Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: Wawe on July 17, 2017, 04:08:52 pm
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Hi all,
I've recently started printing my own images with an Epson P800 and am looking to matt & frame them myself, too, as soon as I learn how to do that and acquire the necessary supplies.
Having watched hours of tutorial videos on the subject both on Lynda.com and YouTube, I found the methodology taught on Robert Rodriguez Jr's Matting and Framing Tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n2ossog5Ns) to be worth pursuing, with some minor modifications to be better suited for my purposes. Firstly, for now, I probably won't try to cut my own glass or build the frame as I have enough new stuff to learn as is. Secondly, as I understood that you can do the whole process in a way that allows you to change the image in the frame later if necessary, I would really like to do the matting and framing so that I can do that. I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have for these two choices.
If I'll end up following this process, I'm thinking I need to buy at least the following:
- The frame itself
- Backing board
- Mount
- Photo corners to hold the print in place
- Glazing (I'm considering Tru Vue Museum Glass)
- Some string to hang the finished art work with and other small supplies
As I've never actually done any framing in practice, the above list isn't probably complete. Something relevant I'm missing here?
Also, any thoughts on where to get the stuff? I live in Finland, so in case someone knows any good Europe-based retailers, those would likely work the best for me, but I'm willing to consider further-away options as well.
With a quick look, I found at least one framing shop (https://www.bramptonframing.com/picture-frames/design#review) that would sell bespoke frames, for which I could choose the glazing to be Tru Vue Museum Glass as well. So, from them I would get all else and would then do the mount myself. This is a tempting choice for first-timer like myself but I'd assume that they will charge astronomical mark-ups for the service. What do you think, would this be a nice, easy road to go at this point?
Please feel free to suggest other alternatives as well and thanks for your help in advance!
-W4w3
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Glass breaks; use high quality acrylic glazing instead. You should be able to find this at any good framing parts distributor. You don't say what the volume of framing you plan to do. Is this for your own display or for sale? If you are just doing something for yourself there are other display options that don't involve framing: https://posterhanger.com/ Beauty of this approach is that it's easier to change images!
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The problem I have with acrylic is that it needs special cleaners, special cloths, and also a lot of care in using them to avoid fine surface scratches. Rub it across the wrong thing when handling the finished piece and you'll have a big mark. Sometimes they can be polished out. With insufficient care the glazing can look pretty bad pretty fast. I don't trust that whoever ends up with a print is going to take that sort of care. When they don't it'll be my fault for using acrylic, not theirs for improper care. But what's best really depends on the properties that are important to you. Acrylic is very light, for instance.
Glass breaks, but the last time I broke any framed print glazing was 17 years ago. It was a small print and I thought the hanging wire was on a wall hook. It wasn't, and the print came crashing down on a tile floor. It broke the glass and wrecked the frame corner too. Before and since that event I framed hundreds of pieces from 11x14 to 30x40 inches using glass without any broken glazing. That's not to say it can't break, but in normal handling it just doesn't. That includes hauling the prints around to arts festivals and galleries. I've also shipped them by UPS and Fed Ex without issues. That makes me pretty tense but they have always arrived at their destination unbroken. Needless to say they need to be packed extremely well.
Cleaning regular glass takes no more care than cleaning a mirror or a window. OTOH Tru Vue Museum Glass has a coating that adores finger prints and shows them worse than acrylic or regular glass. Be careful to put the correct side toward the artwork. Cleaning it can be an exercise in frustration. "Touching up" a small smear can lead to a much bigger mess. IMO it's usually better to clean the entire piece using an ample amount of cleaning fluid, but that's not necessarily easy either. Like acrylic, museum glass needs a non-ammonia cleaner and microfiber cloth, but is much harder to clean than regular acrylic or glass. I have never used "Artglass" so I can't comment, but it's supposed to be easier to clean, have anti-reflective properties similar to Tru Vue Museum Glass, and either side can face the print.
