Picture Framing in Princeton, NJ
Archival Framing and Custom Work 25 Minutes from Campus
Custom picture framing for Princeton residents at our Somerset, NJ shop, 25 minutes from Princeton via Route 27 or Route 206. We serve Princeton families with the full range of framing work: original artwork from local galleries and collected pieces from travel, family photographs and portraits, diplomas from Princeton University and other schools, professional credentials, gallery wall arrangements, archival framing for valuable original art and heirloom pieces, and specialty work including shadow boxes for sports memorabilia and dimensional objects.
The 25-minute drive earns its way. Our Somerset facility manufactures every frame on-site, which means custom moulding cuts, non-standard sizes, and archival materials are standard rather than special-order. Most Princeton-area frame shops order finished frames from wholesalers, which limits flexibility and extends turnaround. We build to your specifications. For original art, valuable pieces, and projects where conservation matters, the difference shows up in the finished work and in the pricing relative to Princeton-area framers who pay downtown commercial rents.
Princeton residents trust CustomPictureFrames.com for picture framing. Located in Somerset, NJ, we serve Princeton and surrounding areas with custom-cut frames in any size, non-glare acrylic glazing, and 3-5 business days turnaround on standard orders. Standard frame profiles range from 1/2-inch to 4-inch widths in hardwood and metal, with non-glare acrylic glazing and acid-free matting available on every order. Walk-in artwork measurement is available by appointment. Local pickup at our frame shop is available by appointment for customers who prefer to skip shipping. Open the frame designer to enter your exact dimensions.
Start your custom frame design here. Walk in to finish at our Somerset showroom, 25 minutes from Princeton via Route 27.
The live frame designer with real-time pricing is ready. It covers every configuration this page describes:
Custom Picture Frames
Shadow Boxes
Canvas Frames
What Princeton Customers Bring to Our Shop
Princeton customers more often bring high-value, unusual, or culturally specific pieces than the everyday-framing mix at our other locations. The categories below reflect what typically drives the 25-minute trip from Princeton to our Somerset facility.
Original artwork and collected pieces
Original paintings from local Princeton-area galleries, signed prints from notable artists, gallery purchases from New York and Philadelphia, commissioned portraits, and pieces collected during travel. We use archival matting and non-glare acrylic for all original work. For pieces with significant monetary value, we work with conservators and appraisers when restoration, authentication, or insurance questions arise.
Family photographs and portraits
Professional family portraits from local Princeton photographers, wedding photography collections, generational family albums broken down into individual framed pieces, and contemporary photography for home display. Princeton families often commission framing for multiple pieces at once to create coherent gallery wall displays across hallways, dining rooms, or staircase walls. We design these arrangements with you in person, providing layout recommendations and matching frame profiles across the collection.
Princeton University diplomas and academic credentials
Princeton University diplomas in traditional orange-and-black matting, graduate degrees, doctoral dissertations with hood displays, honorary degrees, and continuing education credentials. Our dedicated Princeton diploma framing page covers the specific considerations for Princeton diplomas in detail. Most Princeton alumni come to us specifically for the Princeton-specific expertise.
Professional and business displays
Medical board certifications and law diplomas for Princeton's substantial professional community. Office artwork for executive offices, law firms, medical practices, and consulting firms. Corporate display work for businesses requiring consistent framing across multiple offices. Recognition pieces, awards, and commemorative displays for retirement gifts and professional milestones.
Conservation and heirloom framing
Antique artwork requiring archival framing for preservation, inherited family heirloom pieces from estate collections, vintage photographs requiring archival treatment, and pieces of significant monetary or sentimental value where standard framing materials are not appropriate. non-glare acrylic, archival mat board, reversible mounting techniques, and non-glare acrylic are standard practice rather than special-order upcharges. For pieces requiring formal conservation assessment, we coordinate with regional conservators familiar with the specific medium and tradition.
Gallery wall arrangements
Multi-piece gallery walls combining photographs, artwork, and documents in coherent display arrangements. Princeton families often have collections spanning travel art, family photographs, and professional milestones that benefit from intentional layout design rather than ad-hoc framing decisions. We provide layout recommendations, frame profile coordination across pieces, and matting choices that create visual cohesion.
International and travel art
European paintings, Asian art including South Asian religious pieces ( Tanjore framing covered in detail on our Hillsborough Tanjore page), maps from travel, decorative textiles, and three-dimensional souvenirs. Princeton residents travel extensively and accumulate pieces with cultural specificity that benefits from informed framing.
Shadow box and dimensional pieces
Sports memorabilia, military service displays, wedding keepsakes, musical instruments, scientific instruments, and other three-dimensional objects requiring shadow box construction. Princeton's academic and professional community often has unique pieces (scientific equipment, antique instruments, professional memorabilia) that benefit from custom dimensional framing. See our shadow box framing page for full detail.
Why Princeton Residents Drive to Our Somerset Shop
The drive is meaningfully longer than the local Princeton options. The Princeton resident asking why deserves a real answer. Here are the five reasons customers keep coming back across multiple projects.
