What Foursided does

Foursided is a privately held, Chicago-based specialty retailer and custom framing business founded in 2002 by Todd Mack (deceased 2025) and Gino Pinto, operating five retail locations across the Lakeview and Andersonville neighborhoods plus a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront at foursided.com. The company's core offering is custom and antique framing services with over 1,850 frame choices, two-week average turnaround, and free design consultations, supported by a team including a Framing Director and Framing Manager. Beyond framing, Foursided sells proprietary made-to-order products (States in Love Shadowboxes, Custom Pet Flashcards, Chicago Shadowboxes, Custom State and Sports Flashcards) and a curated assortment of greeting cards, vintage items, candles, prints, apparel (tote bags, onesies, enamel pins, mugs), books, and gift cards ranging from $10 to $200.

Foursided's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across physical retail and e-commerce, with in-store pickup and US shipping, supplemented by community events (artist pop-ups, book signings) and active social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok). The company targets individual consumers including Chicago residents, tourists, LGBTQ+ shoppers, gift buyers, and supporters of independent makers, with a stated mission to advance BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA+ artisans. Pricing is mixed: custom framing is quote-based on size, moulding, glass type, and mounting, while custom products are unit-priced between $22 and $79 and gift cards are sold in fixed denominations.

Foursided has no outside institutional capital, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue, and has been recognized as a "Best of Chicago - Best Framing" winner by the Chicago Reader in 2022, 2023, 2025, and 2026. Operationally the business is small (11-50 employees) and founder-controlled, with technology limited to a standard Shopify storefront and manual artisan production for custom products, and no AI, APIs, or proprietary software platforms are part of the stack.

Name

Foursided

Legal name

Foursided

Website

https://foursided.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Foursided is a Chicago-based specialty retailer operating five locations and a Shopify storefront, offering custom and antique framing services alongside curated gifts, vintage goods, and proprietary made-to-order products for individual consumers, Chicago residents, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Framing Services: Bespoke custom and antique framing with consultation services, offering over 1,850 frame choices and various glass options including museum glass and conservation clear
2. Retail Products - Cards, Gifts & Vintage: Physical goods including greeting cards, candles, vintage items, antiques, jewelry, local artist goods, and quirky finds sold across three retail locations and online
3. Custom Products: Made-to-order custom products including pet flashcards, state shadowboxes, flashcards, and sports flashcards that are personalized per customer order
4. Prints & Wall Art: Sale of posters, prints, Chicago-themed art, and neighborhood prints from local artists
5. Gift Cards: Gift cards available in denominations from $10 to $200, redeemable at all store locations and online

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Foursided operates a Chicago-based retail and custom framing business offering bespoke framing services with over 1,850 frame choices alongside curated gift products including custom shadowboxes, hand-illustrated pet flashcards, vintage items, greeting cards, candles, prints, and locally made goods. The company sells through five brick-and-mortar locations across Chicago's Lakeview and Andersonville neighborhoods and a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront with shipping and in-store pickup options.

