OCCUPATION: PICTURE FRAMER

Name: Jessica H. Remington Company: Fast Frame, Santa Ana Thumbs up: “I like the creativity. It’s never the same thing over again. You get to use your imagination and your eye for color coordination and design. A lot of design work goes with this job. You have to be able to pick out matting and frame combinations. It’s fun work. You get to deal with the latest designs, prints; the artwork is always changing and evolving. This job also involves guiding customers through matting designs and framing combinations. And I like that part of the job.” Thumbs down: “You’re on your feet all day, that’s a down side. It’s easy to get tired.” Next step: “I’ve been doing this for over a year and a half. Ultimately I’d like to own my own shop.” Advice: “First, you should be good at math because there are measurements for everything. Second, color coordination is very important. Third, you have to be creative. If you’re pretty good with all that, you can learn to be a framer on the job.” Salary range: In Orange County, framers earn from $5.50 to $12 hourly. Educational and training requirements: There are no specific educational requirements, although a high school diploma or GED equivalent ias recommended. Size of work force: Small. There are about 400 picture framers in Orange County. Expected demand: It will probably grow, but at a very small rate. However, according to Mike Neben, owner of Discount Picture Frames in Anaheim and outgoing president of the Professional Picture Framers Assn.-Orange Coast chapter: “As people keep their homes longer and pay more attention to the interior surroundings, they will become more frequent customers of custom frame shops.” Job description: Framers mount pictures, photographs, documents, needlework or miscellaneous objects in wooden, plastic or metal frames. They select the materials to form a bordering frame--usually matboard, fabric or paper; measure the material to size and cut it. Next, the glass and cardboard backing are cut to size, assembled in the frame along with the picture, and secured. The final step is to attach the hanging hardware to the frame. Major employing industries: Framing shops, galleries, museums, art stores, photography shops, interior decorating firms. For more information: To inquire about certification or for general information about the picture-framing industry, call Mike Neben of the Professional Picture Framers Assn.-Orange Coast chapter at (714) 956-0121. Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times