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Getting Started w Mats: How To Guides?

gbenaim

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Nov 3, 2004
Messages
441
Format
8x10 Format
Hi All,

I'm finally thinking about matting and mounting, and was wondering if there's some sort of tutorial online for cutting mats. Also, which cutter fits the under $100 budget but will do a good job? Can one do dry mounting for 8x10s using an iron, or do I need a dry mount press? Thanks,

GB
 
Opinions vary, but the budget one for me is the French-made Maped system. After a long, expensive (in ruined matts) apprenticeship with the Dexter I started using the Maped when it came out, and can make matts as good as any full-blown production machine, frequently better as the big machine needs to be well maintained.

A hand iron in my experience will just about let you get away with 8x10's, no bigger. If you can find a press and have the space for it you won't regret it.
 
I learned matting and framing basics a few years ago by taking a community ed course. The fringe benefit was that I was the only guy in class!

I agree with Martin. If you're serious about mounting prints, shop around for a dry mount press. I bought one for a couple of hundred dollars on ebay. It cost a lot for shipping but I wouldn't be without it.
Dan
 
Travelling Light - The Expert Framers

The simple fact is that one should never, ever, ever use any kind of adhesive to mount a photograph.

Dead Link Removed are the experts and their site contains a wealth of info.

In the past they have mounted 60x40 inch bw photographs for me with 'sticking' the print to anything and they have hung like a dream.

digidom
 
That Dexter mat cutter is still being sold, believe it or not, it is a stone age tool. It works great if the blades are sharp and you are careful and only want to do one at a time. It's not for the weak though, a younger person, before carpal tunnel, arthritis, and general bone and muscle disease sets in will enjoy the work out. I used one in college, it's basic but a Pinto not a Cadillac. Get a better unit, there are many available, or have them made. Get a dry mounting press too, they are worth their weight in gold. I have a 16x20 and a Seal tacking iron, also necessary.
 
digidom said:
The simple fact is that one should never, ever, ever use any kind of adhesive to mount a photograph.
digidom
Click to expand...

So, I guess all the thousands of prints that Ansel Adams dry mounted over his career were done wrong?
 
digidom said:
The simple fact is that one should never, ever, ever use any kind of adhesive to mount a photograph.
Click to expand...

That's a pretty strong statement. While it is true that museums do not want photographs dry-mounted, this is because if there's a problem, it is difficult if not impossible to remove the photo from the mat board. However, it has been shown that proper dry-mounting of a photograph actually protects it. Therefore, since I don't expect any of my prints to end up in a museum, I see no problem with dry-mounting. Personally, I prefer the appearance of a dry-mounted print.
 
This book includes a section about matting prints that is very helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/Ansel-Adams-Guide-Techniques-Photography/dp/0821225758

If you don't want to buy a dry mount press (but you should if for nothing else then to flatten prints), you could print on paper one size larger than necessary and use wide borders, then mount the print with corners and let the overmat press down on the print borders to help hold it flat.

I recommend a Seal dry mount press and Logan mat cutter (buy a bunch of replacement blades and replace often to prevent tearing of the cut edge of the window mat).

Some one here, Christopher Colley, produced a very nice how-to video of dry mounting with an iron:

http://www.depressing.org/archives/2005/05/dry-mounting.html
 
I have info about picture frame mounting here.

Personally, even though I own a picture frame company, I have never hand cut a mat. I bought them precut in bulk until my company was able to get its own computerized mat cutters. If you are going to exhibit your work, and do a decent amount I would consider getting a more professional mat cutter. The higher end mat cutters do not require as much time to get good looking mats.

Cheers,
Mark
 
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