[mr2686]

Originally Posted by perezfan

The other option is just measuring it yourself, and then going to the framer, picking out the mat color, and telling them the proper cut dimensions. My local place (Ben Franklin) cuts the mats on the spot, and always gets them done in less than 20 minutes.

Once you have the finished mat, frame, glass, foamcore backing and wire, you can simply take the materials home and go to town. Most are very easy to assemble and you'll save tons of money doing so.

All of these were DIY jobs which saved thousands of dollars, cumulatively...

That's exactly what I do. I have a small framing shop nearby and they can whip out several of my 8x10's in just a couple of hours. On the larger pieces with tons of openings, I draw up the openings using graph paper and then they go to work. I never leave anything with them...just paranoid I guess.