Our Journey to Showcase Workshops

A team journey through life's ups and downs

Our vision is to have glorious Showcase Workshops, with documented processes and great layouts which will increase work fluency for our team, and create better quality and economy for our clients. We are increasingly taking on batches of work alongside our one-off bespoke framing projects, and so need to capitalise on the opportunity to streamline some processes.

Part of this process is to beat our current workshops into submission and a semblance of manufacturing fluency. Not easy in a multi-occupancy 19th Century cotton spinning mill!

It is our 50th Anniversary since the company started in 1974 as 'Art Graphics' with Ian McDonnell as a sole trader.

Product and process redesign and value analysis

We have undertaken a full value analysis of our products and processes to ensure we are providing the best service possible to our clients. We took a team approach to challenge processes and look for increased quality and economy of the final products. The aim was to increase the value for our clients, and the process enjoyment for our team.

Our favourite part was looking at wild and wonderful alternatives to our normal set of raw materials and processes. We were also keen to ensure a ‘right first time’ culture by designing in effective daily operations for repeatable processes and higher quality products. Quality control has become a joint team responsibility with handover stations and labelling to indicate that the stage has been checked by the craftsman.

We have documented our processes and are on a journey to improve our workshops to a high standard in preparation for our 50th anniversary next year. To ensure this will happen we have declared every Friday to be improvements day - plus bacon butties for energy!

We have also embarked on our B-Corp journey alongside our Showcase Workshops - this seemed only sensible - two journeys for the price of one! At the moment we only score a measly 54.4. Onwards and upwards.

The process for B-Corp assesses you in different categories, from starting point of almost zero (us), to putting things in place to be better. We are currently working on finding a better and more sustainable way of packaging our frames. This is difficult for us because we do need the frames to be protected until they get to their destination.

Understanding UV Protection in Picture Framing

How UV light damages framed artwork and what glazing options protect against it. Covers museum glass, UV glass, acrylic and practical protection strategies.

Lacing vs Hinging for Textile Framing: Which Technique Is Right?

When to use lacing and when to use hinging for textile framing. Practical guide to mounting embroideries, samplers and fabric art.

Framing as a Design Element in Hospitality

How hospitality framing differs from residential: durability, fire safety, batch consistency across multi-room schemes, and art sourcing coordination.

Fire-Rated Framing for Commercial Interiors

How fire-rated framing works for hotels, hospitals and commercial buildings. Materials, compliance, and batch production explained.

Tray Frame vs Floating Frame: Which Is Right for Your Canvas?

Clear comparison of tray frames and floating frames for canvas art. Covers visual effect, construction, cost and how to choose the right style.

How to Specify Framing for Design Projects

Practical guide to writing framing specifications, managing sample approvals, and coordinating multi-piece projects with a specialist framing partner.