Glass, including UV protective and Museum Glass, can easily be cut with simple hand tools. A roughly $10 (USD) cutter, $10 set of running pliers, and a $10 - $50 (depending on type and size) neoprene backed cutting guide (straight edge) is all one needs unless you are doing significant volume. Even then, I know a commercial framer who probably frames 5-10 pieces per day for 30+ years and she still uses these simple tools. I know another who does less volume but has all of the fancy wall-mounted equipment. The results are the same. Practice on a couple cheap pieces of regular glass when you start. You'll break a couple pieces but once you get a feel for it you'll probably never break a piece again. It seems intimidating at first but it's really dead simple. If you can buy larger sheets of glass by the box (typically 50 pounds) and cut them to size it can be surprisingly cheap. OTOH Museum glass is more than $10 per square foot. (Pardon my use of English units - they're just what I'm familiar with).
Get a decent mat cutter. You don't need to spend $1500 on one, but you'll regret getting a $300 version. C&H, Fletcher, are great. IMO the Logan 850 "Platinum Edge" at around $825 is fine for 4-ply, but I wouldn't recommend any other Logan model. All of these mat cutters will also cut (with no bevel) foam core. Be sure to use acid-free foam core (if you use foam core) and matting. Acid-fee matting can be fairly cheap (Crescent Select - alpha-cellulose) or fairly expensive (Crescent RagMat - cotton). There are other brands, but the acid free alpha cellulose is always cheaper than the cotton rag.
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I can't advise you on sourcing components. My main observation is that matting prints is more art than science. By all means do the research, but don't underestimate how much practice it takes to be able to do this well. For this reason I wouldn't suggest that you start with an A2 print. Better to practice on Letter-sized (A4) prints. You need to be able to cut it straight, with no 'hooks' in the corners, and just a very small amount of overcut at each corner. Conservation grade matte board is expensive, usually more so than the cost of the print you've made, and it takes some practice to be able to cut it for an A2 print without making errors.
Speaking of which, make sure you do include in your research the various grades of matte board, because some suppliers will advertise matte board that is claimed to be acid-free, but that's only at the point of manufacture, and it won't necessarily remain pH neutral over time. Look for conservation grade board, which is more expensive, hence the need to practice on smaller prints. Museum grade (all cotton) board is even more expensive, but is only needed in very specialized applications. You should also make sure that you use conservation grade mounting and hinging tape, should you decide to use that instead of photo corners.
I agree that frame-making is a step too far for most photographers, not least because you'll need specialized equipment to do it well, and the materials can be hard for a non-professional frame maker to source. Bespoke frames in standard sizes is a good idea.
For a lot of photographers, being able to matte your own prints is a rewarding part of the creative process, and can help keep the cost of framing down, although as another post made while I was typing this noted, you will need to be prepared to invest in a good matte cutter, especially for an A2 print.
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Are you doing this for yourself or to sell? One big concern, if you sell your work, mounting has to be done properly. Photo corners probably won't cut it, you need to hinge or dry mount the photos.
We got into framing our own work for a while, but now refer our clients to a local framer. He has better quality frames, knows how to properly mount, and is fabulous at helping clients choose the right mat and frame. Overall, he can offer them a better product than I can. I had one of the pieces I framed and mounted returned because the print buckled due to humidity. I've never had an issue with my framers work.
Sharon
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That's a good point, Sharon.
When I buy art, I get it framed by my local and very trusted framer. The decision on how to frame can take 30-45 minute per piece. I'm not saying photogs should never frame, but be aware that excellent framing can really add to a great piece of art (painting, print, etc.).
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Thanks everyone! A lot of good points there.
For now, I'm doing this to hang my images on my own walls and on those of a couple of close relatives, so I'm probably going to be the most critical viewer of the finished work myself.
