10 Jan 2008
Super Shots(HKTDC Enterprise, Vol 01,2008)
Photo Frames & Albums
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| Classic photo frames from China Team Ltd are made with materials such as wood from New Zealand and polyresin from the Chinese mainland |
While the technology for taking photos changes, the innately human desire to prominently display favourite images never does
Striving for innovation and functional enhancement, Hong Kong supplies photo frames and albums that will put a big smile on the face of any trendy user.
For example, Asia Trading Co offers a curved, two-sided album in aluminium with a silver inlay (PB-MTD-H2-4). "This is something new, and a very special design that buyers don't see elsewhere. It is our most unusual and best-selling photo album," says Senior Marketing Executive Merry Pong.
"The album holds 48 photos in 24 transparent pockets while standing frame-like to display additional photos on the front and back covers," adds Ms Pong. "It stands easily so that both sides are visible."
The company also finds success with multi-opening frames such as its MDF model KHL-M54-86-JN1-8, which boasts six windows for displaying three 2x3-inch photos and another three at 2.5x2.5 inches.
"We recently developed a few multi-window frames and have since learned that our customers are very interested," Ms Pong notes.
Asia Trading's other leading items include an MDF frame with a metal inlay (KBF-A3-86-JN5-H5); a hammered-look, wide-border aluminium frame with metal inlay (YCA-HK6-G21-2-4), and a silk-screen glass frame with a radial pattern (SCA-P369-4).
"We have designers in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland," Ms Pong advises. "Customers can always find new items in our showroom."
Just as delightful are albums featuring self-adhesive or pocketed pages, and various bindings such as spiral, ring, thermal, post and perfect, from Essential Industries Ltd.
Among highly popular varieties is model 76001, a five-in-one album library for 240 photos. Each of the five thin volumes accepts 48 3x5-inch pictures, while every page has three pockets. Together, the books fit snugly into a colourful box.
"This item excels in Asia," Sales and Marketing Manager William Liu remarks. "Its advantage is that when showing photos to friends you don't need to hold a huge book. Other albums, ones with hundreds of photos inside, can get too bulky."
He adds that each book cover shows a different pattern while those in the same set share common themes such as scenery, flowers or sports.
Another hot seller is model 76012, a perfect-bound Super 200 album with 100 double-pocketed pages, making it good for 200 photos measuring 4x6 inches each.
"A special pocket in the middle of the album holds memo inserts, probably for notes about the people, places, dates and other details," Mr Liu explains, adding that the inside pages are PP.
"We have machines to convert PP pulp into sheets," he notes, adding that PP sheets also feature in model 76455, a 100-page album designed to hold 300 photos of 3x5 inches each.
Among other popular photo frames from Essential are versatile models with hooks for hanging and feet for standing, such as model 71066 that comes in foil and measures 160x190mm.
"The shiny foil frame creates a sense of metal - silver or gold - but it's paperboard inside and we use foil-paper to wrap it," Mr Liu points out.
The hooks-and-feet range also includes house-shaped model 71093. "With this product, we wanted something different. As the customers wish, we can use any colour or switch to other interesting shapes," says Mr Liu.
Creativity also characterises the range from Hang Fung Mfy Co Ltd, which describes its frames and albums as high-class and trendy.
"Our main raw material is aluminium," advises Manager Angus Cheung. "It's better than steel or other metals - prices are cheaper, production is faster and we can do lots of different finishes."
One well-received product is model YA 141COS, a Love photo frame with a heart-shaped pattern and a frosted, shiny silver finish. "It holds a 4x6-inch image, which is a popular standard size," Mr Cheung says, "but we'll make other sizes too."
Frame model YAJ 49SPI-9, also with a shiny silver finish, is readily available for 4x6- 5x7- or 8x10-inch pictures and has a silk-screened pattern beneath an epoxy finish. "We can change to different colours or patterns," Mr Cheung notes.
Model ACF 8146, a modern frame for 4x6-inch images, comes with a frosted and matt-silver finish. "This one demonstrates to the customers that our products can have rounded corners," Mr Cheung says.
Meanwhile, model YBD 02CFK is a rectangular frame with a curved silver finish and crystal at its top and sides. It displays pictures sized 4x6, 5x7 or 8x10 inches.
