back. And, I absolutely agree with Jim that the cost is insignificant. A also agree that if you feel it is an advantage in your perception issue, then it is a no-brainer.

I didn't mean to make it an issue

But, c'mon guys, we do take this a little seriously.

We put our stickers (including the UV stickers) on everything we do for no other reason that we hope that it will be a reminder; just like the sticker for oil changes, heat pump service, my pool man.

It is a good idea

Cliff-we did do a little "test". Went through an entire roll of black. You know I let the staff have fun with stuff like this (actually they did it when I was in Orlando). They told me they did several workorders that had multilpe pieces with some brown, some black. One person questioned why they were different and we told them it was a market test and the framers said they would replace whichever they wished. When asked which they would rather replace, they said it didn't matter. They followed up with"Not to worry, they were going hang them in different places"
I asked the framers which they preferred as to ease of installation or fit or anything else and they all said they prferred that I make a decision an duse one or the other. Having two rolls just got in the way

My decision? We're going black

Like Jim said, some might see it as an advantage and it's just not that big a deal

In hind sight, I should have emailed Trapper privately to eliminate the possible reaction

Guys, trust me. It's no big deal
 
I am not looking to get anyone worked up about anything on here..Just posting questions as if I didn't know anybetter.

I think the information you have on your labels are great. I think I was mis-understanding the purpose of your labels in the first place. Just to tell someone how to clean glass or that it's tru-vue seems like a waist to me..but thats me. I just place our busn. card on the back. You know I think your right though about people picking up a a job and looking at the back. Quality I guess is what they are looking for. All I ever saw was wire and paper..big deal! Guess I should try and see the backing in different light and change my labels. Anyone with any ideas as to what information to put on those labels? Are you just spitting them out on your computer or are you actually buying these labels?
 
Bob, I don't think it's a big deal either, but you know I couldn't let it go when you said, "Some framers get pretty worked up about this." LOL

And Bob, don't go mailing privately!? It spoils all the fun!
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And trapper, I order my labels from a local company, but you can get them for a little less money online. They cost a little less or about the same as business cards and they look a little more "professional" in my opinion.
 
So what do you think the market would be to have 36" Tyvek available in Black one side/ white the other.

This can be accomplishe by a screed print of acrylic ink.

Would anyone pay $120/roll for 50 yard rolls?
 
Baer, the Lineco blue paper is about $75. I think the black kraft was about $60 the last time I checked. For the functional advantage of the Tyvek I'd pay a premium, but probably not double. And, I'd just like black. I don't need it two sided.
 
UV glass requires special cleaning. That's why you put a sticker on the back with a reminder. And the fact it is Tru-Vue is branding. People like to know that you are using quality products.

Put the same information you have on your business card on your stickers. I get mine from NEBS (they have a website you can order from.) I like the look of the foil stickers plus you can use them on envelopes also when doing mailing. They are not just "info" they are marketing, so use them were ever you can.

One thing that I always find funny is when someone looks at the back and says -"Oh, you put a wire on it!" They seem suprised that I would provide them with a means to hang their picture! :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by AnneL:

One thing that I always find funny is when someone looks at the back and says -"Oh, you put a wire on it!" They seem surprised that I would provide them with a means to hang their picture! :rolleyes:
And they are surprised we put bumpers and a hanger too!
 
Originally posted by FramingFool:
It amazes me how often people seem surprised that we "put wire on it"......??????

(Have you ever seem work that didn't????)
Yup.

Have you tried WallBuddies yet??
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Framerguy
 
Originally posted by Cliff Wilson:
Baer, the Lineco blue paper is about $75. I think the black kraft was about $60 the last time I checked. For the functional advantage of the Tyvek I'd pay a premium, but probably not double. And, I'd just like black. I don't need it two sided.
Well Cliff, they would probably charge more to print the other side black also...

Tyvek by nature is white. Any other color is printed on.

In a 50yd roll the cost is $2/yd. You could get 100yds but it would only save you about $5-10; and it gets heavy real fast.
 
I staple a business card to a courtesty hook pack and attach it to the wire. I forgot one the other day, and the customer called in a panic..."YOUDIDN'TGIVEMEANYTHINGTOHANGITWITHNOWWHATAMIGONNADO??!!" I told her come back in, I'd give her one. She couldn't wait, found one at the grocery store! Geeze.
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Originally posted by Baer Charlton:
Tyvek.....
In a 50yd roll the cost is $2/yd. You could get 100yds but it would only save you about $5-10; and it gets heavy real fast.
Off course a bit here, but I've sourced a UK supplier for Tyvek in UK and it works out at about $2.70 a yard. But that is for five foot wide rolls, 25m long (about 83ft) Is that a good price?

The weight is 43 gsm, whatever that is in English!
 
Tyvek by nature is white. Any other color is printed on.

In a 50yd roll the cost is $2/yd. You could get 100yds but it would only save you about $5-10; and it gets heavy real fast.
ok, white it is. is that $2 for the white or the printed? $100 might be fine (next question -- how do you attach it to the wood? not with atg I know that!) was the $175 your distributors profit? I don't find that % unreasonable, but it creates a price point that's too high.

Do any of "our" current suppliers carry this?
 
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