Nonetheless, I'd really like to do this part of the creative process well, too, especially since I'm thinking the same frames could then be used for years or even decades to come. That's why I'm willing to invest in quality framing, including the expensive Museum Glass glazing. If for any reason I would be unhappy with the print, I'm hoping to be able to change it (to an image of the same size) without having to do the framing again.
Maybe the easiest way to proceed now would be to order a couple of bespoke frames from the company I mentioned. I understood that I can choose everything I need for the matting and framing from them, so that I would only need to put the pieces together once the package arrives. I'm leaning towards this choice despite the obvious expensiveness due to being so new to the whole craft (still a lot to learn for me only on the printing job).
I've not yet decided on the exact framing and matting but selected something in the Frame Designer the company offers in their website. I'm looking at around USD 175 for the moulding, mount, glazing, backing board, fixings and undermount for the A2 size artwork. I'm expecting the shipping to be expensive as well, but that would be the case probably no matter how I'll be ordering the material. What do you think about the costs compared to your own experiences?
One prominent alternative I see to this choice is to use the services of some local framing shop. However, I would have to look into that since I don't know anything about them at this point. I'm also not sure about whether they will be providing the same quality choices (Museum glass, conservation grade matting etc.), but could of course send an inquiry to some places to find out. Has anyone got experience on what the professionals charge for this type of work?
Thanks again!
-Wawe
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I sent email about local suppliers and framing services.
Timo
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If I'm framing for myself I don't use any glazing at all. I find glazing distracts from the print, adds a lot of expense and a lot of weight. I print a lot of my images on textured matte papers and the glazing just hides this beautiful texture.
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That's a good point, Sharon.
When I buy art, I get it framed by my local and very trusted framer. The decision on how to frame can take 30-45 minute per piece. I'm not saying photogs should never frame, but be aware that excellent framing can really add to a great piece of art (painting, print, etc.).
I agree with Phil and Sharon. All the framing I do is for myself and family members. I've gotten pretty good at cutting mat and foam board but it's still best to suggest a good framer when someone is buying a print. Dean's point on acrylite scratching is valid but since I know how to take care of it, it's fine for my own use. A regular microfiber cloth is all that is needed for dusting.
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I do quite a lot of framing here but no mats and no glass.
Most is canvas on gatorboard and framed with a simple wood or metal frame.
Please do not discount canvas it is still the easiest product to mount and frame. (At least for us.)
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Some observations from a recent art fair (Toronto outdoor art exhibit at Nathan Phillips Square last weekend)
- Nobody really had prints with mats at the show. Most basic prints were just stuck in a frame borderless or with the white paper border of the print itself. This was described to me as a “more contemporary look” when I asked. A couple people had shadow box frames.
- I didn’t see any canvas (at least for photographic prints), but some metal and/or acrylic face-mounted works.
- A couple artists playing around with ink transferred onto a wood surface, giving a unique and attractive look, especially in the highlight areas where the wood grain/rings are readily apparent. A lot of interest in this (based on crowd size).
- A LOT of abandoned structures photography. I don’t know it this is just the nature of who was jurying the show, but it was far too overrepresented.
I’m not sure how representative this is (either of larger trends or even regional preferences)… and obviously don’t have any insight into how well different products by various artists sold.
Mike
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Some observations from a recent art fair (Toronto outdoor art exhibit at Nathan Phillips Square last weekend)
- Nobody really had prints with mats at the show. Most basic prints were just stuck in a frame borderless or with the white paper border of the print itself. This was described to me as a “more contemporary look” when I asked. A couple people had shadow box frames.
- I didn’t see any canvas (at least for photographic prints), but some metal and/or acrylic face-mounted works.
- A couple artists playing around with ink transferred onto a wood surface, giving a unique and attractive look, especially in the highlight areas where the wood grain/rings are readily apparent. A lot of interest in this (based on crowd size).
- A LOT of abandoned structures photography. I don’t know it this is just the nature of who was jurying the show, but it was far too overrepresented.
