Mounting Prints - starting out

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I know I'll probably get varying suggestions, but I'm in a pinch.

I have practiced making prints for a while now, and they're good enough that I'm starting to get happy with them. Now I'm facing a problem, as I want to start displaying the prints, as a matter of fact, I am going to in a couple of weeks.

I understand I need a mat, for which I have a bevel cutter, and a backboard to support it from the back. The rest is a mystery to me, however.
I could search these forums, but I don't have time. I need help from a kind soul here, who can fill me in on what I need to get started. Time is very short.

What do I need to mount the print to the mat? How do I mount the print to the mat? Do I attach the back board and the mat somehow, or are they just clamped together in the frame?

Very grateful for help,

- Thom

 

[resummerfield]

Check out http://www.framedestination.com/picture_frame_info.html for some good ideas to get you started.

 

[ann]

try this as well

Dead Link Removed

 

[ann]

and here is something else

http://www.nedcc.org/plam3/tleaf410.htm

cutting windows and mounting is not hard,but like everything else it takes practice to get a professional look. Try to find an art supply place where you can buy some cheap boards to practice on; htey don't have to be the correct size, 8x10 will do fine. they should cost about a dollar apiece . start with a small window and keep increasing the size working your way to the outter edge of the board, more practice that way.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

I have been using acid free photo corners, but occasionally get an unpleasant amount of buckle in the print. I think that the key is to have enough overlap so that the print is held down well. If you are doing the 1/4" overlap that standard sized pre cut boards come with (7 1/2 X 9 1/2 inch opening for an 8X10 photo) than you will see some nasty buckling and I don't know of a good way to hold it down other than dry mounting. The photos where I have an inch on each side hold down pretty flat.

I haven't been hinging the top mat to the bottom, but I am going to start doing that. The risk is that you will have some movement in the frame and that will cause your image and over mat to no longer line up.

I have been buying metal Nielsen frame sections from American Frame. I am getting the ones called "Canvas" which are super cheap and hold a very thick collection of stuff if you like to do double over mats or float your over mat or something of the sort. 16X20 sections are $12 and they ship much quicker than Light Impressions. I have not found this particular Nielsen section nearly as cheap, not sure why since their prices on the others are very similar to everyone else's. Oh, and they include the hardware for the price of the sections, Light Impressions charges extra.

 

[jmdavis]

practice is good advice. I don't mind mounting, but I hate cutting boards. I get the boards precut with windows to size and then mount my prints. For double weight paper, you can use corner tabs for mounting (these are triangular acetate stick-ons with a pocket for the corner of the photo. The overmat should cover them.

For single weight, you should get access to a dry mount press. I believe from what I've read that you primarily shoot 35 and MF, so as long as you use double weight paper (fibre or rc) you should be fine with the corner mounting tabs.

Mike Davis

 

[Bob F.]

If you have a dry mount press, or access to one, dry mounting will keep your prints the flattest (see the 1st four pages of this PDF: http://www.hotpress.co.uk/Hints.pdf). Sans a press, you need to get your prints as flat as possible (not a problem if we are talking RC, more trouble if fibre) and use either hinges made from archival tape or pre-made corner mounts as described in the links above.

Cheers, Bob.

 

[jmdavis]

Just saw your gallery and the new shots with the 4x5. They are nice.

Mike Davis

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Thanks everybody for your kind help! It is much appreciated. I now know what to do to display my prints.

- Thomas

 

[nsurit]

So, you are in a time bind. Avoid that if you can. I cut some of my mats and buy some already cut. I prefer the Bainbridge Archival Museum Quality Mat and generally get them from Iconusa.com if I'm going to buy them. I use self adhesive Linen Hinging Tape made by Lineco. I hinge the top of the mat to the back board and then use a pendant mount for the print. Although I use to dry mount my prints, I doubt I'll ever use that method again. The method I've described is very forgiving and is (in my opinion) a less damaging way of mounting. Should the mat get damaged, the print may be salvaged this way, but couldn't with a dry mount. My 2 cents worth. Bill Barber

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I was opting for pre-cut mats for a while, but sometimes I print in odd sizes, and no standard mat could be used. Otherwise that's good advice! Thanks! / Thom

 

[fdi]

Eric has already posted the link to my company website that talks about mounting but I will make a few extra comments. I will generally just mount the print to the mat board in just two points at the top. This will keep the image centered in the mat opening. If you are not going to place the mat and back board in a frame then I would mount it to the back board. If you do this you will most likely want to hinge the mat to the back board with some linen hinging tape such as Lineco:
http://www.framedestination.com/product784.html

A good product to hinge the print also from Lineco is their hinging tissue. It is not as archival as Japanese rice paper and water based starch, but it is much better than Scotch acid free tape and a lot easier to use:
http://www.framedestination.com/product780.html

The key is to leave the print free to expand and contract because it will do so at a different rate than the mat and back board. The mat will keep it flat unless you are in a very humid area. In that case you will have some wave in the print. The only way around this is to dry mount it. Dry mounting is not archival. Museums will just tolerate the wave on their prints so it is considered perfectly fine by high end collectors, but will be frowned on by someone with no framing knowledge that is just looking at prints in at an artshow.

You can cut your own mats but it takes a lot of practice and unless you get real good or have a real good cutter it will be obviously be hand cut. This may or may not be an issue depending on whether you are trying to sell the.

I am a photographer myself and I hated the lack of mats and frames for the 3/2 aspect ratio and that is what led me to found Frame Destination, Inc. We carry museum quality Nielsen and Bainbridge framing products. 8x12, 10x15, 11x17 and 13x19 are standard sizes for us and we also do custom since many of our customers are displaying their work in galleries and need signature borders or prefer bottom weighting.

Feel free to contact me with framing questions. I am always happy to help other photographers even if we cant help you with our products.

Cheers,

Mark
Frame Destination, Inc.
http://www.framedestination.com