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Float Frames add a sophisticated finish to canvas and metal prints.

If you’re a photographer who currently only offers digital files or unframed canvas and metal prints, you might be missing out on a big opportunity. Framing traditional photographic prints is a standard practice, but what about framing other wall art like Fine Art Prints or Art Blocks? McKenna has the perfect finishing touch for this type of wall art: Float Frames. What are Float Frames from McKenna? Let’s explore!

Offering framed prints can add a lot of value to what you already do, plus offering services helps boost your customers’ experience. Most clients don’t know where to start when it comes to printing and framing their images, especially Gallery Wraps and Metal Prints. While these items are ready to hang on their own, understanding what Float Frames are allows you to offer an upgraded look to professionally printed images.

The Benefits of Float Frames

Let’s be honest, for a professional photographer, there’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing your work in print, and better yet, framed. A well-framed image has an impact. Frames elevate imagery in a way a screen just can’t match.

While printed products like canvas wraps and metal prints come ready to hang, they often lack that finished, intentional look that something like a Float Frame provides. What might feel casual or even a bit raw as a bare canvas or metal sheet suddenly looks like a true piece of art.

With Float Frames from McKenna, images become part of someone’s home decor. They are more than a collection of photos; they become gallery pieces.

If you are not offering framing on metals and canvas now, here are some things to consider.

  1. By providing ready-to-hang artwork, you’re saving clients the time and hassle of having to shop, purchase, and DIY their framing. You’re also ensuring that your work is shown off the way it deserves to be — professionally printed, beautifully framed, and displayed with care.
  2. There’s also a big benefit on your end: framed prints typically bring in a much higher profit than digital files alone. You’re not just selling a file—you’re selling a finished product. Something people can touch, see, and admire every day on their walls. It turns your photos into art.
  3. Float-framed prints can be your brand’s unique offer. They help set you apart. Many photographers stick to digital delivery, so when you provide beautifully packaged, ready-to-hang artwork, it positions your brand as more premium and thoughtful. You’re offering a full experience, not just a shoot and a download link.

What Is A Float Frame?

Framing is an upsell; however, frames do have a perceived value. Canvas Gallery Wraps and Metal Prints can feel like an easy solution for wall art. But if you want to offer your clients something that feels more polished, timeless, and aligned with a higher-end experience, Float Frames can make a big difference. In addition, Float Frames also work with Art Blocks, Canvas Mounted on Masonite, and Fine Art Prints from McKenna.

So, what are Float Frames? A Float Frame surrounds the artwork with just a bit of space between the print and the frame’s edge, giving it the appearance that it’s “floating” inside the frame. It adds depth, dimension, and structure—which instantly elevates the piece.

Float Frames are available from McKenna in three color finishes: maple, white, or black. Sample sets of the frame corners are available. The Float Frames for 1/2″ Art Blocks and Fine Art Prints are 1 1/4″ deep, 3/8″ thick. Float Frames for Gallery Wraps are 2″ deep, 1/2″ thick. Prints are floated inside the frame with a 1/4″ air space between the image and the frame’s inner edge. All frames have a dust cover backing and a wire hanger, so they are ready to install on delivery.

What is a float frame from McKenna?
A maple Float Frame from McKenna surrounds this Canvas Gallery Wrap with a 1/4″ gap of “air space” between the image and the frame’s inner edge, creating a stylish finished look.

Why Float Frames Work

Float Frames are a significant step up from frameless options like bare canvas or metal prints. While those can be convenient, they sometimes feel unfinished or out of place in certain home styles. 

From a client’s perspective, Float Frames:

    • Eliminate the need to shop for framing.
    • Add polish without overpowering the artwork. 
    • Enhance the overall presentation, making the image feel intentional and permanent.
    • Are ready to install.

For Photographers, Float Frames;

    • Create a gallery-quality finish that helps images stand out in clients’ homes.
    • Make wall art seem more permanent, more considered, and more valuable.
    • Helps deliver a full-service experience.
    • Are easy to order from McKenna and don’t affect product turnaround times.
    • Can add significantly to sales averages.

The Investment is Worth It!

Offering prints with Float Frames isn’t just about making more money (though that’s definitely a perk); it’s about giving your clients something complete, tangible, and lasting.

So when you offer Float Frames, you’re not just selling a product—you’re solving a problem your clients didn’t even realize they had until they’re holding that Art Block or a Canvas Mounted on Masonite, asking themselves, “Now what?”

McKenna's Float Frames are ready for installation.
With a dust cover and hanging wire, Float Frames are conveniently ready for installation.

Here are some ways to incorporate Float Frames into product offers.

This or That

When offering canvas and metal stand-alone wall art, list the unframed and framed prices next to each other. Be sure the variance between the two options is enticing. It’s only $X to get the upgrade. This may mean increasing the price of the standalone to close the gap. Get the COG (cost of goods) on the framed piece set first so that your profit margins are appropriate.

Limited Offer

Use Float Frames as incentives to book special event sessions. For instance, the first 5 beach sessions booked in June get a complimentary Float Frame on any Canvas Gallery Wrap 24″ or larger. The Float Frame is a loss leader in the offer, but the likelihood of making up for that on a family beach session is high.

All Inclusive

Only offer framed wall art. For any printed product, 14″ or larger, framing is “included”. Calculate all the costs together, and that’s the all-inclusive. This can make your services stand out, while not for everybody, it certainly can be for those who like a refined and finished gallery piece.

Clients invest in photography because they want to preserve memories and enjoy them every day, not because they want another project. When you hand them a finished print in a Float Frame, you take all of that pressure off. They are ready to experience the joy of instantly seeing your work in their space, beautifully presented—no errands, no guesswork, no stress.

So, what are Float Frames from McKenna? They are a way to add to the presentation of gallery prints that helps shape the perception of their value.

When you include a Float Frame, you’re showing your clients that every detail matters—not just the image itself, but how it lives in their home. It’s a subtle but powerful way to reinforce your brand as someone who delivers not just photos, but finished, lasting artwork.

This blog was written by Maureen Miller, CPP, contributor for McKenna and contributor to marketing and client experience at Zookbinders. With 25+ years as a professional photographer, Maureen owns and operates her successful studio, Maureen T Miller Photography. She is an advocate for making money and doing what you love. Her motto is, “Photography is a BIG DEAL!”

Bridal Portrait Image by Paris Mountain Photography.