I’m not sure how representative this is (either of larger trends or even regional preferences)… and obviously don’t have any insight into how well different products by various artists sold.
Mike
Most people do not buy photography because they think "I could do that with my phone" regardless of whether it's true. Generally speaking people know they can't paint, but everyone knows they are a photographer. To counter that and possibly increase sales I think more photographers are trying to create unique objects with their images. The reasoning is that people will still think they could capture the same image with judicious pointing of their phone, but they don't know how to turn their image into that same object. If they like the object enough they'll buy it even though they wouldn't buy the image it's made from. They will never take the time to figure out how they could make such an object, if they could capture the same image, which they will never try to do either.
Some of these objects, like prints face mounted on plexi, retain an emphasis on the the image. In other objects, like prints on wood, the grain and texture of the particular piece of wood is as important as the image and no two pieces are identical. IMO it's not exactly a photograph anymore, but something made from a photograph. That's not bad if that's what you want to do. I also see some photographers exhibiting all of their images with "their own" particular and very obvious Photoshop effect. This seems quite popular with buyers. It makes their images unique to the given photographer, but I'd get really tired of making them because they all look so similar even though the subjects vary widely.
The big problem with putting a print into a frame without a mat is that, unless there is a spacer, the print surface will contact the glass and eventually be ruined.
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I understood that I can choose everything I need for the matting and framing from them, so that I would only need to put the pieces together once the package arrives.
In your original post you said "... and am looking to matt & frame them myself ..." and the wide variety of responses indicates that we all interpreted this statement differently. Certainly there is a wide range of possible interpretations. I gather that what you really meant is assembling all the components, and not cutting wood for the frame nor cutting the window matte etc.
There's nothing wrong with that, we just need to understand what you mean in order to help you. Assuming that I do now understand, there are plenty of videos around showing how to t-hinge your artwork to the backing board, and hinge the front matte to the backing board. You just need to be aware that many will recommend gummed tape for mounting artwork, and that's not suitable for inkjet paper. I think most framers will use Lineco Self-Adhesive Linen Tape (labelled conservation or archival quality)
You mentioned photo corners, and if you prefer that approach over mounting tape, you may want to look at this ingenious idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2PWRVG4uvY
A number of other posters have suggested that you consider getting the whole job done by a local framer. That's certainly worth exploring, as some framers can be surprisingly inexpensive, especially if you give them a job lot of similar work (although museum glass will raise the cost), but you do need to shop around.
To other posters who don't matte their own images for sale - cutting matte is an art, as I said above, and to do it well you need to do it regularly with good equipment, but if you do there's no reason why you can't matte images for sale.
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Thanks again for everyone's input!
In your original post you said "... and am looking to matt & frame them myself ..." and the wide variety of responses indicates that we all interpreted this statement differently. Certainly there is a wide range of possible interpretations. I gather that what you really meant is assembling all the components, and not cutting wood for the frame nor cutting the window matte etc.
There's nothing wrong with that, we just need to understand what you mean in order to help you. Assuming that I do now understand, there are plenty of videos around showing how to t-hinge your artwork to the backing board, and hinge the front matte to the backing board. You just need to be aware that many will recommend gummed tape for mounting artwork, and that's not suitable for inkjet paper. I think most framers will use Lineco Self-Adhesive Linen Tape (labelled conservation or archival quality)
You mentioned photo corners, and if you prefer that approach over mounting tape, you may want to look at this ingenious idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2PWRVG4uvY
A number of other posters have suggested that you consider getting the whole job done by a local framer. That's certainly worth exploring, as some framers can be surprisingly inexpensive, especially if you give them a job lot of similar work (although museum glass will raise the cost), but you do need to shop around.
To other posters who don't matte their own images for sale - cutting matte is an art, as I said above, and to do it well you need to do it regularly with good equipment, but if you do there's no reason why you can't matte images for sale.
You're right, maybe I should clarify my thoughts on what I aim to do. Eventually I do see that I'll pursue possessing the skill set to do the matting and framing myself.