Product overview

Foursided is a Chicago-based retail business offering custom framing services and curated gifts. The core product is custom framing with over 1,850 frame choices and personalized items including Custom Pet Flashcards (hand-illustrated pet portraits in custom frames), States in Love Shadowboxes (two-state puzzle pieces with hand-drawn trails), Framed States, Chicago Shadowboxes, and Custom Flashcards. The product portfolio also includes greeting cards, vintage goods, candles, prints, apparel (tote bags, onesies, mugs, pins), books, and gift cards. The business operates three retail locations in Chicago (Lakeview, Andersonville) and two dedicated custom framing locations. The online store is powered by Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Framing Services Professional custom and antique framing services offering over 1,850 frame choices with expert design consultation, archival materials (museum glass, conservation clear), and two-week turnaround. For individual consumers and gift-givers seeking to frame artwork, photographs, keepsakes, and unusual sentimental items.
• Custom Pet Flashcard Custom-framed pet portrait featuring hand-illustrated artwork created from uploaded pet photos. Available in 8x11 frame with multiple frame colors (black or silver) and mat color options; takes 2-3 weeks to produce. Available framed ($79) or unframed ($49). For pet owners and gift-givers.
• States in Love Shadowbox Custom shadowbox featuring two puzzle-piece states with a hand-drawn red trail between them. Available in multiple sizes (4x6 to 8x10) with frame and mat color options; assembled by hand in 2-3 days. Priced at $54. For gift-givers, couples, and those celebrating relationships between two places.
• Framed State Single-state framed shadowbox with vintage puzzle pieces. Available in sizes 2.5x3.5 to 8x8, with white or black frames and multiple mat colors; Texas, Florida, and California not available in smallest sizes. Priced at $27. For those wanting single-state wall art.
• Chicago Shadowbox Custom word shadowbox featuring vintage and modern letter tiles spelling Chicago in a 5x7 frame. Each is unique and handmade by staff, with float-mounted letters for a gallery look. Priced at $40. For Chicago residents, visitors, and gift-givers.
• Foursided Custom Flashcard Custom-framed flashcards with 150+ illustration options (animals, objects, activities). Available framed ($52) or unframed ($22) in 8x11 size, with frame color and mat options; takes 1-2 weeks to produce. For gift-givers and those wanting personalized illustrated keepsakes.
• Custom Sports Flashcard Custom-framed sports-themed flashcards featuring sports illustrations. For sports enthusiasts and gift-givers.
• Custom State Flashcard Custom-framed flashcards featuring U.S. state-themed illustrations. For state-proud residents and gift-givers.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in denominations from $10 to $200, redeemable in-store and online at Foursided locations. For gift-givers wanting to give a flexible shopping experience.
• Prints and Posters Art prints and posters featuring Chicago themes, local artists, Pride imagery, and general illustration prints. For art enthusiasts, Chicago residents, and home decorators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 happy clients served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify powers Foursided's e-commerce storefront at foursided.com, providing the platform for online sales, product listings, cart functionality, and checkout processing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Framebridge: Framebridge is a national direct-to-consumer custom framing brand offering online ordering, retail studios, and mail-in framing. Highly comparable to Foursided as a custom-framing-led retailer combining proprietary service with multi-channel distribution.
• Paper Source: Paper Source is a multi-store specialty retailer of greeting cards, paper goods, and curated gifts. Closely comparable to Foursided's card and gift assortment, particularly its in-store + e-commerce omnichannel model and curated local maker positioning.
• Rifle Paper Co. Rifle Paper Co. designs and sells greeting cards, stationery, and gifts with a strong DTC e-commerce presence. Comparable to Foursided as a design-led, proprietary-product card/gift brand with a strong direct-to-consumer channel.
• Uncommon Goods: Uncommon Goods is an online retailer of unique, often personalized gifts and home goods, with a curated assortment of independent and small-batch maker products. Directly comparable to Foursided's curated independent-maker positioning in the custom/unique gift category.
• Simply Framed: Simply Framed is an online custom framing service offering curated designer frame collections and mail-in workflows. Comparable to Foursided as a direct-to-consumer custom-framing competitor addressing the same framing customer with a digital-first experience.
• Frame It Easy: Frame It Easy is a custom picture framing e-commerce company offering build-and-price online ordering. Comparable as a digital-first custom framing alternative directly competing for Foursided's framing customers.

Broad incumbents

• Hallmark: Hallmark is the largest U.S. greeting card retailer, with both company-owned stores and a broader licensed product portfolio. Comparable to Foursided's card-led assortment and gift positioning but operating at vastly larger scale and breadth.
• Michaels: Michaels is a national arts, crafts, and framing retailer offering in-store custom framing services alongside a broad craft assortment. Comparable to Foursided in custom framing and adjacent gift/craft categories, but at much broader scale and lower specialization.
• Anthropologie: Anthropologie (part of Urban Outfitters, Inc.) is a lifestyle retailer with curated home decor, gifts, apparel, and wall art. Comparable to Foursided's curated gift/home assortment, but with a much broader national footprint and lifestyle positioning.
• West Elm: West Elm (part of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.) is a home furnishings retailer offering wall art, framed prints, and decor. Comparable to Foursided in the wall art and framed decor category, but as part of a much broader national home furnishings portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Foursided
• Instagraminstagram.com/foursided
• Xx.com/foursided
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foursided-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Foursided