Earlier this year, Richard's Framing helped me choose colours for the mounting and framing of two…read moreprecious black and white, A4 size photographs of my daughter when she was a small child and her father at the same age. I was very pleased and they are now on the wall in her home and look perfect. Recently, while creating a collage for a funeral wake, I didn't want to buy an easel - because I probably won't use it again - and wracked my brains for an alternative to acquiring one temporarily. Suddenly, Richard's Framing popped into my head so I telephoned the shop. No problem, he had an easel and I hired it from him for just £5. Marvellous, no fuss. Thank you, Richard's Framing.

Clickity clicks, Gallery 66. Situated in the arcades of town, Gallery 66 is a framing specialist…read morewith art and photo's for sale too. I do love this shop as it feels you've stepped back in time upon entering and sells some fabulous art. It's almost as if this could be put on a ye olde Victorian tour of Cardiff. You may be able to make out the paintings of the galaxy in the pic, I bought one of them. The detail on them are fantastic and is reasonably priced (Under £70), the person who served me as well was so lovely that the whole experience from entering to leaving with my fine painting was an absolute joy. Please visit this place, especially if your visiting Cardiff and want to get a real feel of the culture this city has to offer.

Gallery 66 is possibly my favourite shop in The Royal Arcade. Set up in 1975 by Eva Walters, the…read morebusiness has a firm footing in the customised interior design marketplace. Offering picture framing of varying qualities and style, ranging from conventional frames, canvass stretching to box frames, as well as original artwork and prints sourced from around the globe, signed limited edition prints, in addition to local artwork including commissions, if you are looking for something specifically tailored to your tastes. Gallery 66 is a progressive business that has definitely kept up with the times. These days it provides full-time employment for Dan, (Eva's son, who wasn't even born when the business was launched), an immensely talented artist who works in the medium of print, digitally reworking iconic images, embellishing the original concepts with intelligent and creative adaptations, ultimately creating new and original artwork. Music seems to be a key influence, with album covers and portraits of legendary artists providing much of the inspiration for his work. There's also a very definite interest in graffiti, particularly the work of Banksy. Nina, Eva's daughter is also often in the shop. She comes in to help out when she has time off from pursuing her career as a teaching assistant. Being a family business the service levels are second to none. Eva is a vivacious, smart business woman who really knows her stuff. If you have a space on your wall that needs filling, this is where you need to come!

When I bought my first flat I searched all round for the type of pictures I wanted to hang within…read moreit to represent my personality and tell people what I was really all about deep within - OK i was younger and more impressionable. Anyway I bought a Salvidor Dali print from the Tate Modern in London thinking, yes this is what I'm all about, surreal and sophisticated! Perfect for my flat. When I got home I looked for a local framer and that happened to be the Frame Factory. I went along picked the frame I wanted and it was done within days. It was a lovely quality frame and stylistically it really set the picture off. It was smart but understated so as not to detract from the picture. The only problem was the price. It cost me £70! That's more than the print! Never the less years later it still looks good and when I look at it I still see the frame as much as the picture. So the morale of the story is - if you have a picture worth a lot of money and want it set in a new frame come here. If you have a print that doesn t cost that much, buy a frame from IKEA or some where and frame t yourself. By the way the website also features new artists.

If you need something framed, these are local experts and will do a good job…read more Apart from selling a wide range of picture frames and offering a professional framing service, this shop also offers canvas printing and stretching, mount cutting, and 3D and box framing. It's a family owned business run by Christopher Reynolds who has over 20 years experience in the picture framing industry. The shop doesn't have a very arty feel about it from the outside - in fact it appears quite dated thanks to the rather old-fashioned blue and yellow sign design. But this shop is less of a gallery and more of a practical framing specialist. It's true that you can buy art works and prints there, but it's their excellent framing service they're best known for. Once inside, you can browse around their fine art, jewellery, glassware, limited edition sculptures and other art works. Although their website also features a gallery of some of the art they have stocked or currently stock, and says you can buy online, each item I looked at an item it said "Catalog suspended" underneath it, with no obvious means of purchasing the item. I think it's always better to come face to face with a piece of art before buying it anyway, though, so I'd rather drop into the shop on City Road than buy it online even if the shop was working!

Gareth was very knowledgeable and helpful. There was a large selection of frames in the shop and he…read moreoffered an efficient and competitive service. I would highly recommend Artisan Framing

Stepping into Cameraland was a bit like travelling back in time to the 80's...But with digital…read morecameras. The shop has that oldish used to be white but is cream feel to it. I needed to get a new SD card for my digital camera (please don't ask why, it's still too painful to talk about my last card). I was fairly desperate and was walking past so decided whatever they had, it'll do. I have been back since though to get my digital prints from them as you can get them done in an hour if you pay a little more. They are good quality and I'm not sure if you get them that quickly elsewhere? Correct me if I'm wrong on that though. There's quite an extensive catolgue hear from Old skool camera's ( you know, the ones where you have to print the picture etc...No I don't remember either) to the expensive Digital SLR's. They also supply accesoories very well and anything from cards, camera bags, tripods etc can be bought here. It kind of felt a little more expensive being an independent shop and all. I defiantly could've of got my 2GB card cheaper online. I was well served by the member of staff though and did spend a bit of time just wandering around ogling at all the pretty technology on display.

As a photographer enthusiast, I like to shop in a place that offers everything in the world…read morephotography and has a staff with the best knowledge of all products. This does sound like a lot to want but imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this store in the Royal Arcade: Cameraland This shop has film processing and digital printing. They offer a 1-hour express printing. I have taken my films and digital prints there for a few times now and they are always on time. The store may be a little small but that doesn't mean it hasn't got all the latest technology in cameras. This is definitely a shop for the pros. When I purchased my first digital SLR camera from there I must admit I was a little clueless about what to get. That is until the shop assistant asked me what I wanted it for and chose the best option for me. This was a while ago but I was still blown away by the customer service he gave and the extra effort he made to secure the sale. I walked away not just with a camera but an entire range of accessories to go with it including a digital memory card, tripod and a camera case. What makes this shop so appealing are the offers that are available. They sell cameras, camera bags and digital memory cards all in one package to help you save on money. I saved £20 when purchasing all those items together. Listen up photographer of Cardiff. You should go here for the fantastic quality of the products along with the excellent level of service you'll receive. Once you go to Cameraland it will be the only camera shop you will want to go back to.

Amazing service - good range of frames and very personal and useful advice. Always ready in good…read moretime, and at a very good price. I recommend them to everyone I know.

From the owner: picture framing, trophies/engraving, printing, rubber stamps, embroidery.read more