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The Framer's Workshop — 2439 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: (510) 849–4444  |  Hours: Monday–Saturday: 10AM–6PM •  Sunday: Noon–6PM

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The Framer's Workshop > Graphics Services: Framing Visualization

Graphics Services at The Framer's Workshop: Framing Visualization

Mike Wells, Graphics Manager
Hi, my name is Mike Wells. I'm the Graphics Manager at The Framer's Workshop. As well as maintaining and updating our extensive website, I do our in-house Digital Photo Restoration and I produce our Monthly Email Newsletter. I also provide a variety of services that can help you realize your visual art project. On this page I'm introducing these services, beginning here with "Framing Visualization."

Frequently an individual or corporate client requests a visual representation of what their artwork will look like not only framed but installed. Below, I show you how I construct these visualizations and provide examples of work we've done for our clients.
We'll begin with this visualization of the front "gallery" wall of our shop. You can see the original unedited photograph on the left and the "enhanced" version on the right:

I've cropped out the background, squared up the wall and tidied up the look of the photograph. Due to the glare, each of the framed items on the wall has been recreated in Photoshop and then superimposed on the original. In fact the two items to the far right on the light portion of the wall are not "real". They've been completely generated in Photoshop. Each of the others, although existing in reality, have been at least enhanced, if not completely recreated from scratch.

Take the Grand Tour poster, for example:
Above is the raw photo. The color is off and I'm getting reflections. Step 1: I begin the visualization process with the actual digital print file, scaled down. Step 2: I create the undermat as a layer in Photoshop and give it a slight drop shadow. Step 3: I create the top mat as a layer in Photoshop and give it a slight drop shadow.
Step 4a: I create the basic frame rectangle as a layer in Photoshop, including inner rounded corners. Step 4b: This is a detail of the project in Photoshop so far showing the grid lines. Step 5a: Since this is a clear Prisma frame I give the basic frame shape an inner shadow. Step 5b: This is a detail of the inner shadow applied to the basic frame shape.
Step 6a: The rabbit of the Prisma frame is a slightly lighter color than the outer frame shape. This is another Photoshop layer. Step 6b: This is a detail showing the Prisma frame rabbit which also has a rounded outer corner. Step 7a: The rabbit is given a drop shadow so it appears to be inside the 'box' of the Prisma frame shape. Step 7b: A close up view of the rabbit with its drop shadow.

Of course not every individual frame visualization is as complex as that. Quite often all I do is photograph the piece, square it up and adjust the color.

To the right is the raw photograph of the EUROPA poster taken after framing but before glass was installed. The far right image is the adjusted version... and the one that was superimposed on the wall seen on the top of this page, far right.
Above is the final visualization with a transparent background and a drop shadow for the complied layers.   Framed EUROPA poster raw photo. Framed Europa Poster after adjustments.

Corporate Visualizations

Quite often our corporate clients want us to show them not only a variety of framing options, but art purchase options as well. Below are examples of work we've completed for corporate clients.
The process begins with a raw photograph of the wall on which the art is to hang. In this instance the client wanted to plaque mount photographic images for their office and asked to see options for purchase. I've squared up the wall in the raw photograph and am showing one art option above.
Above shows a second art option. This is a photograph of the actual art installation.
The next two walls of this project follow the same pattern: Raw wall photograph top left, Art Option 1 top right, Art Option 2 bottom left and Final instillation bottom right:
Sometimes, however, either we don't have access to the interior to be photographed or, as in the case below, the interior hasn't even been constructed yet! We were given the architectural elevations and asked to produce PDFs that showed potential artwork, installation arrangements and other options the worked with the interior designer's plans. I'll simply post these images without comment for your interest: