Built for DIY & Home Framers

Why DIY Framers Need This Too

Custom framing software is usually built and priced for professional shops. Which makes sense — pro shops can justify multi-hundred-dollar-per-month software against material savings. But the underlying problem is the same whether you're a DIYer in a garage or a retail shop downtown: cutting moulding accurately is hard math, and getting it wrong wastes expensive wood.

A DIY framer cutting a 16×20 frame needs the same cut-length formula, the same kerf math, the same miter technique as a pro. The mistakes are the same too: forgetting kerf, measuring from the short point, confusing rabbet with point-to-point. And the cost of a mistake is often higher for a DIYer because you're buying moulding at retail prices — often $4–$15/foot for quality stock — without the vendor discounts a pro shop gets. One miscut ruined piece of gilded moulding can easily cost $30–$60.

That's exactly the gap RailChop's free tier is designed to close. Three profiles, three cutting days per month, ten jobs per cutting day — more than enough for most DIY projects. No credit card. No trial expiration. Just the math, done right, for free.

What a DIY Framer Typically Needs

A hobbyist or home framer usually isn't cutting 20 frames a week. More realistic: a few frames a month, maybe a handful of related pieces for a gallery wall or a gift project. But within that smaller volume, the problems are recognizable:

Math anxiety. The cut length formula is straightforward once you know it, but first-time framers often get it wrong by forgetting to add moulding width to both sides, or by ignoring kerf. RailChop's moulding calculator runs the math for you — enter artwork size and moulding width, get exact cut lengths.

Wasting expensive stock. Moulding is sold in 8–12 foot sticks. If you only need 4 feet for one frame, you're left with 4–8 feet of offcut. DIY framers often toss these, then buy a fresh stick for the next project because they don't remember what they had. RailChop's remnant tracking (Pro tier) fixes this — tag the offcut when you produce it, and the app reminds you next time you're cutting the same profile.

Matching frames for a gallery wall. DIY projects often involve several related frames in the same profile — a set of four kids' photos, a vacation series, a grouping of art prints. Cutting these one at a time wastes material. Batching them — cutting multiple orders from the same profile across the same stick — can save a full stick. RailChop optimizes across all your frames at once, even at small batch sizes.

Not having a POS to integrate with. DIY framers don't have a POS. They don't need quoting software. They need the cut-optimizer piece, standalone, running on their phone. That's what RailChop is.

What You Can Do with the Free Tier

The free tier is genuinely usable, not a limited-functionality trial:

• Manual job entry for up to 10 frames per cutting day, 3 cutting days per month
• Up to 3 moulding profiles saved in your library
• Proprietary cut optimization — the same optimizer the pro tier uses
• Rabbet and point-to-point measurement modes
• Kerf and allowance configuration
• PDF cut tickets with visual stick diagrams
• Shop-floor tracking (mark sticks complete as you cut)
• Works fully offline

For most DIY framers, that's the whole workflow. You don't need to upgrade unless you're running more frames than the free tier allows.

When DIY Framers Should Upgrade

Pro ($9.99/mo or $84.99/year) makes sense if you're doing enough volume that remnant tracking starts to pay off. The math is roughly: if you buy more than $50–$100/month in moulding, Pro's remnant tracking will typically save more than the subscription cost within the first month. It also removes the free tier's limits (unlimited profiles, unlimited cutting days, unlimited jobs) and adds Quick Scan for reading dimensions from typed cut lists, plus a small allowance of AI scans.

Business ($24.99/mo or $209.99/year) is overkill for most DIYers. It adds AI Scan of handwritten work orders, CSV/XLSX import, and the shop dashboard — features built for shops, not hobbyists. If you're framing as a side gig and starting to sell frames to friends or at craft fairs, Business might make sense. But most DIY framers will stay on Free or Pro indefinitely.

Common DIY Framing Scenarios

Gallery Wall: Multiple Frames, Same Moulding

You're hanging a gallery wall with 5–8 frames in a consistent moulding. Each frame is a different size. Without optimization, you'd cut each frame from a fresh stick — ending up with 5–8 offcuts of different lengths. With RailChop, all frames get packed across the fewest possible sticks. For most gallery-wall projects, that means a stick or two of moulding you don't need to buy — real material savings on a single weekend project.

Custom Size Not Available Off-the-Shelf

You have artwork in an unusual size (say 18×27) and can't find a pre-made frame that fits. Cutting your own is the answer. RailChop handles non-standard sizes identically to standard ones — the cut formula doesn't care if your frame is "16×20" or "18×27." Just enter the dimensions.

Matching an Existing Frame

You have one frame you made last year and want to cut a companion in the same moulding. If you saved the moulding profile in RailChop when you made the first frame, the second frame takes one minute: enter the dimensions, optimize, cut. The profile's kerf, rabbet, and cost-per-foot are all stored.

Repair or Replace a Frame Corner

A frame corner broke and you need to replace one rail. RailChop handles single-piece cuts just like full-frame cuts — enter the dimension, account for kerf, get the exact cut length. Much better than eyeballing it.

What RailChop Isn't For (Being Honest)

RailChop doesn't cut the moulding for you. You still need a miter saw, a tape measure, and the physical skill to cut accurately at 45 degrees. The math is handled; the cutting still requires your hands. See "How to Cut Picture Frame Moulding" for technique.

RailChop also isn't a design tool. It doesn't help you pick the right moulding for your artwork, or visualize what the finished frame will look like. For that, you're better off with a moulding catalog from Larson Juhl, Roma, or your local supplier, or a visualization tool like what many pro POS systems include.

And RailChop doesn't handle mat cutting. If your project involves a matboard, you'll need a separate mat cutter (Logan and Fletcher make good ones at DIY price points). Use the mat border calculator to get your mat dimensions.

Getting Started as a DIY Framer

The realistic first project: try the moulding calculator on a frame you're planning. Enter artwork size, moulding width, and your allowance. See the exact cut dimensions. Cut the frame. Compare the fit to what you'd have gotten from rougher math. If the experience is better than your current approach, RailChop is worth using for future projects.

If it is, download the app from the App Store. Set up your moulding library, add your first profiles, and start tracking remnants. The shop-floor workflow stays the same for DIYers as for pros — just at a smaller scale.