Mounting lith prints. What colour mount?

mrtoml · Sep 21, 2008

I have been cutting a few mounts lately for lith prints. I'm using colourmount conservation board to try and get an exhibition together.

The prints range from pink/brown to slightly pink.

Some good representative examples:
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I have tried 'antique white' (a kind of slightly warm off-white colour) and today an ivory mount (which to my mind is actually cream). Neither seem to be quite right (although the off-white looks better than the ivory). I am thinking of trying black. It seems difficult to choose a mount colour for 'pink toned' prints. Anyone have any ideas?

Cheers.

Neil Souch · Sep 21, 2008

Hi, I think it is important not to have anything that will clash or detract from the colour of the lith print. I tend to use a variety of white mounts but find the pure white a bit too bright. Have used a lot of antique white as that suits my work, tried the the ivory white but found it too creamy.With a pink lith print I think I would try first a pure white and let the pink print do the talking.

Cheers,
Neil.

blaze-on · Sep 21, 2008

White...plain white.

Tom Stanworth · Sep 22, 2008

I agree with a plain old white - nor a bright white, but a soft plain white. I discovered that, for me, the key to mountboard selection was not about image tone so much as paper base colour if you are displaying a border of paper base. If I recall correctly, I ran into a similar problem to you and had the same issues with the conservation board ranges with other manufacturers. i ended up having to use museum cotton rag boards to get the subtle variations on whites I required. Colourmount do some beautiful hues as does Bainbridge. Seem to recall that colourmount museum std white is much softer than the conservation board. I also used the soft white I think, but it has been a while so my recollection is not perfect.

Personally, I would not go near black. I used to order a selection of boards so I had about 3 hues of white from plain white to soft white, to off white. That I found was perfect and I never enjoyed the too creamy boards which just flatten the whole experience for me. BTW the colours of the lith to my eyes show off much better with a white mount anyway. If the mount and lith image are similarly off white, even if not the same colour, some of the beauty is lost\ for me

doughowk · Sep 22, 2008

Colored mats seem more appropriate when decorating a home, while white is more appropriate for exhibits. You might try double matting with black & white. A black border around image with white over mat seems to work for alt process prints.

mrtoml · Sep 22, 2008

I think soft white is probably the way to go. I don't think bright white would work with my paper (Fomatone) which has a very warm base. The problem now is that they do about 12 shades of 'white'. I have sent for some samples... It is very difficult to get a feel for the colours from their website guide.

Dan Henderson · Sep 22, 2008

I have simplified mats to 2 "colors." Although some would say that is twice as complicated as it should be...anyway, I use Strathmore white board for most of my prints, and Strathmore warm white for sepia toned and lith prints. There is very little difference between the 2, and if I am not careful I can mix them up. But they are just different enough to complement the overall photograph tone.

Jarvman · Sep 22, 2008

I've just begun to build my own frames and have been using hayseed conservation mountboard produced by Arquadia. I'm using the same paper and developer, as you know by my questioning Mark and they look really good. It's the only colour you'd need to use for any print really and this is what has been taught to me by a reputable exhibition framer. It's the colour of the frames that'll be a headache if you're framing them.

mrtoml · Sep 22, 2008

Jarvman said:
I've just begun to build my own frames and have been using hayseed conservation mountboard produced by Arquadia. I'm using the same paper and developer, as you know by my questioning Mark and they look really good. It's the only colour you'd need to use for any print really and this is what has been taught to me by a reputable exhibition framer. It's the colour of the frames that'll be a headache if you're framing them.

Thanks. I'll check the Arquadia. I get my board from Lion who I think sell this as well.

On the subject of frames I was going to use a plain black. I am thinking about making my own frames. Do you think it is worth it and how much equipment do you really need? I have been looking here:

Dead Link Removed

But I fear this framer's 'starter kit' will ultimately be disappointing and it still requires use of a chop service. I already have a mat cutting system which is pretty good though (Logan 750).

Jarvman · Sep 22, 2008

It'll definately be worth the effort in the long-run seeing as framers charge about £15 an hour ontop of the cost of materials. The most expensive piece of kit was the mount cutter and seeing as you've got a mat cutting system then all you'd need to get hold of is an underpinner, those are expensive but I got mine on ebay for just under £200. It's really worth around £600. keep an eye out. Then a mitre saw which go for £50 to saw your wood. It's really surprisingly easy to cut the lengths of wood with one of those, it comes unassembled and you have to build it though which is another fun challenge! Also a tabmaster gun which drives the bendy tabs that keep the glass, matboard and backing board in. Then it's just the cost of materials. I'm really lucky because the guy who taught me how to frame orders all the stuff in bulk so there's no postage cost involved. He's a furniature restorer and a real perfectionist and has shown us how to finish the wood beautifully. It was mother dearest's idea, one of the best she's had! The quality of the ones I'm making rival a pro framing service for sure. It's worth thinking about getting into.

bwakel · Sep 22, 2008

I've got four liths on the wall of my office that I'm looking at now. They're in a dark wood frame and have two layer boards. The inner board is white and only about 5mm is showing. It has a black core and it seems to be the black core that's key - it separates the image from the mount. The outer board is cream. This combination seems to work well for me and has had many admiring comments from customers and suppliers. They all ask whether they're digital though as they didn't know that prints from film could produce such amazing colours!

JBrunner · Sep 22, 2008

Museum white, plain white. Black frame. The matt should do nothing but isolate the print from glass and frame. Anything else is self abuse, and wreaks of decorator fad de jour. YMMV.

thefizz · Sep 24, 2008

Fintan has 3 Fomatone Lith prints at the Apug/Ireland exhibition with slightly off white mounts and brown wooden frames. I have to say they look like a perfect combination. I don't think a black frame would have done the prints justice.

JBrunner · Sep 24, 2008

thefizz said:
Fintan has 3 Fomatone Lith prints at the Apug/Ireland exhibition with slightly off white mounts and brown wooden frames. I have to say they look like a perfect combination. I don't think a black frame would have done the prints justice.

Point well taken. I guess what I'm saying is I prefer a conservative approach. From what you say, Fintan took just that approach. I just loath 3 different mats of different colors in a fashion frame, usually to be found in a McMansion, with an $8 botanical poster within, and a mortgaged luxury car in the garage. Uggh.

mrtoml · Sep 24, 2008

I just received an order of 'antique' white mountboard (a soft white) so I am going to use that in black frames. I think the problem is that when you have a selection of images hanging together (lith and non-lith especially) you need to keep to one style or the set can start to look odd. White mounts/black frames seems to be the best overall compromise.

thefizz · Sep 24, 2008

Hi J, I hope you don't think I was directing my comments towards you as I wasn't. I actually hadn't read the second page of the thread so sorry if it looks like I was targeting you. A lot of the other frames in our exhibition were black so I had them in mind when saying how good Fintan's looked.

Peter

JBrunner · Sep 24, 2008

thefizz said:
Hi J, I hope you don't think I was directing my comments towards you as I wasn't. I actually hadn't read the second page of the thread so sorry if it looks like I was targeting you. A lot of the other frames in our exhibition were black so I had them in mind when saying how good Fintan's looked.

Peter

Targeted or not, I agree, as in I think you're right about certain prints and subjects.

Mounting lith prints. What colour mount?

mrtoml

Neil Souch

blaze-on

Tom Stanworth

doughowk

mrtoml

Dan Henderson

Jarvman

mrtoml

Jarvman

bwakel

JBrunner

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mrtoml

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Mounting lith prints. What colour mount?

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