There is a particular kind of joy in framing something that is just ours. Not a famous artist, not a rare find from somewhere far away, in this case just BART, Caltrain and Muni. A client brought us a set of three cards and wanted them framed together.
Designing around something playful
The cards already had personality, so designing around it came easy: add color and warmth without losing that playfulness. We chose a yellow frame with a vintage feel, something close to the lettering style on the transit cards themselves. The frame also has a raw, slightly unfinished texture that keeps the ornamentation from feeling stuffy. Paired with it, a blue mat pulls all the colors in the cards together and gives the whole shadowbox a crisp, clean backdrop.
The result feels exactly like what it is: a little bit of San Francisco, framed with care but never taking itself too seriously.
Museum quality framing for the things that are exactly you
Our client saw these cards and recognized something true about their own life in San Francisco. That recognition is the whole reason to frame anything, and it deserves the same care we give every piece that comes through our shop.
We built the piece as a shadowbox so the cards could be floated and held away from the glass, which protects the surface from sticking or pressure damage over time. The cards were lifted and mounted using archival hinges, fully reversible, so nothing about the original pieces was permanently altered. The whole thing is finished with museum glass for true UV protection and clarity.
The framing process is the same whether the piece is a fine art print or a transit card. What matters is that it is the right match for the person who brought it in.
Your local stuff deserves your local framer
We are a small shop in the Castro and we have been part of this neighborhood for over 40 years. Some of our favorite projects are not the rare or expensive pieces, they are the ones that are unmistakably San Francisco, a concert poster from a local show, a photograph of a street everyone knows.
If you have a local find like that sitting in a drawer, bring it to your local framer.
📍 Visit our Castro frame shop 📞 Call us 📧 Email us your artwork 💻 Request a quote on our website
Underglass Custom Picture Framing · Castro District · San Francisco Custom design · Conservation framing · Delivery & install · Open 7 days
