The best years of their lives: framers use innovative options to help graduates commemorate their college experiences

Art Business News, May, 2004 by Cedric Rose

Since a college diploma represents a unique journey--not to mention a boost in income and status--it's no surprise that graduates seek appropriate settings for their sheepskins.

Each year, about two million people receive their college diplomas. And those graduates, or their families, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars having their degrees framed. David Grayson, president of Atlanta-based Landmark Publishing, believes a significant portion of this well-educated market remains largely untapped. Along with diploma framing, his company also sells lithographs that feature well-known academic buildings that are located on college or university campuses.

According to Grayson, it is common for 25 percent of a frame shop's business to come from diploma framing. For the framing departments of some national chains, it can be as much as much as 70 percent of their business, Grayson said.

For Grayson, college diploma frames represent a unique corner of the flaming market because they are such personal objects, representing years of achievement and monetary investment ranging into the six digits. A college diploma's emotional weight places it on par with fine art when it comes to framing needs, he said.

"The purchase is often an emotional process where the customer is truly looking for quality in the framing choice versus a generic, off-the-wall frame," Grayson said. "As people change artwork in their homes--as they redecorate, etc., the diploma is displayed forever."

School Spirit

Amy Jackson, a framer at Frame Warehouse near the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., said many of her customers are interested in calling attention to their diplomas--without looking like they are trying to call attention to them.

Tradition, understandably, exerts a strong influence on what consumers want when it comes to framing their certificates, Jackson said. Mats often incorporate school logos and colors, or work to complement them. Cherry wood frames are popular with use students, she said, because they complement the school's garnet and black theme.

Jackson believes that wood is making a resurgence in popularity partly because it offers a sophisticated look without looking ostentatious.

In her recent experience, women are more likely to choose gold and men to choose wood. Certain constants, Jackson said, remain. Black suede mats will always be popular, and small touches like double mats and fillets go a long way to accentuate a diploma.

Bill Goodale, a framer at Frame Warehouse with 18 years of experience, said that colors come and go, so he tries to avoid thinking in terms of color and recommends combinations that will hold up over time.

"If people are looking for something professional that will stand the test of time, I recommend gold and black, perhaps with gold fillets or French lines," he said.

At Frame Warehouse, Goodale said a simple, single-matted 14- by 18-inch custom-framed diploma begins at $35. He said you can't put a number on the high end, especially once you begin adding options. "The general public is not too savvy on what can be done," Goodale said. "We can do a lot to educate them."

Finding Direction

The only real rule of thumb for those who are interested in a custom-framed diploma is that there is no pat formula, said Andy Langlois of Get The Picture in Lincoln, R.I..

Langlois said that in many cases, graduates will wait some time before they come to have their diplomas custom framed, often years after they have finished their degrees and entered the workforce.

Whether motivated by the discovery of their diploma in a closet--or by their desire to dress up a new office wall with this symbol of their accomplishment--many options must be considered, and it is the framer's job to educate them on the possibilities, Langlois said.

Archival-quality materials must be considered, but so too the decor into which the diploma fits.

"Most people like the idea of doing something that reflects their personality," Langlois said. "They're finishing off their degree or they've finally gotten that office--that'll be the kick that makes them finally do it, and they're looking for something that looks professional and elegant."

He said that those who choose custom framing for their diploma "usually try to keep the framing low-key," in which case he will recommend a double mat and a top mat that blends well with the paper color.

"Most of the time, it goes back to people trying to look professional and official," Langlois said. "People aren't looking so much for flash in this area," but, he added, "a lot of time the folders the diplomas come in will have a picture of the school, and sometimes we'll include that in a shadowbox."

Continuing Education

For the customer who wants something more than a simple, flamed diploma, there are many options, including shadow boxes or matched sets of diplomas with lithographs of campus icons, school seals, graduation tassels or photographs--all ways to up-sell an order.

Adding any sort of graphic can make a framed diploma into a work of art,. For example, Grayson said that his company's lithographs of school buildings are often used to enhance framed diplomas. "For those stores that already frame diplomas, our lithographs are an excellent way for them to up-sell the order," he said.