Matting and framing prints

Making fine prints in your digital darkroom
Matting and framing
by Norman Koren

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updated Feb. 18, 2004

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*Table of contents* *for the Making Fine* *Prints series*	Getting started \| Light & color Pixels, images, & files \| Scanners Digital cameras \| Printers \| Papers and inks Monitor calibration and gamma Printer calibration \| Scanning \| Basic image editing	Black & White \| Matting and framing Tonal quality and dynamic range in digital cameras Color Management: Introduction \| Implementation Profiles with MonacoEZcolor \| Evaluating profiles

*for Image editing with* *Picture Window Pro*	Introduction \| Making masks Contrast masking	Tinting and hand coloring B&W images Example: Sunset, Providence, Rhode Island

Matting and framing

I can't blame anyone for sending out prints for matting and framing. It's tedious and time-consuming. But I'm a fanatic; I've gotten good at it and I like saving money, so I do it myself. The more you do the easier it gets.

Prints mounted for display should be overmatted, particularly if they are to be framed behind glass. An overmat prevents the print from pressing against the glass-- very important for longevity. I like simple mat design-- a legacy from a Minor White show I saw at least thirty years ago. I'm not fond of elaborate mats, particularly when they disguise mediocre prints. Besides, they require extra work. I purchase most of my supplies from Presto (framingsupplies.com) in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Here are some of the supplies I get from them:

Alto 4505 Mat Cutting System. Includes a 10"x36" base, a 36" cutting guide, and a 45 degree bevel cutter. Cuts up to 8" borders, and does lots of fancy things I don't need. A great choice for a nonprofessional framer. (Professional machines are designed for high speed and volume; they don't really make better mats.) I recommend purchasing extra blades: sharp blades are very important for making clean cuts. The instruction manual is confusing. It was easier to figure out the 4505 myself. Border widths are set in steps of 1/8 inch. I use thin strips of matboard between the cutting guide and cutter for fine adjustments.
P-1 Aluminum frames. I like the 12 Frosted silver finish because it's simple and unobtrusive. Sold in pairs 8" to 40" in length. Very nice looking and very economical.
Mat board (for overmats). CR-1153 white 4 Ply (.060) 32"x 40" Rag Mat 100. 100% cotton. Meets archival standards. Boards from Superior Archival Materials meet even more stringent standards: they actively absorb pollutants from the air.
Foam board (backing; goes behind the prints). 1/8 inch acid free 32"x40". Mat board is an OK backing for portfolios, where it takes up less space, but it doesn't work as well for framed prints.
Self-adhesive linen tape for mounting prints by taping the top of the back of the print to the overmat. Prints are taped only on top; they hang free. Alternatives: I may check out 3M Photo Mount adhesive spray, which is supposed to be safe for photographs and repositionable for five minutes. Dry mounting is a more permanent, archival solution for pigment-based prints. The heat apparently discolors dyes.

Other supplies include a mat cutter, extra blades and a diamond sharpener from a local hardware store; a cleaning brush (8 inches of soft 2 inch bristles) and custom cut glass from a local art supply shop. A T-square with a true 90 degree angle is indispensable. If you're comfortable cutting glass yourself, you can save a lot of money purchasing old frames at garage sales. I won't go into details of how I measure and cut mats because it's too tedious and individual. You have to find your own way through experiment and practice. Here are some matting tips:

Mat size: Prints should have adequate breathing room. For letter size (8 1/2x11 inch) prints I like 14x17 inch mats. For A3 (11.7x16.5 inch) prints I'm settling on 18x22. 20x24 seems a little large. For Super B (also called Super A3; 13x19 inches; the largest the Epson 1270 and 200P can print), 20x24 is a good size. For vertically (portrait) oriented prints, slightly longer formats (14x18, 18x23, 20x26, etc.) may work better. Mat and foam board come in 32x40 inch sheets, which makes some waste inevitable. Lately I've been doing letter and A3 prints. By cutting the 40 inch side at 18 inches, I can get two 18x22's and one 14x17 with minimal waste.
The bottom border should be larger than the top by 1/4 to 1/2 inch; sometimes more (another aesthetic decision).
Make sure your mat knife is very sharp. Replace blades frequently. I purchased a small diamond sharpener from a local hardware store, and I sharpen the blade before each cut. Nice ritual; makes me feel good.
Use a piece of sacrificial scrap mat board under the board you're cutting. This helps keep the blade sharp. You'll have scrap; it's unavoidable.
Keep the work area clean-- use the cleaning brush frequently. It's particularly important during framing.

If you print on Resin Coated (RC) paper-- most any paper with a glossy or semigloss surface and a "plastic" feel-- you must make sure the print is thoroughly dry before mounting it behind glass. It it is not dry, the glass may become fogged due to outgassing of solvents in the inks. This is rarely a problem here in dry Colorado, where 24 hours drying should be sufficient, but can be a significant problem in humid climates, where accelerated drying (with a hair dryer, very carefully) may be necessary. To learn more, check out Inkjetart.com.

Dale Cotton has written a very nice page, Matting and Framing Crash Course for the Amateur Photographer, that differs in equipment and details.

Superior Archival Materials sells mat board, foam board and storage cases that provide better protection than standard acid-free materials.

Light Impressions sells custom cut mats. The savings in time may well justify the modest added cost.

Paper Mart is an excellent source of boxes for mailing prints. I use their Five Panel Folders as tubes for maling large prints (rolled up). Their 0.080 inch thick tubes look excellent.

Uline has some particularly nice boxes for shipping matted prints from 20x24 inches to 26x38 inches. Also of interest: Easy-fold mailers. Tri-Star Stayflats®mailers look very nice for unmounted prints (much cheaper than Office Depot mailers). Thanks, Don Hall.

Images and text copyright (C) 2000-2013 by Norman Koren. Norman Koren lives in Boulder, Colorado, where he worked in developing magnetic recording technology for high capacity data storage systems until 2001. Since 2003 most of his time has been devoted to the development of Imatest. He has been involved with photography since 1964.