I have framed here in the past and I had good experiences. But the staff turnover seems high and this time I was in I know longer knew or recognized any of the staff. I had two fragile prints from 1929 that I need framed. Now I'm kicking myself I took valuable items to this shop. First off the framing that was done was poor. Each print had gaping cracks at the corners. But I could have lived with that. Secondly they damaged one of the prints. There was a large crease in the middle where there hadn't been one before. When I called to talk to management they blamed me for the crease even though I have photos which I shared with him of the before and after damage. I will never go back to this shop. And I would encourage you to reconsider bringing any valuable or sentimental artwork here. read more

Hello there I've lived in this Gold Coast neighborhood for 35 years and that's how long I've been coming to the great frame up on elm street -it's never disappointed and it seems to get better and better with time and age and employees -the newest greatest additions who make me beyond elated and joyful are Gray and his co worker Veronica -they both specialize in style and color and care and effort and finesse-Gray helps me with my boarders Mattes -I leave the art pic with him and he designs it and helps it wear it well .and I had some glass day of the dead boxes that had accidentally fallen and broken inside and Veronica did an amazing job with them !!! They are like new again !!! Thanks to all of them -I'm not sure if James the Capricorn and this girl who worked there also a Capricorn sorry bout the names forgotten -they did good work too -it's by far the best and only framing company is trust with any type of art endeavors !!! For get the rest go to the best !!! On elm street -open till seven and be sure to ask for gray or Veronica for all your framing needs !!! It will totally satisfy your souls desire -heart included too !!! I'm moving to the far north side of Chgo but I will muster on back to elm for any and all framing necessities and enticements and designs to be given in only a way I can trust by the people I trust and let's sing praises for them as they make the place what it is today -perfect in every way !!! So please promote them keep on keeping on so your business continues to flourish and grow with an artistic emergence that only they can do !!! I'm speaking because I've gone there for 35 years or when they just opened which ever came first -I was there and shall always return no matter the distance it's beyond worth it and don't even get me started on the reasonable pricing -omg heaven sent this place is -with angels working along side one another for added inspiration and clever unique ideas -as two heads are better than one !!! Love it and so will you and yes with a lot of persistence I continue to find more wall space or such and much of my business is for the great gifts they create !!! And then I don't want to give away -ha funny but true !!! A big big King Kong gorilla big thanks to all of you -Roberta B fellow Capricorn read more

I have been coming here for years now, and they never disappoint! Their prices are very reasonable and they put a lot of care and effort into making a great piece. Marla, who works there, is one of the most kind, helpful and enthusiastic people you could ever hope to work with. I think she was even more excited about putting together my frame than I was! :) You can tell how passionate she is about her work. I would happily call myself a loyal customer of theirs! read more

The Great Frame Up - Gold Coast - Framing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I highly recommend Marla and her incredible eye for framing! I brought in a poster from Society6 and she turned it into a stunning, framed piece of art! I was so pleased that it's now hanging in a very prominent spot. She took time to look at the poster with me and identify the right colors for matting, which wasn't easy. She also suggested the perfect frame to accompany it. I appreciated the fact she broke everything down by price, helping me cut down on costs, and explained each element that goes into the framing from UV proofing to types of glass. She's great at helping you choose the best option based on your needs! read more

The Great Frame Up - Gold Coast - Framing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My experience with professional framers has been non-existent until recently. My idea of framing usually includes trips to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Target, Michael's, or Blick Art Supplies and seeing what works. I saw a cool looking poster on social media (of all places) and decided to order one without a frame included (read: cheaper). I figured a trip to one of the previously mentioned stores would be enough. BUT, once I physically had the poster, I thought I better get an even cooler frame for it. Voila. Helloooo, The Great Frame Up. I know I passed this place many times and now I had an excuse to check it out. When I brought in said poster and worked with one of the employees who pinned it up on this large board where we played with different frame samples. I think we tried about 8-10 samples (some twice) before choosing the one. The employee, whose name I cannot remember, and I went through the various options, including the glass that won't fade your artwork, and pricing. As others have mentioned, they will put together all the materials you'd need should you want to do it at home. Since I didn't trust myself having that much power, I asked them to frame it even if it cost a little extra. They will even throw in the right hook and wiring to hang your framed piece. My order took about two weeks, which wasn't that bad because it was close to the holiday gift giving season. read more

