What do we do?
American Moulding does framing, matting, printing, and assembly. We work with artists both locally and from across the country and non-artists to produce and present artwork and items to their liking. We stock a wide variety of moulding to make custom frames and a range of matboard colors and styles (standard, suede, textured, etc.) to accent any piece. We have archival, eco-solvent, and flatbed printers to print on a variety of media. We have a laser cutter, a machine that can custom cut plexiglass, matboard, plaques and other materials with precision up to a size of 55x35 or etch designs into the same set of materials. We have two gunnars that can cut unique matboard designs and borders. Our workshop also has a 4 foot by 8 foot CNC to route out custom shapes in a variety of materials, create custom boxes, and much more. We assemble a variety of prints in house, which includes stretching canvas.
What is our turnaround window?
Our standard order window is 2 weeks. We do accept rush orders. The turnaround time may also be adjusted based on quantity.
What types of frames do we have?
We carry a wide variety of mouldings composed of both wood and synthetic varieties. If it is not a moulding we have in stock we can often order it from our suppliers.
Are there options for my framed piece besides glass?
Yes! We offer both glass and plexiglass. Glass can be shattered and doesn't have the same UV resistance as plexiglass, but comes at a lower cost. Plexiglass is flexible and resistant to shattering. It also offers a great deal of protection from UV rays. We can also order museum glass which is anti-reflective and blocks 99% of UV rays.
How large can we print?
Our maximum size on archival materials is 60 inches by however long. This is further broken down based on the material you are looking at. For instance, the largest image size we can produce on archival canvas to stretch is 57 inches on the short side. Our eco-solvent printer can print up to 63 inches by however long. Our UV flatbed printer can print up to 48 inches (4 feet) by 96 inches (8 feet).
What materials can we print on?
Our standard materials for our archival printers are canvas, watercolor paper, glossy photo paper, metallic paper, vinyl, and matte paper. The in house eco-solvent printer can print on a range of rolled media that includes canvas, banner, re-positionable sticker material, photo papers, matte papers, watercolor paper, magnetic vinyl, and many others. Our UV printer is limited only by a maximum height of 1.98 inches and can print on any range of materials including wood planks, MDF, birch panels, aluminum, canvas, and paper.
What is an eco-solvent printer? What is special about eco-solvent materials?
An eco-solvent printer is simply a printer that used eco-solvent inks. Eco-solvent inks are a variety of solvent inks, inks that do not have a water base. These inks can adhere to non-absorbent materials and are low in cost. Our eco-solvent printer, the ColorPainter M-64s, prints at high speeds with high density color. It uses 7 colors for high detail. Its inks stay consistent for up to 36 months outdoors.
You can find more information on our eco-solvent printer here.
What is an archival printer? What is special about archival materials?
When we say archival we are referring to our printers that use aqueous ink. Aqueous inks are water based. They do not hold up well outdoors like eco-solvent inks, but they last up to 100 years or more indoors. Our aqueous printers, the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF8400, have a wide range of color quality by using 12 different colors of ink. They are the go to choice for printing fine art. The quality and lifespan do come at a higher cost.
More information on our canons can be found here.
What is a UV printer? What are the benefits?
A UV printer cures ink using intense UV light. Its prints are dry as soon as they are complete. The benefits of our UV printer is that it is a flatbed printer which allows us to print on alternative media besides just rolled fabrics and papers. Our Vanguard can print on anything that it's 3.98 inches max height can clear.
Find out more about our Vanguard by clicking here.