Buyers usually budget for a framed print as one number. In 2026 the two halves are moving differently, and separating them is worth real money.
Why framing is exposed
Glass is energy-intensive. Production requires furnaces held continuously at high temperature. European gas has climbed roughly 120% since the start of 2026, with winter forecasts moving toward €60/MWh from €45/MWh.
Aluminium is electricity-intensive. Primary aluminium is among the most power-hungry industrial processes there is.
Mouldings and hardware carry tariff exposure. Imported building and finishing products have seen significant increases, with lumber among the categories named.
The print itself — paper and ink — is comparatively insulated.
What this means for buying
Buy the print now, frame when convenient. Prints store flat easily. Framing prices are moving; unframed print prices are not moving in the same way.
Consider acrylic instead of glass. Lighter, safer to ship, and not subject to the same furnace energy costs. It scratches more easily, which is the real trade-off.
Standard sizes cost substantially less. Off-the-shelf frames in common dimensions avoid custom cutting entirely. Buying prints in standard sizes is a decision made at purchase, not at framing.
Reuse frames. Secondhand frames in good condition are widely available and entirely outside the cost pressure.
Where not to economise
Acid-free mounting. Non-archival board yellows and can damage the print permanently. This is a small share of framing cost and the part that protects what you bought.
UV protection, for anything hanging in daylight. Fading is irreversible.
Market context
Global art sales rose 4% to $59.6 billion, with millennials leading in prints and photography and Gen Z buying prints and works on paper from emerging artists — because originals from established names are out of reach.
Prints are the accessible entry point, and framing costs can easily exceed the print. Keeping the two decisions separate keeps that accessibility real.
And note the honest caveat: growing volume in an affordable category is not price appreciation. Buy prints to live with them.