The Great Frame Up - Gold Coast - Cool frame option - Framing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Andrew and Marty are wonderful. Great help with finding the perfect frame and setting it up to enhance your favorite art. They did three prints already for me this year and each one is more beautifully done than the one before, read more

See all

I stopped in The Great Frame Up to have something framed for my son and daughter in law's 1st anniversary. I was immediately welcomed as I walked in. The girl assisting me was so friendly, helpful and polite. Her talent and creativity really shone as she helped me choose matting and framing. So many choices!! Many options are in stock and others were easily ordered. I needed my project completed quickly and it was ready right on time. The entire process was easy and fun. I was not rushed and felt very satisfied with the finished product. The prices are so reasonable here which was icing on the cake! The location is in the garden level that shares it's space with a nail salon and a tanning place. Street parking is somewhat easy. There is also a small lot next door. read more

See all

I took a print to get framed and when I picked it up the art was visibly off centered. They reframed it for me and the second time there were black fuzzies in the glass and eraser streaks on my print. I needed it for a gift that day so I had no other choice but to take it as is. I will not be returning. read more

I was in and out of this place faster than I could spin around around a bat without getting dizzy! The guy behind the counter was super friendly, and I needed new glass placed in an Escher picture frame that had bounced around the back of my car against gosh knows what, and the glass broke. I wasn't sure how much it was going to be, and I offered up the yelp coupon to help with the cost. "The cost of $5 to replace the glass?," he says... I guess I'll save it for my next job. It took a matter of five minutes, and it was good as new. Thank goodness, because it goes in my bathroom along with my other Escher self portrait picture, and he was starting to get lonely.... Easy peasy! read more

The Great Frame Up - Gold Coast - Framing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Can I leave 0 stars. This place lost my Certificate of authenticity and fucked up my artwork.

Okay saw the ratings here and was really skeptical. But given the fortune of my supreme laziness yesterday, this frame shop was the closest one so I figured I'd give it a shot. I was looking to frame a map - had the frame and map but all the other stuff was missing. I feared it would cost me a fortune. I called first - Cato answered - and told him a was working with a pretty small budget. To my surprise, his quote came in well under my number. When I got there Cato was helping someone else, so Cass gave me hand. True to their promise - not only could they do it within the budget I had (I hate the bait-and-switch common here in Chicago), but Cass said he could get it done in the next 24 hours (he mentioned the normal turnaround is 10 days) which was important to me because I wanted to surprise my wife once she gets back in town tonight. In the end, I saved a boatload of time and money - and the framed map looks great. Also, given how reasonably priced their glass is, I'll be bringing a lot of other paintings in in the next week. I'm guessing given the 2-stars for this location the owners have put some thought into customer service, etc., because these guys didn't disappoint. read more

My first experience with the Great Frame Up far exceeded any of my expectations. As an artist, I have been having pieces framed by other shops for years however the attention to detail and service at the Great Frame Up is impeccable! Marty took incredible care of me throughout the selection and design process of the framing. He offered thoughtful insight and opinions while keeping my core vision for the piece in mind. Marty has gained a client for many years to come! Highly recommend! read more

Great service and great prices. I was helped by an employee named Luke. He took care of all my requests and went above and beyond with service and quality. I highly recommend this store for all framing needs. read more

They were super helpful and helped me pick out a great looking frame for my piece. They also helped me fit the project within my budget!

