A picture definitely speaks a thousand words, as the saying goes; which is exactly why you should take great care in how you frame it. In this article, we present our picks for the 4 best staple guns for picture framing. And yes, while this may seem like a small detail; in reality, framing a picture with the proper tools and techniques is incredibly important. Let’s face it, you want to preserve the beautiful memories that come with the photograph.
As a result, having the best nail gun for picture framing is certainly important; especially if you tend to hang up pictures all of the time. This is something that should definitely be in your usual toolbox.
Unfortunately, picking the right tool in this niche isn’t always easy; primarily because so many of the choices available on the market are so thoroughly unreliable. And this is even more true if you’re buying this sort of thing for the very first time.
There’s absolutely no need to worry yourself though, we’ll cover everything that you need to know about right here in our article! We’ll give you an excellent rundown of our top choices among staple guns. And before that, we’ll tell you all about the stuff that you should keep in mind while making your own choice!
4 Best Staple Guns For Picture Framing Buying Guide
While you may think that getting one of the best nail guns for picture framing is quite easy; you will soon find that there are more than a few tricky factors to think about before you choose a specific model to go with. However, we want to make this choice the easiest possible for you, which is why we’ll talk about the factors we tend to think about while making this sort of purchase.
Jamming
Naturally, when you’re considering the things that you want from your staple gun, you’re also thinking about all of the things that you don’t want. On this negative list, jamming is definitely your number one enemy, and something that you absolutely need to avoid.
Luckily, that is easy if you pick the right model. You’ll find that many staple guns actually contain anti-jamming mechanisms. And considering how annoying jamming can be, you should definitely try to make this a priority.
Apart from dedicated anti-jamming mechanisms, it also pays to have a staple gun that’s generally just built with higher-quality materials. No matter what the mechanism inside is, you will find that guns that were made with better materials simply jam less often. Look for those that operate with thicker, more stable wires. Conversely, the weak and cheap models that are sold for a couple of bucks aren’t likely to last you a long while.
Also, you should bear in mind that just because a gun has anti-jamming tech, it doesn’t mean that it won’t jam at all. From time to time, even the best staple gun can jam.
Nail Depth is Crucial
If you’ve made sure that the staple gun that you’ve purchased is not prone to jamming, you’ve done a great thing; but there are still other things to consider. For one, you need to think about the nail depth of the staple gun. And this is where things get a bit more technical and specific. Namely, because of the fact that the nail depth that you need depends on the kind of material your picture frames are made of; or the type of any other material that you want to use the staple gun on.
Obviously, your ability to completely penetrate the surface of the material with your nail is pretty crucial. Your staple gun absolutely needs to have the depth adjustments necessary to ensure completely consistent penetration. Otherwise, you may do more harm than good, wreaking irreparable damage to the material of the picture frame.
However, on the bright side, nail depth adjustment isn’t that rare, so you won’t have much trouble finding a suitable staple gun. In fact, pretty much 80% of these nail guns in the market have that feature these days, so you won’t be searching for long.
Staple Length
If you intend to use this staple gun for more than one project, you will obviously need to consider the level of versatility that you expect with great care. That’s as true for your staple gun as it is for pretty much anything else out there on the market.
Of course, if you do continue looking for a versatile staple gun, you will need one that accommodates more than one length of staples; this is especially important if you want to use this for hanging pictures. There are plenty of different materials which may dictate different staples.
Power Source
When it comes to the different staple guns that you have available, obviously, their power source is another important consideration that you have to work with. And there are pretty much three different choices that you have here: electricity, air, and manual.
We’ll tell you right away, most DIY home projects don’t require the use of powerful air staple guns; you won’t likely encounter these. If you need to complete a small range of projects, we pretty much recommend that you stick with electric or manual guns.
Sturdiness and Durability
Of course, the very last thing that you want to do is to go out and spend your hard-earned money on a subpar staple gun; one that’s prone to breaking down after just a couple of months of use. Sure, even the best staple guns on this list won’t exactly set you back a fortune, but there’s absolutely no reason for you to settle for anything but the very best. And considering that, we definitely believe that you should only look for truly reliable and durable products; which is why we’ve only included those in our list of reviews below!
Ease of Use
Naturally, one of the biggest reasons that people buy any tools in the first place is to avoid the hassle of doing things manually. Considering that, one of your absolute biggest priorities should be getting a nail gun that you can use without much effort.
