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Aesthetic question re: matting/framing

jmal

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Oct 13, 2006
Messages
529
Location
Kansas
Format
35mm
For those of you that print some shots with a thin black border, how do you mat them? For example, do you leave a little space (i.e. white paper) between the bevel and the black border? Or, do you let the bevel meet the border? I'm getting close to the mounting stage, having collected quite a few framable prints and am curious how people handle borders. Not all of my photos have them, but some really seem to pop more with the border. Thanks.

Jmal
 
I almost always use a white matte board with a black core. That way, you get a thin black edge around the print (actually the core of the board) that looks just like a black "border" on the print.
 
I nearly always print so that there is a border of paper around the image (whether I have a black border around it or not) so that I don't have to have the mat edge touch the image. My personal preference.
 
I struggled with the same issue. I tried trimming the print right down to the border, then mounting and matting, but that didn't come out great. I tried mounting the entire print and cutting a window matt that shows the black border, but here you have a brilliantly white (sometimes glossy) "frame/space" between the black border of your print and the window matt you cut.
I have found the best way to present images with a black border is in a high quality Probook.

well that was about as clear as mudd.

good luck

Christopher Breitenstein
 
Print your photographs with your black border, trim off abit so all sides are equal and square. Drymount your prints to a white mount and overmatt about 1/4"-1/2" around the prints edge. You never want the mount overlaying on the mounted prints edge.
 
Surely it's personal preference since I have seen it done both ways.
 
You will find that Ryan is very set in his ways about matting and framing.

I personally like having the bevel meet the border if it is a very thin border I go right to it. I find dry mounting and leaving space between the mat and the window to be ugly.
 
David Brown said:
:confused: Why?
Click to expand...

First reason, because you have to overlay the mate over the edge the print slightly, therefore it will always be cropping abit of your image. Some people don't care, but other like myself don't crop their photograph.

Second reason, you should never have anything physically touching the surface of the photograph for an extended period of time. Even if it's 100% archival musuem mat board, it will eventually make a mark/blemish or line on the image that cannot be removed, therefore damaging the print.
Also, depending on the hanging enviroment, I've seen prints fade due to sunlight, ect, and where the mat was over the image, the area under the mat was darker.

The actual surface of the print should never be touching anything for a long period of time, as it will eventually cause damage to the surface. Let it be matboard, glass, ect.
 
All very interesting points that I had never considered. I used to overmat, but have lately been leaving a small white space between the image and the mat. I think now I shall continue to do so.

 
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