Came into the frame shop not knowing what I wanted for a very special art piece and Cam was very helpful in walking me thru the process. Very excited to bring in more artwork to frame up!! read more

Wow! Great service that cares... I gently placed the fragile antique picture of my great, great Aunt Emma on the table to show Priscilla how the hanging wire had detached from the frame and asked: Can this be fixed?? She gently examined the frame and said using epoxy would be the best option, but unfortunately she would have to go to the hardware store to replenish their supply. I agreed to come back later in the day to pick up the picture. When I returned, the wire was thoroughly epoxied to the frame. Priscilla had also added a couple more brads to secure the picture in the frame. "Aunt Emma" was ready to return to my family picture gallery wall. An interior decorator had recommended "The Great Frame Up" on Elm, saying, "the quality and price are hard to beat." I agree! read more

It's a little expensive, but definitely worth it. I got a couple prints beautifully framed and came in to put them together myself to save $40 ($20 a piece to have it matted and framed for you after you pick the frame). They have so many choices, I will definitely come back when I pick the right piece of art for my living room (and when I have a little more cash in my pocket). read more

Too much staff turnover, new people not as good. Went in with a print. Dealt with one guy I never saw before who seemed a complete idiot. The other guy seemed more competent but sorry to say his accented speech was incomprehensible to me. The artist who did my framing in past is gone and so is the longtime manager. Seems a complete mess. Trying someone new. read more

Such a great experience at The Great Frame Up!! True professionals and very knowledgeable. We have used there company many times and will continue to do so. A+++ read more

Horrible customer service! I tried calling this location at 7:20 p.m. (not knowing they close at 7:30) to get a quick rough estimate on how much it would cost to frame a particular sized picture. The gentleman on the phone said to me that he is starting to close up... paused... then said we close at 7:30. He then tells me to call tomorrow and they could get me an estimated price. Confused by this, because I am a potential future customer looking to give them my money for a christmas present, I was not sure how to even respond to him. Without even being able to say another word, he then told me he is trying to finish up with a customer, he can not help me and then hung up. Off to Hobby Lobby I go! Not even sure why I looked around for another place to get this framed. Hobby Lobby has done great work the three times I have used them in the past. read more

I am writing to thank Cato for some creative framery. We had a 25+ year old frame which lost a piece, and neither the frame nor the missing piece was replaceable. He was able to use alternative materials in a creative way to replace the missing piece so that it looks as good as it did before. Thanks Cato for the extra effort! read more

I moved to a new home and hung my framed artwork on the walls by myself. I, stupidly, did not realize that I should have had a handyman anchor the nails in the walls. The first night, 5 pictures went crashing to the floor. All the glass was broken, the frames were askew--it was a mess! I took everything to the Great Frame Up on Elm and they were FANTASTIC!! I did not do the work myself, I had them do it. They had everything all cleaned up and fixed within a week. They are fabulous and I highly recommend them. read more

I've had one print framed here before and it turned out really well. Unfortunately, the person who assisted me is no longer working there. This time I was helped by a bored, listless, and uninformed individual. Toward the end of our interaction he became down right rude and snapped at me. He apologized and asked if I wanted to work with the manager. The manager was only slightly better. When I told him what happened his response was "weird." I really don't want to spend hundreds of dollars to work with people who act like disaffected teenagers and seem to know next to nothing about framing. read more

I went here off a Groupon -- honestly, I want my several hundred dollars back. It's kind of a neat experience (getting to frame your own stuff), but it seems to take forever and you have to take multiple trips to do it. The whole experience seemed very drawn out and at the end of the day... it's just a picture frame. Lower your prices!! read more

I've had a number of pictures framed here. They even stood by a frame that they repaired but that I hadn't purchased there. Fabulous service!!! I will continue to return here. read more

The main guy who does the framing here is a great photographer but he and his staff are clearly overworked. They were really nice but totally botched my frame job two times! It was really simple-- actually just some matting but for some reason they couldn't get it right. I would say that if you have something really simple, give them a try just because they have a nice attitude but man-- nothing complicated and no seriously valuable art!! read more

I went last weekend and framed a print I bought off etsy. I brought my own frame/glass, but purchased the matting there. The staff was very helpful with choosing the colors and prep! It was about $35 for them to prep the frame, matting materials, cut the matting, and supplies for me to put it all together myself. I thought this was reasonable pricing. I was in the store less than 1 hour. I would definitely come back here again for future framing needs :) read more

The Great Frame Up - Gold Coast - Map print I purchased off etsy - Framing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Worked with Scott to have 2 prints framed and he helped me pick out a great combination that came out looking fantastic.