So, what does ease of use actually mean when we’re talking about staple guns? Well, primarily, this concerns the design of the gun’s handle. If you have a comfortable and ergonomic handle, you’ll pretty much be able to handle any kind of DIY job without much energy or effort.
Naturally, there’s another factor that you might have assumed that we’d talk about here and that’s the weight of the staple gun. If you get a lighter nail gun, you’ll have far more control over it as you won’t have to put any effort into handling it.
Affordability
When we talk about the best nail guns for picture framing, you’ve already seen that there are all kinds of different qualities that you should consider. However, there is also some stuff that’s not exclusive to staple guns, but pretty much to any kind of product that you might think about buying.
You might have guessed it, we’re talking about the price. At the end of the day, this is pretty much the deciding factor when it comes to the best staple guns for picture framing. So, how much do these devices cost? Of course, it all depends on how much you’re willing to invest, and the model and manufacturer.
But as a general rule of thumb, we’d be pretty comfortable estimating that manual nail guns won’t set you back more than 30 bucks; the pneumatic models are in a similar price range, though a bit more expensive. And finally, the electric staple guns are the least affordable ones, there are models that go up to a couple of hundred dollars.
And when you think about the price that you’re willing to pay, you should think about what you get for your money. Of course, considering the cost-effectiveness of the nail gun is just a part of that. But you need to think about other practicalities that go along with this purchase, like the level of warranty that you get. Think about this with care, because there are plenty of products that don’t actually come with a warranty. Considering that, you probably want to find the ones that do, from reputable retailers and manufacturers.
4 Best Staple Guns for Picture Framing – Our Picks
Logan 500-2 Dual Point Driver Elite
We refuse to leave you guessing what the best nail gun for picture framing is. If you’re willing to invest in the all-around best product, that would probably be the Logan 500-2. This staple gun bears the moniker in its name with absolute cause.
It doesn’t matter if you need to use rigid or flexible inserts, this model will allow you to insert them into wooden frames with complete ease. Depending on the material that you’re stapling, you’ll find that it’s capable of providing just enough pressure that you require, enough to drive the staple in, but not enough to damage the structural integrity of the surface below.
As for comfort and ease of use, you won’t find this product lacking in that regard either. The manufacturers have gone to great lengths to design an incredibly comfortable ergonomic grip. You won’t have to use nearly as much grip force as you do with other models in order to handle it comfortably.
All in all, it does what it does well, and that’s pretty much the most important thing for anyone. Once you use it to staple pictures to a frame, it will hold them neatly in place. Considering that, there’s really no need to look elsewhere and invest in subpar equipment. Sure, this may be a somewhat costlier model than you’d expect from a nail gun, but that’s because it does its work perfectly well.
Plus, with this nail gun, you can be absolutely certain that you’re looking at a great investment that will last you a long while; not to mention the fact that it has tension adjustment features, allowing you to work with woods of varying degrees of hardness.
Pros:
- Ease of handling
- Rubber grip provides an ergonomic experience
- Minimal jamming
- Durable, and yet lightweight
- Quite versatile
Cons:
- Not as affordable as most people would like
Surebonder 9600AK Pneumatic
Our runner-up may not be our first choice, but we can assure you that framing pictures is not less of an interesting experience with the Surebonder 9600. If you’re a homeowner who likes dabbling all kinds of DIY projects, you are sure to find this product to be to your liking. After all, it’s quite easy to handle, and you will be able to do any kind of stapling task quickly and efficiently.
One of its main selling points is an attractively high staple capacity, it can hold almost 6300 rounds of various lengths, making it truly one of the more versatile products that we’ve showcased here. Plus, it comes with a neat carrying case; making storage and transport something you won’t even have to think about.
Plus, we should mention that you can use this for more than just framing your pictures. Apart from that, there’s also the option of padding your carpeting, securing the back of your cabinet, or repairing a screen door, everything with absolute ease of use!
Pros:
- Easy-to-use safety trigger
- Dependable manufacturing
- Overall comfort
- Accessories like a carrying case
- Powerful and compact
Cons:
- Comes without an air compressor
Tolsen Heavy-Duty Chrome Stapler
Sometimes, you simply have to get some actual heavy-duty work done. And in that case, you will need a tool that separates itself with its effectiveness and incredible power. In that case, your heavy-duty 3-way stapler will definitely be the best power tool for the job.