Model WD 8149, a heart-shaped frame for 3x3-inch images, features pearl-blue finishing. FB 01CF, ideal for 4x6- or 3x3-inch wedding photos, has a wedding ring decoration and a brushed-silver finish.
"Using silk-screen printing on the frames, we can add any words or messages that customers may wish," Mr Cheung says. "Our frames have very modern designs, and each week our design team on the Chinese mainland works on different ideas. We can help customers with their ideas too."
Clearly, satisfying buyer demands is a snap for Hong Kong manufacturers of photo albums and frames.
TEXT BY JOHN CAIRNS
Fast Fact
| Asia Trading Co Unit 401, Tower II South Seas Centre 75 Mody Rd Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon Hong Kong Tel: 852-2429-2018 Fax: 852-2487-1105 Email: asia@asia.com.hk Web: www.asia.com.hk www.tdctrade.com/asiatdg1 |
Year Established: 1969 Major Product Categories: photo frames, albums, clocks, jewellery/music boxes and desktop accessories Brands & Certificates: 21st Century Minimum Order: 1,000 pieces Monthly Production Capacity: 3 million units Delivery Time: 45-60 days Factory Size & Location: 400,000 square feet; Yantian, Dongguan Workforce: 1,500 |
| China Team Ltd Unit 103 Charmay Centre 12 Ka Hing Rd Kwai Fong, New Territories Hong Kong Tel: 852-2370-1680 Fax: 852-2370-1668 Email: sales@chinateam.com.hk Web: www.chinateam.com.hk |
Year Established: 2003 Major Product Categories: photo frames (wooden, polyresin), mirrors Brands & Certificates: - Minimum Order: 1,000 pieces Monthly Production Capacity: - Delivery Time: 60 days Factory Size & Location: 15,000 square metres; Shenzhen Workforce: 400 |
| Essential Industries Ltd 9/F Kee Shing Centre 76 Kimberley Rd Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Hong Kong Tel: 852-2314-1820 Fax: 852-2314-2311 Email: sales@essential-ind.com Web: www.essential-ind.com |
Year Established: 1994 Major Product Categories: photo albums, home and office stationery, gifts Brands & Certificates: Eili Minimum Order: 3,000 pieces Monthly Production Capacity: - Delivery Time: 45 days Factory Size & Location: 90,000 square metres; Dongguan Workforce: 1,600 |
| Hang Fung Mfy Co Ltd Rm G, 11/F, Blk 2 Bayview Garden Ngau Chi Wan, Kowloon Hong Kong Tel: 852-2419-6982 Fax: 852-2419-7482 Email: info@hangfunghdc.com Web: www.hangfunghdc.com |
Year Established: 2000 Major Product Categories: photo frames and photo albums Brands & Certificates: ISO 9001 Minimum Order: US$5,000 Monthly Production Capacity: 500,000-800,000 pieces Delivery Time: 40-50 days Factory Size & Location: 180,000 square feet; Shenzhen Workforce: 600 |
| Kwok Keung Metal Works Ltd Rms 2903-07, Tower 1 Metroplaza 223 Hing Fong Rd Kwai Chung, New Territories Hong Kong Tel: 852-2424-4801 Fax: 852-2420-4028 Email: k4244801@netvigator.com Web: www.kwokkeung.com.hk |
Year Established: 1983 Major Product Categories: metal/wood/glass photo frames & photo albums Brands & Certificates: ISO 9001 Minimum Order: US$8,000, MOQ 480 pieces Monthly Production Capacity: 1.5 million pieces Delivery Time: 60 days Factory Size & Location: 27,000 square metres; Shenzhen Workforce: - |
| Sun Ngai Mfy Ltd Rm 29, 10/F Thriving Ind Centre 26-38 Sha Tsui Rd Tsuen Wan, New Territories Hong Kong Tel: 852-2492-9178 Fax: 852-2416-4938 Email: info@sun-ngai-frame.com Web: www.sun-ngai-frame.com |
Year Established: 1991 Major Product Categories: wooden photo frames, wooden photo albums, wooden products Brands & Certificates: - Minimum Order: 100 cartons Monthly Production Capacity: 10 FEUs Delivery Time: 50 days Factory Size & Location: 10,000 square metres Workforce: 350 |