I live in the neighbor and have always gone here when I need pictures framed. I had two prints I needed matting changes made to and Jeff was so helpful. When I came to pick up my prints I realized I made a mistake and I wanted to see more of the contrasting under matting, not a problem, Jeff recount the top matting giving my prints the look I wanted. Thank you so much Jeff. read more

The Great Frame Up is a place to go either you need someone to take care of your art or if you are hands on and just need a little assistance. I have been coming back to this place for years and everyone is always very friendly and helpful. Just recently Cass and Cato both helped me to put together a project by stretching canvas. I would highly recommend this place. Thank you for your exceptional customer service! read more

I stopped into the Elm St. store on Wednesday with a poster to be framed. I asked if this could be done in 48 hours or if I could frame it myself at their shop, which is supposedly what they are set up to do. Simple job, no mat, standard size, etc. I was told, very politely, that they have a 2-3 week back-log of work, they are understaffed and cannot help anyone do self-framing unless they have at least three staff members on duty, that they could not predict when that might be possible, and that all their other stores are understaffed as well. I was about to leave, but the agent said to me that if I picked out materials that they had in stock, they might be able to work me in. He would call me back before the end of the day to let me know for sure, and said if they could do it I'd need to come in Thursday or Friday, which I said would be fine. I filled out paperwork, and asked him to be sure to call me back because if it couldn't be done I need to know so I would have time to make other arrangements. I explained to him why this was so important to me and he seemed to care. He promised me with a smile and handshake that he would call me by the end of the day, absolutely without fail. It never happened. Why are you so understaffed that you can't support the business you advertise? Why do your staff make promises to your customers setting expectations of communications (at least) that you do not keep? It seems so unprofessional. I was surprised and very disappointed. I won't be back. read more

If you like poorly built frames supported by an indifferent and bewildered staff then THIS is the place to go. If you are hoping for accountability or a quality built frame, then go ANY PLACE else. read more

I'm not sure what some of these reviews are talking about. I had a great experience here! The person that helped me pick out the frame was super helpful (don't remember the name). I chose to put the picture together myself and the person that helped me put it together (his name was Joe, I guess he's the manager) was great! I will definitely be back! read more

Great experience here twice. I have had signed and numbered pieces done and they turned out perfectly. Turn around time is two weeks. We worked with Cass. Shop is well staffed so we didn't need to wait. Explained the different options and costs. In and out quickly and compared to what we have paid at other frame shops, we felt a fair cost. Open at convenient times. Thank you! read more

I like the Great Frame-Up - they do a great job, have always helped me select good frames and glass and mats for my pictures and jobs, and are very helpful. I trust their taste. I also had an antique piece re-done here, part of which had been eroded, and when they were done, you couldn't even tell that it ever had been damaged - it was fantastic. read more

For the longest time, I'd walked past this shop thinking it was strictly for people who preferred to build/assemble their own frames, an inclination I don't share. I had a picture that I wanted framed with as little fuss as possible, and it was lucky I checked in here; I was in and out effortlessly in under half an hour, my picture installed professionally in a beautiful frame, at about a third of the cost I had anticipated. Cato was most helpful. read more

I had a large fine art photo framed by this store a year ago, on a groupon. This should not have been a hard framing project - it was black frame and white matte for a large b/w photo - but now I wish I had gone ANYWHERE else for the job. When I unwrapped the final product at home, there was a 3-ft-long piece of adhesive on the glass. The adhesive had dried and was highly visible on the black and white photo, and I had a lot of trouble getting the adhesive off of the glass - I'm not a professional, which is why I thought to trust a professional framer to frame my art. In the end, I damaged the glass while attempting to wipe off the adhesive. When I have time, I'll need to reframe this piece of artwork somewhere else. read more

Had two pieces framed here recently. Staff was knowledgable and very up front on cost, materials, and time estimates. Both pieces were completed exactly when they said they would, and look great. This place is a great value, will be coming back. read more

Really good service (new staff) and quality products! Great experience with sales associate, Scott. Got there 5 mins before closing, but never felt rushed. Overall, a very positive experience! read more