On-site manufacturing for custom and conservation work
Most Princeton-area frame shops order finished frames from wholesalers. This limits available sizes, extends turnaround on non-standard work, and complicates specialty work like shadow box depths, archival framing, and oversized pieces. We manufacture every frame on-site. Custom moulding cuts, non-stock sizes, and specialty configurations are standard work rather than special-order. The 25-minute drive saves weeks compared to the wholesale-order workflow at most local Princeton shops.
Archival materials as standard
For valuable original artwork and pieces requiring archival treatment, our archival materials are standard practice rather than upcharges. Acid-free, lignin-free mat board, framer's grade acrylic as standard with non-glare acrylic available as an upgrade, and reversible mounting techniques are how we approach every archival project from the start. We do not surprise customers with archival upcharges after committing to a project.
Pricing transparency and value
Princeton-area frame shops operate in downtown Princeton or Hopewell commercial real estate with corresponding overhead. Our Somerset facility operates on industrial real estate at a fraction of those costs. The same materials, the same hand craftsmanship, the same archival, with pricing meaningfully lower than the downtown-Princeton average. Real-time pricing in our designer shows exactly what your configuration costs before you commit.
Expertise across categories
Our framers know when to recommend archival materials and when standard options are appropriate. We do not upsell. If you brought in a $50 print, we recommend framing that respects the piece without overspending on materials it does not need. If you brought in a $5,000 original, we recommend archival materials that protect the investment.
Princeton-specific experience
We have framed Princeton University diplomas (orange-and-black tradition, seal clearance, dissertation hood shadow boxes for doctoral graduates), original artwork from local Princeton galleries, archival framing for heirloom pieces from Princeton-area estates, and corporate display work for Princeton-based businesses. The Princeton expertise is real, not generic.
Recent Princeton-Area Work
Our recent Princeton-area work has included a Princeton University doctoral diploma framed with academic hood in a deep shadow box for a Princeton resident, archival framing for a collection of 19th-century botanical prints inherited from a Hopewell estate, and a gallery wall arrangement of six original paintings for a West Windsor home featuring local artists.
We have also framed a series of European travel watercolors collected over a decade for a Princeton Junction couple, a Princeton University law diploma with embossed seal clearance for a Lawrenceville attorney, and a multi-piece display of antique scientific instruments for a Pennington researcher who wanted the pieces preserved in archival shadow boxes. The pattern across most Princeton projects: customers arrive with valuable pieces, specific design intent, and the expectation that the framing will match the piece in quality and consideration.
How Picture Framing Works at Our Somerset Shop
Every picture framing project is designed in person after we see what you want framed. Mat configuration, moulding choice, glazing tier, and any specialty considerations affect both the build and what it costs.
Use the designer above to configure a frame with your specific dimensions, frame style, mat preferences, and glazing tier. The designer calculates real-time pricing as you build. For simple projects (single photographs, standard sizes, standard materials), the designer alone handles the full transaction including local pickup or shipping to Princeton.
For complex projects (original artwork requiring archival framing, multi-piece gallery arrangements, shadow boxes, specialty work), in-person consultation is the right approach. We discuss material options, write up a quote and timeline, and you approve the design before we build. For Princeton residents with valuable pieces, many customers prefer driving the piece to our facility rather than shipping; the consultation, drop-off, and pickup over the course of a week is straightforward.
Process & timing
Walk in any weekday between 9am and 4pm, or book an evening or Saturday slot for dedicated consultation. Standard turnaround is 3-5 business days for general framing. Rush service available when you book ahead.
Payment
Cash, check, and all major credit cards. 50% deposit on larger orders. Balance due when you pick up the finished piece.
Drive Times from Princeton-Area Towns to Our Somerset Shop
Approximate drive times via Route 27, Route 206, or Route 287 depending on origin. Add 10 to 15 minutes during weekday rush hours.
Princeton residents drive to our Somerset facility for the work that requires on-site manufacturing capability, conservation expertise, or specialty handling. For ongoing relationships across multiple projects, we coordinate scheduling so you can drop off new pieces during the same visit that you pick up completed work. Princeton-area customers who travel through the Somerset Highway 287 area or commute through New Brunswick often combine our shop visit with existing routes. For pieces requiring extended consultation, we offer evening and Saturday appointments to accommodate Princeton residents who cannot make weekday hours.
Common Questions from Princeton Customers
Is the 25-minute drive to Somerset worth it for framing?
Do you handle archival framing for valuable original artwork?
Can you frame Princeton University diplomas?
What about international or imported artwork?
Do you offer in-person consultations for complex projects?
How do you handle valuable pieces that customers do not want to ship?
Can you design coherent gallery wall arrangements for multi-piece displays?
What's the difference between standard framing and archival framing?
Bring Your Princeton Framing Project to Our Somerset Shop
Walk in any weekday between 9am and 4pm at 6 Shirley Avenue, Somerset, NJ. The 25-minute drive from Princeton brings you to a shop that manufactures every frame on-site with archival materials as standard practice. Bring the piece you want framed, or photos and dimensions if you would rather discuss the project first. Book an evening or Saturday slot through our online scheduling for complex projects or quieter consultations.
For Princeton University diplomas specifically, see our dedicated Princeton diploma framing page. For Tanjore painting framing, shadow box work, or sports jersey memorabilia, see the corresponding specialty pages. For everything else, just bring the piece in.