Background: I'm a semi-pro photographer with more than 15 years of experience, and I have previously worked in a pro frame shop for a short period of time framing flat art of all sizes. I was looking for an inexpensive frame to replace damaged art in a high traffic area of our home. I purchased a 16x16 inch black frame with plexiglass glazing, and I'm overall happy with this purchase. The frame was well packaged and arrived safely two days after I ordered (with Amazon Prime). The plexiglass had a layer of film on either side to keep it protected and then the frame had styrofoam and cardboard protectors on the corners, was wrapped in plastic, and packaged inside a thin layer of styrofoam in a fitted box. IMO just enough packaging to protect the frame without being excessive. The frame is pre-strung with hangers to orient it vertically or horizontally (kind of unnecessary in this case since the frame is square) and comes with a wire hanger and instructions to attach it. The hanging wire provided is a thicker/stiffer than needed for this application and longer than needed so you do need wire cutters to trim it to size, but it works. Assembling the frame and installing my art was easy. The plexiglass is thin and flexes easily so it needs a little guidance to get it to sit square in the frame rabbet. My plexiglass had a couple small (about 1/4 inch) scratches about 2 inches from the edge (visible before I removed the protective backing), so not perfect but not too large or in a place where it would be conspicuous. The frame itself is nicely assembled, with two "staples" joining each corner and the corners well aligned and flush. You can see a slight seam at two of the corners since the material itself is not black all the way through, but this is only upon examining closely and not noticeable from viewing distance (I didn't feel it required any touch up). I found the surface material of the frame to be nicely manufactured - no scratches, dings, bubbling, chips, or other imperfections. I believe the frame is sturdy enough to not warp over time, especially considering the overall light weight of the piece thanks to the plexi glazing. This is a cheap frame with thin plastic glazing. The materials are not archival, the glazing is not optical grade, and its less than $30 for the 16x16 size. For the price, I think it is a great option for inexpensively framing midsize art. If anything, I'd like to see felt or rubberized bumpers added to the package so that the corners of the frame don't rest directly on the wall. The piece we wanted to frame was art that I had commissioned of our pup, and unfortunately the hanger supplied with the original frame failed and resulted in the piece falling to the ground, shattering the glass, breaking the frame, and scratching the original print. Because the art itself was damaged and I have the digital file to reprint it in the future if necessary, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a replacement frame and wasn't very concerned about having a perfect optical surface, and this was perfect for safely getting our picture back on our walls. Since the art hangs near our front door and we have a dog and a baby on the way, I actually liked the idea of using plexi and not having to worry about a repeat crash and shatter incident. I think this is a great buy for the money for inexpensive art, and the five star rating I have provided is reflective of the price point and expectations I had for this item. If you have a high value or one of a kind piece you want to last a long time, invest in professional framing and use archival materials and quality UV protective optical glass or acrylic to protect your artwork. If you just want to hang some cheap prints on your walls without spending a ton of money, this is a great option.
