Were it not for frames, American Gothic might as well have been global gothic, and the Nighthawks would have left long ago to find a diner with better service. Keep the lid on your rambunctious replicas with the help of today's Groupon: for $40, you get $100 worth of custom-framing services at The Framer's Workshop in Berkeley.

The Framer's Workshop is a family-owned business that has been servicing the San Francisco Bay area for more than 30 years. Their wide variety of framing services include archival methods to ensure your pictures pass the multiple-choice test of time, green techniques, which use sustainable and eco-friendly materials, and wizard computerized mat cutting to form your photos into any unusual or snazzy shape you fancy.

Use this Groupon to have a professional mount your favorite memories and return them to you in one to two weeks, or take mats and mouldings into your own hands during a do-it-yourself framing session. The Framer's Workshop has hundreds of in-stock metal and wood frames to choose from, as well as more than 200 colors of acid-free mat board. The hands-on process takes anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours, during which one of the friendly staff members will help you select a design that complements both image and home décor and help you through the more difficult processes such as cutting the mat, backing, glass, and frame. A DIY 8"x10" picture with a frame, acid-free mat, regular backing, and regular glass normally costs approximately $81; a 16"x20" costs approximately $114.

Walls garnished with thought-provoking masterpieces turn living rooms into museums with couches where friends and family love to lounge. The Framer's Workshop acts as a secondary curator to museums with couches all over the city by offering always-friendly and knowledgeable art advice. The Framer's Workshop prides itself on customer service and satisfaction and will repair any workmanship-related defects in your custom project at any time. Just keep The Framer's Workshop sticker intact on the back, bring it back into the store, and one of the staff members will make any needed repairs free of charge. Repairs not related to workmanship can also be fixed in-store, and you will only be charged for replacement materials.

Reviews

The Framer's Workshop was featured in Decor Magazine and won the San Francisco Chronicle's BayList.com 2008 award for Best Custom Framing with a five-star rating from more than 50 reviewers. Yelpers give an average of four stars.

• What I love about this place is the service. They give you just as much attention if you are trying to find a ready made frame (and they have great ones) for a photo or a fancy custom frame for a painting. – Jenny J., BayList.com
• This Framers Workshop really goes above and beyond, I recently used them to frame some sports stuff and it came out better then I could have dreamed. – Chelsea B., BayList.com
• When you're considering the 'Do It Yourself' option, they automatically let you know that its more assisted framing, more from you. I totally recommend it because if you haven't already experience how professional framing works, this is the place to do it. – D Q., Yelp