However, at this point I'm new to all related to getting the digital image to finally hang on my wall. As there's a lot to learn just regarding printing (color management, choosing the papers etc.), I'm starting to lean towards "outsourcing" some parts of the process at least for now.
Yet, I already have a somewhat clear vision on the type of materials I want the frame to consist of, and that's why I believe I could just order the ready-cut matte, glazing etc. and assemble the components myself. As an alternative to this option, I could also use the services of local framers. I started exploring that option by sending e-mail inquiries to several close-by framers, so now I'll wait their responses to get a sense of what the cost-difference would be (to assembling the components myself).
The bottom line is that as I'm doing this for the first time, I'm not entirely sure yet what the best choice would be and hence I welcome all the different suggestions.
As for the technicalities, I mentioned photo corners as I understood that they're one way to frame the print in a way that it's possible to change the image later. So thanks for the link, I'll have a look at the idea in the video! Also, I'm open to suggestions on other choices to do the framing in this way. Any viable alternatives in mind?
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As for the technicalities, I mentioned photo corners as I understood that they're one way to frame the print in a way that it's possible to change the image later. So thanks for the link, I'll have a look at the idea in the video! Also, I'm open to suggestions on other choices to do the framing in this way. Any viable alternatives in mind?
Making your own photo corners as shown in the video is not necessary IMO. You can purchase Mylar photo corners in a variety of sizes. I've framed 13x19 prints using them and the resulting prints are perfectly flat. For larger prints than that I would use a hinge approach. If you are not doing full production framing, keep everything as simple as possible to start with.
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Pre-made corners would be easier, and Lineco make a range of conservation grade corners in a range of sizes. But corners like in the video would be cheaper, and may contribute to the OP's desire to do some of this herself.
I know one professional photographer who uses paper corners similar to those in the video to run a rotating display of his images. The limitation of this approach is flexibility. You have to print images in the exact same size and aspect ratio and ensure that they're positioned on the page identically.
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Sorry I am so late replying to this post. I am an amateur photographer that started an online frame wholesale company to supply special size frames. In general people think of custom frame shops (high cost, low labor) and doing everything yourself (low cost, high labor). Since doing everything yourself requires equipment and practice it is difficult to have the volume to justify that. Even if you have the volume, it might not be worth your time. Even though I opened up a frame company I have never hand cut a mat. It is difficult, they seldom look as good, and it is very time consuming. I bought pre-cut mats until I had the volume to get my own computerized mat cutter.
I am very biased of course since I own a picture frame supply company, however, I suggest you buy the components and just do the design and final assembly yourself. That saves you the equipment costs and the learning time. The more generic and mass produced (especially in China) you go the lower the cost. However, companies like mine will offer volume discounts so if you can standardize on order in bulk you can save money.
You mentioned Tru-Vue glass. I would suggest you also consider Artglass from Groglass. It is a newer technology. They have options with less UV protection (an advantage for prints on paper with optical brighteners) that can save on cost and improve the optical quality. Artglass does not suffer from the orange peal effect Museum glass does.
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Good to see Mark Rogers weigh in here. I'm one of his satisfied customers!!!!
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Even though I opened up a frame company I have never hand cut a mat. It is difficult, they seldom look as good, and it is very time consuming. I bought pre-cut mats until I had the volume to get my own computerized mat cutter.
I've been behind the scenes in a number of well-regarded framing shops in my city, and I'm yet to see a computerised cutter. Both their mattes and mine look just fine to me.
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I've been behind the scenes in a number of well-regarded framing shops in my city, and I'm yet to see a computerised cutter. Both their mattes and mine look just fine to me.
Professional framers with professional level mat cutters can consistently do great with the quality, but I have spotted plenty of mats at gallery shows that were obviously hand cut by a DIY framer with little patience/skill and or a cheap mat cutter. Not saying it is impossible, just requires an investment in time and money.
