Custom Framing is Now Easier, More Accessible and Less Expensive, Thanks to Framebridge

New e-commerce company launches website and iPhone app to reinvent how customers frame their art and photos

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Aug 07, 2014, 07:03 ET

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Framebridge has launched a website and iPhone app for beautiful and affordable custom framing. The new service is available at www.framebridge.com and through the Framebridge iPhone app and aims to reinvent custom picture framing at prices 50 to 70 percent less than retail frame shops. Customers can ship their art to Framebridge using free packaging or upload a photo from their computer, iPhone, or Instagram feed, choose a frame style and receive their custom framed, ready-to-hang piece within two weeks.

New e-commerce company, Framebridge, launches website and iPhone app to reinvent how customers frame their art and photos. Customers can ship their art to Framebridge using free packaging or upload a photo from their computer, iPhone, or Instagram feed, choose a frame style and receive their custom framed, ready-to-hang piece within two weeks - at prices 50 to 70 percent less than retail frame shops. Image courtesy of Framebridge. (PRNewsFoto/Framebridge, Inc.)

Framebridge developed its service to make it quick, easy and affordable for customers to frame their art and photos, using their smartphone or computer, without sacrificing the craftsmanship and quality of traditional custom framing. Framebridge's visualization tools allow consumers to preview their pieces in a variety of styles and on their actual walls using the iPhone app. If desired, customers can consult with an expert through the "Designer's Choice" option. The Framebridge design team reviews the customer's art and suggests three flattering frame and mat styles. The customer then makes the final decision and the art is framed and shipped.

Framebridge pricing includes shipping and is based on art size alone, regardless of frame style – ranging from $79 for a small piece to $149 for an extra-large piece up to 32" x 40". Framed Instagram "minis," available through the iPhone app, are $39.

"For years, I avoided buying art – on trips, at flea markets – because the price and hassle of custom framing at traditional frame shops made it impossible. I wanted to take that barrier away, so people were free to find things they love and get them up on the wall," said Susan Tynan, Framebridge founder and CEO.

Tynan, a Harvard Business School graduate, was previously General Manager of several business units at LivingSocial, including the home services business. Prior to that, Tynan held leadership roles at multiple consumer technology start-ups and also worked on customer service and technology issues at the White House.

"We tried to completely reimagine the experience," continued Tynan. "What makes visiting a traditional custom frame shop uncomfortable? Let's remove it. The upselling, the unclear pricing, the overwhelming, outdated selection – gone."

A team of experienced framers cut, assemble and finish each frame to custom dimensions at Framebridge's production studio in Lanham, MD using top-of-the-line materials, including wood moulding, acid-free matting and foam boards, and UV protective acrylic. Twenty-one styles of frames are offered in three collections: Classic, Clean and Eclectic, with design-oriented finishes ranging from mirrored silver to gold bamboo to natural maple. Each frame is paired with coordinated mat styles, making it easy for customers to find the perfect match for any piece of art.

"The retail custom framing market is estimated to be about $7 billion a year, but it's not nearly as large as it should be," said Dayna Grayson, partner at New Enterprise Associates, an investor in Framebridge. "The cost structure of current frame stores means many customers are met with prices they are unwilling to pay. By making beautiful framing affordable, Framebridge is meaningfully opening up the market to a new segment of consumers."

Framebridge has raised $1.25M in seed financing from New Enterprise Associates, Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Revolution and co-founder of AOL, and Tim O'Shaughnessy, co-founder and former CEO of LivingSocial.

Framebridge, Inc.
Founded in 2014 by Susan Tynan, Framebridge aims to take away the cost and hassle of traditional custom framing – the upselling, the overwhelming selection of styles and the multiple trips to the store – by offering a limited selection of frames, inspired by current interior design trends, online and through an iPhone app. For more information visit www.framebridge.com or follow Framebridge on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140806/134218

SOURCE Framebridge, Inc.