If you run a local frame shop, you’ve noticed the changes. What used to pay the bills — single-piece framing jobs with basic moulding, standard matting, and simple builds — doesn’t go as far anymore, thanks to rising supply costs, longer slow periods, and tighter margins.
If your shop is feeling that squeeze, you don’t have to reinvent how you work. Adding a few high-margin services alongside your core framing can generate additional income without complicating day-to-day operations.
Here are seven revenue streams you can implement to stay profitable year-round in 2026.
7 Revenue Streams That Go Beyond Custom Framing
The most successful frame shops aren’t doing more work — they’re offering smarter services that complement custom framing.
1. Fine Art and Photo Printing Services
Most customers no longer walk into frame shops with a physical photo or poster. They arrive with a digital file. If your shop wants to keep that work — and the framing that follows — you need a way to print it in-house.
To keep it simple and profitable, narrow your focus:
- Offer photo prints on standard and archival papers.
- Produce giclée-quality art reproductions for framing.
- Limit sizes to what you frame most often.
- Route every print into a framing order.
For example, you might charge $20 for a standard 16-by-20-inch print, in addition to the frame job. It boosts your margin on every order without creating extra steps for your team.
Markup will vary, but many shops price print work at 100–300% of cost, creating a high-value revenue stream that fits easily into an existing workflow.
2. Shadow Boxes and Dimensional Framing
Shadow boxes remain one of the highest-margin revenue streams a frame shop can offer. They require more skill, more design judgment, and more labor — but customers expect that and are willing to pay for it.
Demand is growing for shadow-box services that:
- Showcase sports memorabilia.
- Preserve military items and medals.
- Display heirlooms and personal keepsakes.
- Present corporate awards and recognition pieces.
Shops that succeed with shadow boxes don’t treat them as upgraded frames — they price them as a specialized service that accounts for design time, mounting challenges, and material handling.
These projects typically carry margins between 55% and 65%. Their consistent demand and higher margins make them an effective way to offset slow seasons.
3. Billable Design Consultations
Not every customer comes in ready to order a frame. Many just need direction. When they’re unsure about size, matting, or how a piece will look on their wall, decisions get delayed — and quotes go nowhere.
Design consultations turn that hesitation into a paid service that benefits both the customer and your shop.
- Offer design time by appointment.
- Set pricing based on time or project scope.
- Credit the consultation fee toward the final framing cost.
- Reserve it for multipiece or higher-ticket projects.
Many framers charge about $40 for a basic consultation, with more in-depth services — including 3D renderings and conservation planning — priced closer to $75 per hour.
Consultations help identify serious buyers and improve close rates on higher-value framing projects.
4. Gallery Wall Planning and Layout Services
Many customers want to frame multiple pieces but struggle with layout decisions. Without guidance, ambitious projects often shrink from covering the whole wall to just a single frame. Gallery wall planning brings structure to those ideas, turning them into clearly defined, full-wall projects instead of one-off orders.
A typical gallery wall planning package helps frame shops:
- Design a complete wall layout for wedding or family portraits.
- Select frame sizes and styles that work together.
- Define spacing and alignment for proper hanging.
- Provide a clear layout guide that the customer can follow.
These projects routinely increase order size by expanding a single frame into a multipiece installation, boosting revenue without additional marketing costs.
5. Art and Frame Restoration Services
Restoration can be profitable, but only when offered selectively. Most shops are equipped for light restoration services, such as:
- Cleaning and stabilizing frames
- Replacing damaged mats
- Coordinating minor paper repairs with specialists
Even without full conservation capabilities, offering a simple frame refresh gives clients a reason to return when existing pieces feel dated or worn. These jobs naturally lead to upgrades, such as UV-protective glazing or acid-free matting, which extend the artwork’s life.
For more advanced conservation needs, you can coordinate with outside specialists while keeping the client relationship — and the framing work — within your shop.
6. Digital Services for Frame Shops
Digital tools don’t just support framing — they can be offered as part of the service. When customers can preview, approve, or plan their project digitally, they’re more likely to move forward and commit to larger orders.
With remote or cloud-based services, you can:
- Provide digital frame and mat previews for customer approval.
- Create virtual gallery wall mockups for multipiece projects.
- Handle remote approvals and revisions outside of in-store visits.
- Support online orders and reorders for repeat framing work.
Some shops bundle basic previews into premium pricing, while others charge separately for more complex or remote approvals. In either case, digital services reinforce framing revenue rather than replacing it.
7. Curated Merchandise That Supports Framing
Retail add-ons can be effective in frame shops as long as they align with the customer’s visit. The best merchandise feels like a natural extension of the framing process, not an unrelated upsell.
Strong-performing retail options let frame shops:
- Stock ready-made frames that meet custom-quality standards.
- Feature curated artwork and prints from local artists.
- Pair hanging hardware and care accessories with framing orders.
When merchandise supports the framing purchase and meets a related need, it performs far better. Cross-selling home decor, such as ready-made frames, can increase revenue by up to 30% per transaction.
Grow Revenue Without Complicating Your Workflow
The challenge isn’t demand — it’s execution. Shops that successfully expand their offerings rely on systems that help them:
- Assign clear job types with organized work orders.
- Price services consistently and fairly.
- Track labor and materials accurately.
- Manage SKUs without workarounds.
Point of sale (POS) systems built for frame shops make it easy to adjust pricing, create custom job types, and manage service-based work — so you can test new offerings without reinventing your workflow.
Implement New Revenue Streams — and Build More Predictable Profit
Custom framing hasn’t changed, but the way shops stay profitable has. Adding new revenue streams can stabilize cash flow and reduce seasonal slowdowns, but only if your systems can support them.
LifeSaver is designed to support modern frame shops with integrated quoting, 3D previews, service tracking, and work orders — all within a single system.
Discover how LifeSaver helps you capture more value from every framing job. Schedule a demo today.