I know plenty of custom framers that don't have computerized mat cutters and sometimes we do big jobs for them. Does not make sense to me since when my business was still in my garage I rented a computerized mat cutter for under $300 a month. They also allow you do special cuts and make multi-opening and 8ply a lot easier.
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Quality-wise as far as frames go, my local framer offers much higher quality frames for comparable prices to online frames. Mats ordered online have been equal quality-wise but my framers prices have been not much higher. If you live someplace with a good frame shop, then think about buying locally while we still have frame shops. We get so focused on saving a buck, we give up quality and personal service. The most fun my clients have is working with my frame shop choosing a print and mat.
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Quality-wise as far as frames go, my local framer offers much higher quality frames for comparable prices to online frames. Mats ordered online have been equal quality-wise but my framers prices have been not much higher. If you live someplace with a good frame shop, then think about buying locally while we still have frame shops. We get so focused on saving a buck, we give up quality and personal service. The most fun my clients have is working with my frame shop choosing a print and mat.
I agree completely agree with Sharon's comments. The quality of a good custom frame shop should be the highest since either the owner is doing it, or he is going to check it before it goes out the door. There are many different types of custom shops and some are more efficient than others, and some dont mind doing some wholesale work for re-sellers such as photographers. You will need to get to know them and let them know you are going to have a set formula and not need to talk to them and look at samples for 45 minutes (time is money) every time you need something framed. They might be ok with selling you just the frame materials and you doing the final assembly which takes a lot of time (especially when you have to open it back up to get that one piece of dust you missed). A good source of potential frame shops are members of the Professional Picture Framers Association: http://ppfadirectory.com/
Please avoid places like Michael's and Hobby Lobby. With those you get the quality of online or worse, but you are still paying the custom frame store price. Those place have the components manufactured in a production center (just like the online places) and assembly may be done by high school kid with minimal training or concern and probably little or no understanding of conservation framing techniques.
I would add that most of the online places (like mine) are family owned, but the quality does vary from very close to custom frame shops, to pretty low and poorly packaged for shipping.
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My 50 cents, all IMO...
I think deciding whether you use a professional frame shop, assemble pre-cut components yourself, cut and assemble all of the components yourself, or some combination of the last two, depends on what you enjoy (or at least don't hate), what you need to accomplish, and economics. Due to the equipment expense and learning curve it makes no sense to cut and assemble mats, mounts, glass, and frame moldings yourself unless you really enjoy it or you need to produce quite a few framed prints on a continuing basis. The latter means you are probably selling the prints. That is a dubious endeavor but it can mean your equipment costs become insignificant as they are spread over many prints.
Selling prints at a full service gallery often means paying a 50% commission. Some take less but pricing needs to account for this worst case. Changing the selling price based on the venue is a horrible business practice that will eventually catch up with you. Consignment agreements at many galleries require consigned items to be sold at the same price everywhere they are offered. Selling only at arts fairs and festivals may seem cheaper, but what you spend in time, jury fees, booth fees, amortized equipment (tent, display panels, print racks) and inventory quickly makes up for the lack of a commission. Roughly speaking I'd say the outdoor venues are equally expensive, but the sales volume is higher.
Considering the 50% commission or its equivalent, every dollar saved doing the work yourself means $2 added to your bottom line if the print sells. For example, suppose the total cost for a professionally framed A2 size range print is $150, pre-cut materials for the same print are are $100, and doing the whole job yourself costs $70. With a 50% commission the break even selling price is $300, $200, and $140 respectively. If in your area such prints will sell at $400, you make $100, $200, and $260 respectively for your time and talent on each one. Over years and decades even the $60 difference becomes very significant. FWIW, I made up these numbers but I think they're reasonably close, and the principal holds regardless.
