Same size mat for portrait and landscape?

[Dave Starr]

The title pretty much says it. I'm going to mat a couple 16x20's, landscape for the first time, and am wondering. Also, 20x24, or 22x28 mats?

 

[User Removed]

Personally, I feel 20x24 is too small, and 22x28 (although a standard size) is to narrow on the 22 side. 24x28 looks much better for both horizontal and verticals.

 

[Colin Graham]

Another vote for 24x28.

 

[lee]

bigger the better

lee\c

 

[Ole]

I don't think any two of my pictures have the same size mats.

Just make it the right size for the image!

 

[Vaughn]

I like my 16x20's on 24x28 -- especially the hortizontals. Vertical 16x20 works well on 22x28, but I keep them all at 24x28. It does makes framing and storage a bit easier to have "standard" sizes, but that should not be the deciding factor.

The economic situation use to dictate 16x20 on 20x24 -- unfortunately. That is just not enough breathing space around the print.

I am cutting mats tonight -- 8x10's on 16x20...but 4x10's on 12x16.

Vaughn

 

[Dave Starr]

24x28 sounds good. I've got a couple portrait 16x20's matted to 20x24, and they do look a bit small.

Thanks for the good advice.

 

[photographs42]

.......

Just make it the right size for the image!

That’s sort of good advice, but it’s like saying that the way to do everything right is to not do anything wrong. It doesn’t help much.

About 25 years ago I spent considerable time working out a series of print/mat sizes that has worked for me ever since. I started with a 16x20 fiber print and decided that it needed about 4” of mat around it. I have never liked the look of having unequal borders (except at the bottom) and I wanted a modular approach that made a vertical image the same frame size as a horizontal. I sell my work at art fairs and I carry 30 to 40 framed and 150 to 200 matted prints to shows and I needed consistency.

Sparing you the boring details of how I arrived at the size, I make the horizontal prints 19.5”x15” and the vertical prints 15.5”x19”. The dry mounted print has 3/8” of mount and 3 7/8” of mat showing on the top and sides and 5/8” of mount and 4 1/8” on the bottom. This allows me to sign the mount in the 5/8” area and the wider bottom mat “visually” matches the top and sides. Both horizontal and vertical mats are 24”x28”.

When I jump to 20x24 or bigger I add an inch to the mat width all around. I ignore the minor issue of a 20x24 being a slightly different aspect ratio than 8x10, 16x20 or 24x30.

Below is a digital version of my method. The blue is the wall.

Jerome

 

[Buster6X6]

photographs42 Very nice image .

Cheers Greg

 

[Jim Jones]

I agree with Jerome. Standardization is economical and practical. One can buy matboard and frames in quantity, and use jigs for accurate mat cutting and print mounting. If my prints sold in elite venues, it might be different.