Aaron Shikler framed posters arrive with a fixed frame

Auvrique does not carry Shikler editions, and the framing question is worth answering on its own terms. Standard reproductions ship with one frame material, and swapping it usually means a separate custom order.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

A standard framed poster arrives with one frame material already fitted, usually wood or composite. You can request a different custom frame material for art prints, but that is a separate order, not a simple swap on the same product. Expect the change to add cost and time, often a few weeks, because the frame is built to the print size rather than pulled from stock.

What a standard framed poster actually includes

A framed poster is a print mounted behind glass or acrylic, set into a frame that is already chosen by the maker. The frame material is fixed at the point of sale, which is the part most buyers miss when they ask about swapping it later. The print itself may be archival paper or a canvas substitute, but the frame is a separate decision and it is usually made once. If you want a different finish, you are no longer buying the same product. You are asking for a custom frame material for art prints, and that changes the order.

The practical reason is simple. Stock frames are built in a few standard profiles and finishes, chosen for speed and consistency rather than for every taste. That keeps the price down and the wait short. It also means the frame you see in the listing is the frame you receive, with little room for substitution without a new build. A buyer who wants oak instead of the listed finish is asking the maker to start over on the framing side.

Oak vs ash frame options for reproductions

Wood frames for reproductions tend to fall into a small set of familiar choices. Oak gives a pronounced grain and a heavier visual presence, which can suit a print with enough texture to hold it. Ash is usually lighter in color and cleaner in surface, so it reads as less dominant against a busy image. Neither is inherently better for a Shikler reproduction, because the right choice depends on the print and the wall around it. The comparison that matters is oak vs ash frame options for reproductions, and the answer is mostly about contrast.

Price moves with the wood and with the finish. A plain stock frame is the cheapest route because it is already made. A selected wood, cut to size and finished to order, costs more and takes longer. The increase is not dramatic in absolute terms for a single print, but it is real and it is the trade-off for getting the frame you actually want. Buyers with high price sensitivity should treat the stock frame as the baseline and the chosen wood as an add-on, not as the same purchase with a different label.

What changes when you swap the frame

The frame is built to order rather than taken from stock.
Lead time usually extends by a few weeks.
Cost rises with the wood choice and the finish.
The print size stays the same, but the frame profile may differ.

When a different frame material is worth it

A different frame material is worth considering when the stock finish fights the image instead of sitting behind it. That happens more often than makers admit, because stock frames are chosen for efficiency and a particular print may need something quieter or something warmer. If the print is already strong in color or detail, a busy frame can flatten it. If the room is pale and cool, a warm wood can keep the whole composition from going thin.

The honest limit is that this is a separate decision from buying the print. You are not personalizing a stock order at the checkout. You are asking for a framing choice that is made on its own terms, with its own cost and its own wait. For a buyer who wants personalization without a full custom commission, that distinction matters. It is the difference between a small adjustment and a new order, and it is the part that most often surprises people who expected a simple substitution.

A stock frame is a compromise made for speed. A chosen wood is a separate decision with its own cost and its own wait.

Frame route	Lead time	Cost relative to stock
Stock frame included with the poster	Short	Baseline
Selected wood, cut to size	A few weeks	Higher
Full custom framing commission	Longest	Highest

Key takeaways

A standard framed poster ships with one fixed frame material.
Swapping the frame usually means a separate custom order.
Oak and ash differ mostly in grain and visual weight.
Price and lead time both rise when the frame is built to order.

Related questions

Can I change the frame on a framed poster after purchase?

Not on the same order. The frame is fitted before shipping, so a different material requires a new order or a separate framing step. You can remove the existing frame and re-frame the print locally, but that is no longer the product as sold.

Is oak always more expensive than ash for a print frame?

Not always. The price depends on the maker, the finish, and whether the frame is stock or built to order. Oak and ash can sit at similar price points, with the difference coming more from the profile and the finish than from the species alone.

Does a custom frame material for art prints change the print itself?

No. The print stays the same size and the same image. What changes is the frame around it, the finish, and the time and cost to get it made. The print and the frame are separate decisions even when they arrive together.

From the Auvrique collection

Made to order · Every size