Square print in a rectangular mount

Fintan · Oct 19, 2005

For the purposes of a competition I need to produce a mounted print, including the mount exactly 20"x16"

I print square always and usually mount square also.

My prints are 11.5" x 11.5" and I'm wondering thats the best position within the rectangular mount to have the print.

Should it be dead centre, or closer to the top or what.

Advice appreciated as the deadline looms :confused:

wfe · Oct 19, 2005

I also print and mount square but have mounted in a rectangle. My suggestion is definitly towards the top with a lot of space at the bottom. Usually the same space on the top and sides works well.

Dave Miller · Oct 19, 2005

Towards the top with equal side and top margins.

Steve Roberts · Oct 19, 2005

Dave Miller said:
Towards the top with equal side and top margins.

What he said!

Good luck with the competition,
Steve

Andy K · Oct 19, 2005

Would you guys also frame a rectangular print in the same fashion? ie slightly off centre towards the top of the frame? (this presenting your own photographs thing is all new to me too!)

John Bartley · Oct 19, 2005

FWIW and ignoring the question of "what is the standard for competition?", I have never personally liked a print that is set off to any one edge. I personally like to see them centred and have never had any like or dislike for either square or rectangular regardless of the frame profile.

just my $0.02

Travis Nunn · Oct 19, 2005

I agree with mounting the square print towards the top.

I'm not sure about rectangular prints. Sometimes I think dead center and sometimes I think off center.

ann · Oct 19, 2005

the most frequent manner of hanging for competiton is to use standard musem methods which is usually bottom heavy, and in salon style. This means all frames are hung vertically regardless of the prints orientation.

The top and sides are quite often the same size with the bottom being at least 1/2 to 1 inch deeper than the top.

Andy K · Oct 19, 2005

The reason I asked is I just looked at a few pictures on my wall and they all seem to be framed off centre to the top with equal borders around the sides and top.

Dave Miller · Oct 19, 2005

Andy K said:
Would you guys also frame a rectangular print in the same fashion? ie slightly off centre towards the top of the frame? (this presenting your own photographs thing is all new to me too!)

Yes.

simulatordan · Oct 19, 2005

The idea of the mount for a framed Painting or Photograph having a larger margin at the bottom is very old. The printed word since the days of Caxton follows the same rule.

If you provide equal margins top and bottom the image will always look as if it is below the centre and trying to fall though the bottom of the frame. Try it and see what you think.

This is my first post on this site, I hope this helps.

Daniel

Andy K · Oct 19, 2005

Thankyou for that Daniel and welcome to APUG!

I just put a print in a frame centrally mounted and you're right, it felt too 'low'. It looks much better set to the top of the frame.

Fintan · Oct 20, 2005

Thanks to all for the suggestions and to KenS for the PM, I'm deeply indepted.

gr82bart · Oct 20, 2005

Andy K said:
Would you guys also frame a rectangular print in the same fashion? ie slightly off centre towards the top of the frame?

Yes. This is the way I always frame my prints, since I too print only square.

For some reason, I don't like a square print in a square frame. Just a personal thing.

Art.

Ben Taylor · Oct 20, 2005

I've just started experimenting with square format so it's new to me, but my personal taste is to see the print mounted towards the top of the frame.

Isn't it a matter of not only your taste, but also what suits the particular print best? I feel that way the print is mounted forms part of the image to the viewer.

JamesG · Jun 21, 2006

Maybe a little off topic, but where can I buy square format printing paper - preferably Ilford? Is it still available? I am currently using 11x14" to print 10x10". There has to be a better way.

James

Nick Zentena · Jun 21, 2006

The simple thing is to buy roll paper and cut it to length. I think 10x10 is more common in Europe. Didn't J&C have some ?

Gerald Koch · Jun 21, 2006

Square prints always look better to me in a vertical rather than a horizontal frame. Prints should be mounted slightly higher than center to make them look as if they were centered. The eye is easily fooled.

Stoo Batchelor · Jun 21, 2006

I'm with everyone else. Square prints in rectangle frames looks gorgeous.

Try this web site for optically centering your print, borrowed from another APUGer. I use it for whatever size print in my standard 50cm x 40cm mat.

www.russellcottrell.com/photo/centering.htm

Works every time and does the maths for you!

Regards

Stoo

Adrian Twiss · Jun 21, 2006

Square Paper

JamesG said:
Maybe a little off topic, but where can I buy square format printing paper - preferably Ilford? Is it still available? I am currently using 11x14" to print 10x10". There has to be a better way.

James

I dont believe anyone supplies square paper as a stock item anymore. If my memory serves me correctly the last manufacturer to supply square paper as a stock item was Agfa who sold 10x10 inch paper.

Your best bet to minimise wastage would be to buy a roll of paper say 30 or 40 inches wide. That way you could cut either 15x15 or 20x20 with no wastage.

My maximum print size for competitions (when I print square) is 12x12 because most competitions give a maximum mount size of 20x16.

AgCl4ever · Oct 20, 2006

Some articles/ books/ experts suggest that more bottom vs. equal top & bottom depends on hanging height - if the print is centered at eye level, top = bottom. If print is hung high, bottom > top. This fits with my own subjective experience.

Ken

epatsellis · Oct 23, 2006

For some not-so-useless trivai, the general design rule is that the visual center of an object is 3/8 of the way from the top. Supposedly due to the millions of years of seeing human eyes approx 3/8 from the top of the head, is the explanation I've heard in the past.

erie

Fintan · Oct 23, 2006

One of the best ideas for this that I was given at the time is the pdf on this page.

http://carbonphoto.cicada.com/tips/mattingtip1.html

Square print in a rectangular mount

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