You can reduce the cost of pre-cut mats and frames by standardizing on particular sizes and buying in quantity. The down side is cropping at least some images to aspect ratios that are not optimal. I find the 2:3 aspect ratio of the camera often works, but at least 25% or 30% of the time it is not ideal. I end up with other "standard" aspect ratios like 4:5 and 1:1, but not infrequently something really odd and one-off works best for the image. Cutting all of the materials yourself means the cost does not increase when a non-standard size comes along, and the mat is not ill-proportioned to make the odd-sized print fit into a standard frame. The ability to produce an odd-sized mat by the time the ink on the print has dried also comes in handy sometimes. You can't change the price at which your prints will sell at a reasonable frequency, the commission charged by galleries, or the cost of doing arts festivals. One of very few things over which you have some control is the cost of producing your work.
As I said starting off, the whole endeavor is dubious. Most of us would have to participate in an arts festival nearly every weekend of the year, live like a gypsy because of it, and have work in numerous galleries to make a great living selling prints. In that case there would be little time to take photos and make the prints, so it's nearly impossible. I make prints because I love doing it, but my house can't possibly hold everything I want to make, and there are always more. That necessitates selling them or piling them up unseen until I have enough for a good bonfire. I sell them because it perpetuates and pays for what I love doing (making the prints) and what I don't hate doing (cutting mats, glass, and selling), with some pocket change left over for other photography related stuff. I wouldn't do any of this if I didn't love it, but I also wouldn't do it if it didn't at least pay for itself. For me it takes both and doing 100% of the work myself helps achieve the latter. YMMV
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I am concerned that we've lost sight of the original poster's interest. She prints her own photos because she gets a creative buzz from doing so. My reading is that she wants to do the same from framing them. There was no talk of selling them. She's going to start out by assembling purchased components, which I think we all agree is sensible. She thinks she might progress to cutting mat, and here opinion diverges. Sure, it's a whole lot simpler and easier to buy pre-cut mats. The same arguments apply to printing. But Wawe (who hasn't posted in a couple of weeks) is looking to get that creative buzz.
I don't agree with some of Mark's (fdi) observations. Alan recommended him, and I'm sure that he produces a quality product at a reasonable price. By his own admission, (i) his position in the industry means he is biased; and (ii) he said that "I have never hand cut a mat". As someone who has hand cut a lot of mats, I can state that there's a lot of middle ground between the poorly cut mats that Mark has seen, and the large investment in a computerized cutter. You can cut a matte with fairly basic gear, but the both the amount of practice required and the potential failure rate are high. Both improve with better gear. I think there's a sweet spot where good basic mats can be be readily cut with intermediate level gear. It's certainly a way to lower costs for those who sell. It's not for everyone, but I think it's doing a disservice to someone just looking to satisfy a creative urge to suggest that there's only the options of poorly cut mats or a large commercial investment with nothing in between.
Whether hand cutting makes sense for those selling is another matter. As I said, I see plenty of frame shops doing it. Including the local framer that I use and recommend for work outside my capacity and skill set.
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I didn't mean to get the thread so far off track. Sorry.
Hi all,
I've recently started printing my own images with an Epson P800 and am looking to matt & frame them myself, too, as soon as I learn how to do that and acquire the necessary supplies.
Having watched hours of tutorial videos on the subject both on Lynda.com and YouTube, I found the methodology taught on Robert Rodriguez Jr's Matting and Framing Tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n2ossog5Ns) to be worth pursuing, with some minor modifications to be better suited for my purposes. Firstly, for now, I probably won't try to cut my own glass or build the frame as I have enough new stuff to learn as is. Secondly, as I understood that you can do the whole process in a way that allows you to change the image in the frame later if necessary, I would really like to do the matting and framing so that I can do that. I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have for these two choices.
