A cheap frame looks cheap for three reasons: foil-wrapped MDF moulding, no mount, and thin wavy glazing. Fix those three and even a modest frame reads as premium — and none of the fixes costs much. Here's where to spend and where to save.
What actually makes a frame look cheap
- Foil-wrapped MDF. The plastic wood-effect skin peels at the corners and never quite matches real grain. Solid wood or aluminium in a plain finish costs little more and lasts decades.
- No mount. Art pressed edge-to-edge against the glass is the single biggest giveaway. A bevel-cut mount adds breathing room and instantly reads as gallery framing. Browse picture mounts.
- Wrong size. Artwork rattling inside a too-big standard frame, or trimmed to fit a too-small one, never looks right.
Where to save
Go slim. Narrow mouldings use less material and suit most modern prints better than wide ones anyway. Go simple. A plain black, white or oak finish is cheaper than ornate profiles and far more versatile. Skip speciality glazing unless the piece hangs in direct sun — standard clear glazing is fine for most rooms.
Where to spend
The mount. It's the cheapest upgrade with the biggest visual payoff — a wide mount around a small print is the classic gallery trick, making modest art look intentional and expensive. Exact sizing. A made-to-measure frame cut to your artwork costs more than a bargain-bin standard size, but it eliminates the fit problems that make budget framing look budget. See current prices on our picture frames page — pick a finish, enter your size, and the price updates instantly.
The honest comparison
A ready-made standard-size frame is the right call for posters and temporary art. For anything you'll keep on the wall more than a year, made-to-measure with a mount costs a little more and looks several times better — with glazing, backing and fixings included, dispatched in 2–5 working days. Price your own size with custom framing — enter the dimensions and the cost updates as you go.