Indeed, one quick look at this product is all you need to realize that it’s certainly one-of-a-kind. On the one hand, its perfectly capable of providing you with the firepower that you need to complete any sort of task for a nail gun. But on the other hand, it’s not prohibitively weighty and unusable.
Just like with some of the other top picks on our list, one of the best things about this nail gun is that you have a very wide assortment of tasks that you can use it for. As an example, you can freely use it to secure any kind of artwork into its frame. Plus, its variety is heightened by the fact that there are more than a few kinds of different staples that you can use with it. As a result, you’ll be able to use this to complete all kinds of tasks in your household. Once you load the correct set of staples, you’ll be absolutely good to go!
On the other hand, you should also know that this nail gun is both durable and sturdy; the carbon steel that it’s been created with ensures both reliability and strength. Plus, you’re not likely to miss this gun, considering the fact that it’s been coated with a visible yellow tint to ensure visibility.
Pros:
- Quite lightweight
- Not difficult to use
- Comfortable handle
- Excellent carbon steel
- Can be used with a variety of staples
Cons
- Can jam sometimes
- Periodic jamming
- Suitable for soft materials only
Arrow PT50 Pneumatic Staple Gun
Regardless of whether you need some versatility or not, this electric staple gun is definitely bound to separate itself from the fold once you start browsing the competition. There are plenty of things that it has going for it!
For one, it’s as lightweight as you’d probably like it to be. And its cutting-edge spiralling technology allows the device to give you an astounding level of performance; precisely what you need out of this sort of machine. If you need something that’s guaranteed to pack a decent punch, this corded staple gun is a great bet!
You won’t have to wait long to see that this nail gun does a decent job regardless of the picture framing task you’ve got. Compared to some of the more traditional options on the market, it has definitely proven itself as a reliable option. Plus, the innovative design ensures a wide range of applications throughout your household; it can handle anything from wood to vinyl!
Pros:
- Decent lightweight design
- Efficient and powerful
- An optimal level of performance
- Works for all kinds of DIY jobs
Cons:
- No staples included
- Does not work with hardwood
4 Best Staple Guns for Picture Framing FAQs
Now that we’ve examined some of the very best staple guns that you can purchase on the market, and seeing as we’ve provided you with more than enough advice on selecting the best nail gun for the jobl; we will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we’ve noticed people having trouble with!
How do I staple the back of a photograph frame?
Luckily, securing your photograph frame is nothing too difficult, in fact, you will find that it’s definitely a straightforward task if you have the right equipment. Naturally, if you know what you’re doing.
First of all, apart from the best staple gun that you can buy, you will need some additional covering materials to work with. By that, we mean cardboard, though if you don’t have any cardboard nearby, some paper will do as well.
Just make sure that your cardboard and paper is completely acid-free, the same goes for the tape that you’ll use to seal everything up after stapling the corners with the nail gun.
How to properly handle a picture frame?
There are plenty of situations where people don’t actually know how they should handle a picture frame. For instance, if you have a handle device that was fitted to a huge picture frame, you need to use that. Otherwise, gently lift up the frame by the sides.
Can I Clean Picture Frames?
Now, when it comes to photograph frames, you can freely clean them with the same household chemicals that you use to treat your wooden floors; these are bound not to have the acidic properties that you want to avoid.
On the other hand, frames for paintings are a bit more complicated to deal with. If there’s no glass pane protecting the painting inside, you’re definitely risking damaging it if you’re not careful. We recommend leaving this to professionals.
Otherwise, if you’re really set on cleaning this yourself, just make sure that the cleaning chemicals don’t contain anything that could irreparably damage your painting, such as ammonia.
What are the clips on the back of a picture frame called?
Most picture frames contain clips on the back of the frame, if you’ve never dealt with these things, you may not know what purpose they serve, or what they’re called. So, these “Swiss Clips” are there to allow you to suspend your art pieces in various ways. Usually, they are grouped in sets of four clips, and you can use them to suspend artwork between any kind of glazing material and a wood backing board.
4 Best Staple Guns for Picture Framing Wrapping Up
As you can see, hanging up your pictures is more difficult than it first seems. Rather, at least more complex. Sure, you can definitely use the first staple gun and frame that you see for the job. But if you want to preserve the longevity of your memorable paintings, you definitely need to ensure that you’re dealing with the best possible materials and tools!