The background area for mounted prints

This comment can readily apply to both analog and digital. If it is misplaced into the incorrect category, please transfer it to an appropriate forum.

The human eye tends to gravitate towards light. That said, I have always wondered why prints are mounted with a white, or light, background. Intuitively, it would seem to me that a dark background would better isolate the print, rather than letting a white background lead the eye away from the central focus.

Obviously, there is a chance that my reasoning is faulty; I would be very interested in knowing why? Maybe I think differently (I am left-handed); yet, maybe I have imparted something of substance here.

Often, I peruse other forums on the Internet, be they photographically inclined or not. I have noticed that most forums conform to the dark text / light background like Photrio does. Some forums reverse this format by using a dark background and white text. When first viewing these "renegade / reversed" forums, I am at first a bit disturbed by the change in visual perception. But, with a little time, I acclimate to them and find, as a bonus, that my eyes are not as strained as they can get with the "normal" white background / black text format. In fact, I come to like them better.

In grade school, in the fifties, there was ALWAYS the blackboard with white chalk. Now, we have whiteboards.

I encourage comments on this and, most importantly, what do I seem to be missing here? I just might prefer seeing a print mounted with a dark background. Why do most not prefer this? - David Lyga

For me it is how the tones in the print work with the color/tone of the mat. A warm print can look a little muddy on a white mat board, but sing on an off-white. And the whites of a cool print can look off-standish on a warm mat. And depending on the images, the reverse can be true. There is no one single best way to mat...and it all has to work with the frame...and then with the hung print's surroundings.

When I was silver gelatin printing:
Forest scenes -- Portriga Rapid III (warm toned), natural white, wood frame (dark reddish brown)
Desert/mountain scenes -- Gallerie (neutral toned), bight white mat, silver metal frame

My alt process prints (warm tone) -- natural white mat and black wood frame

When I have my prints matted and framed, I spend more time choosing the best color and texture mat than I do on the frame. For me the frame should never distract from the print. I almost always choose a white mat to draw attention to the highlights and to emphasize the richness of the blacks.

Adding a few more thoughts.

Computer screen -- one must take into consideration that by going to white lettering on black, the total amount of light being projected towards ones eyes is decreased significantly. And this is significantly different than a print being surrounded by a white surface reflecting a relatively low level of light towards ones eyes. And if either is too bright and bothers ones eyes, the brightness of both (screen and lights shining on the print) need to be turned down.

I matted a couple portfolios on gray boards back in college. I liked it at the time...being a little different was part of it, I suppose. It was the 70s. Now, I would stay away from any board that is not the same color all the way through. Using a board that will have the bevel be a different color than the surface of the mat can look unfinished to my eye. A bit picky, granted. There are mats that are black with a layer of color (or white) on the surface to produce a black bevel -- can be cool, but also distracting.

If one is showing work with other photographers, consideration will have to be given to how the different presentation methods will work together. Light shades of white will blend easier, but generally a good curator should be able to handle a mix of darker mats and colored mats...there just are not that many good curators readily available.

Apparently, this matter is more subjective than I had originally thought. But, being that, it is open to different concepts, like Vaughn's use of gray background during a more artistically daring time. Also, the subject matter, as well as inherent tonality, come into the equation. But, that said, the overwhelming preference is for a white or off white background, and the overwhelming preference for computer screens is for a white background.

And the overwhelming preference is for right-handedness. I think that David Lyga is a quirk. - David Lyga

For a while I played with a Chrome extension that permitted radical changes to how websites displayed. Photrio with white lettering on a darker background was essentially unreadable.
But in the Gallery here, if you click on a photo and enter "Portfolio View", the photos are displayed isolated on a dark background - much to their benefit.
I choose white display mats more often than black, grey or coloured mats, but at least some of that is due to the predominantly black and white photos I display.
A brown or light sepia toned black and white print with a white mat looks really good, IMHO.
Whereas a photo with rich colours and deep tones looks great with a black mat.
In short, when permitted choose the mat to suit the photo.
In the case of shows and competitions, it makes sense to mandate a particular colour of mat in order to level the field. White mats work at least reasonably well with most photos, so they make for a good default.

Didn't AA once say that he tested this very thing, and found that dark green enhanced his prints the best? Could have been a forest green...

A neutral gray that matches the warmth/coolness of a print will allow the print to be viewed with the least influence of the mat. However, part of the mat's purpose is to isolate the photograph so it will stand out agains the background/frame/wall where it is displayed. Unless it is a high-key photo, white or off-white seems to that job best. A colored mat might not work in as many situations.

Pieter12 said:

A neutral gray that matches the warmth/coolness of a print will allow the print to be viewed with the least influence of the mat. However, part of the mat's purpose is to isolate the photograph so it will stand out agains the background/frame/wall where it is displayed. Unless it is a high-key photo, white or off-white seems to that job best. A colored mat might not work in as many situations.

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You see, I know that this is the case. But, using my theory of the eye venturing towards the light, I wonder why that that is the preferred way.

It would seem to me to be the opposite, letting the eye focus upon the 'light' (image) and let the surrounding darkness provide an isolation barrier from the outside world. Do I make at least theoretical sense? - David Lyga

David Lyga said:

You see, I know that this is the case. But, using my theory of the eye venturing towards the light, I wonder why that that is the preferred way.

It would seem to me to be the opposite, letting the eye focus upon the 'light' (image) and let the surrounding darkness provide an isolation barrier from the outside world. Do I make at least theoretical sense? - David Lyga

Click to expand...

My theory: Photographers are taught to burn the edges of their prints, thus creating a tonal definition between the white paper border and the image. One's gaze will ignore that white border, be it a white (-ish) mat or the paper base once you are close enough to the image to examine it. The eye is not distracted by the mat if the white of the photo does not bleed or continue to the edge. However, from a distance a white mat draws attention the the photograph contained inside.

Andrew O'Neill said:

Didn't AA once say that he tested this very thing, and found that dark green enhanced his prints the best? Could have been a forest green...

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Not quite sure about for mats, but it looks great as paint on the walls for a lot of different types of work.

David Lyga said:

You see, I know that this is the case. But, using my theory of the eye venturing towards the light, I wonder why that that is the preferred way.

It would seem to me to be the opposite, letting the eye focus upon the 'light' (image) and let the surrounding darkness provide an isolation barrier from the outside world. Do I make at least theoretical sense? - David Lyga

Click to expand...

Perhaps one is like seeing the image at the end of a dark tunnel and the other like seeing the image as floating on light.

Even with a white mat, a black border does come in handy for keeping the viewers' eyes within the image area. This pt/pd print (5x7) would have a window over it that covers about half of black shown here.

The second image is an exception I made (waterfall). This print would not work (as I want it to) with a dark mat -- the image would be totally about the light of the waterfall and the rich black areas with subtle texture would get visually lost. (IMO -- it is quick grab off the wall for this post)

Vaughn said:

Not quite sure about for mats, but it looks great as paint on the walls for a lot of different types of work.

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Yes, he was talking about for the walls. Thanks!