Mylar corners or mounting strips from Lineco (or commercial or home made equivalent) would allow you to remove and replace prints while retaining the mount and mat. Google "Lineco Mylar Mounting Strips" without quotes to see what these are. I'd hinge mount the mat to the backing with a single strip of acid-free hinging tape. Just lay the mat face down on a clean surface, align the backing with the mat, then run a strip of archival hinging tape over the seam between them so the assembly closes like a book. The tape does not have to go all the way to the ends. You could also use two shorter strips of tape, one at each end of the seam, to save some tape. There are lots of online YouTube tutorials about this. Then mount the print to the backing with the corners or strips. I would not recommend T-hinge mounting the print, even with archival materials that can be removed without damage, because removing prints many times will certainly damage the mount. [/b][/u]
If I'll end up following this process, I'm thinking I need to buy at least the following:
- The frame itself
- Backing board
- Mount
- Photo corners to hold the print in place
- Glazing (I'm considering Tru Vue Museum Glass)
- Some string to hang the finished art work with and other small supplies
By "Mount" above, do you mean the mat board that has the window cut into it? The print mounts to a backing board to which the window mat is hinged, not to the window mat itself. The sequence from front to back inside the frame is 1. Glass or Acrylic. 2. Window Mat. 3. Print. 4. Backing to which print is mounted. Number 4 can be something like acid-free foam core and can form the back of the whole package or it can be acid-free mat board or acid-free backing board (similar to mat board but cheaper). If you use one of the last two you'll probably want a piece of acid-free foam board behind that to prevent bowing and add strength to the package. Also, watch out for finger prints on Museum glass. They are more difficult to remove than you imagine. To clean off finger prints use plenty of ammonia-free cleaner and clean the entire surface. Trying to clean just a spot will just make a bigger mess. The "String" you mention should probably be a plastic coated stainless steel picture hanging wire. These do not corrode or mark walls like the cheaper braided galvanized wire can.
As I've never actually done any framing in practice, the above list isn't probably complete. Something relevant I'm missing here?
Also, any thoughts on where to get the stuff? I live in Finland, so in case someone knows any good Europe-based retailers, those would likely work the best for me, but I'm willing to consider further-away options as well.
Sorry, I don't know of any sources in your area.
With a quick look, I found at least one framing shop (https://www.bramptonframing.com/picture-frames/design#review) that would sell bespoke frames, for which I could choose the glazing to be Tru Vue Museum Glass as well. So, from them I would get all else and would then do the mount myself. This is a tempting choice for first-timer like myself but I'd assume that they will charge astronomical mark-ups for the service. What do you think, would this be a nice, easy road to go at this point?
Assembling pre-cut pieces is quite easy and can make a quality result. I'd recommend that, but I do not know the most local or highest quality source for this in your area.
Please feel free to suggest other alternatives as well and thanks for your help in advance!
-W4w3
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I don't agree with some of Mark's (fdi) observations. Alan recommended him, and I'm sure that he produces a quality product at a reasonable price. By his own admission, (i) his position in the industry means he is biased; and (ii) he said that "I have never hand cut a mat". As someone who has hand cut a lot of mats, I can state that there's a lot of middle ground between the poorly cut mats that Mark has seen, and the large investment in a computerized cutter. You can cut a matte with fairly basic gear, but the both the amount of practice required and the potential failure rate are high. Both improve with better gear. I think there's a sweet spot where good basic mats can be be readily cut with intermediate level gear. It's certainly a way to lower costs for those who sell. It's not for everyone, but I think it's doing a disservice to someone just looking to satisfy a creative urge to suggest that there's only the options of poorly cut mats or a large commercial investment with nothing in between.
Sorry Ferp, I did not mean to downplay the position of hand cutting mats so strongly. Probably due to my personal bias as opposed to my business bias. I have never hand cut but I have done similar enough things to know that I would rather spend my time taking pictures. I forget that some people enjoy cutting mats and can do it just as well as a CMC. One of the local framers I know brought in a multi-opening mat with 24 openings he cut by hand. Although he could cut it, he needed 50 of them quickly so he wanted us to do them on our CMC. We could hardly the tell the difference between his and ours.