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Author Topic: Matting, Framing and glass  (Read 7200 times)

Rainer SLP

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Matting, Framing and glass
« on: May 18, 2015, 07:19:12 pm »

Hi,

¿ How do you decide what color you use for matting when framing your prints ?

I always have taken black due to my idea that using a black matting around the printing helps to open a bit more the pupil of the eye and so see more details.

¿ What do you think ?

Once I took a white matting and I liked it too, but not as much as black matting. Never used any other color.

¿ Also how do you decide the color of the frame ?. I have used Matte Black as well as Matte Silver anodized Aluminum frames with a thickness of 3/4" and non glare glass.

Thanks for your comments  ;)
« Last Edit: May 19, 2015, 04:00:02 pm by Rainer SLP »
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BradSmith

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2015, 02:13:23 pm »

Glazing - what glass are you referring to?  The True-Vue Museum type glass, ie, anti-reflection coated  or as you stated, "non-glare" glass which is usually a glass with one side etched to diffuse the reflected light?

If you mean a coated anti reflection glass, that fits with your goal of "open a bit more the pupil of the eye and so see more details".  But non-glare glass softens the entire image and LIMITS your ability to see detail. 

I personally never, ever use non-glare glass.

And for what it is worth, I've standardized on white matting with flat black, rectangular, plain, aluminum or wooden frames. 
Brad
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RSL

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2015, 03:09:10 pm »

Hi Rainer,

Check any museum. The standard for photographs is a white mat and black frame, though occasionally they deviate from that standard. There's a reason for the standard. The point is to let people focus on the picture rather than the mat or the frame.
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Rainer SLP

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2015, 04:06:49 pm »

Glazing - what glass are you referring to?  The True-Vue Museum type glass, ie, anti-reflection coated  or as you stated, "non-glare" glass which is usually a glass with one side etched to diffuse the reflected light?

If you mean a coated anti reflection glass, that fits with your goal of "open a bit more the pupil of the eye and so see more details".  But non-glare glass softens the entire image and LIMITS your ability to see detail. 

I personally never, ever use non-glare glass.

And for what it is worth, I've standardized on white matting with flat black, rectangular, plain, aluminum or wooden frames. 
Brad

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the comments.
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Rainer SLP

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2015, 04:10:12 pm »

Hi Rainer,

Check any museum. The standard for photographs is a white mat and black frame, though occasionally they deviate from that standard. There's a reason for the standard. The point is to let people focus on the picture rather than the mat or the frame.


Thanks RSL for your comments
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Colorado David

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2015, 04:14:48 pm »

I have used Museum glass before.  It is very expensive.  Most of my stuff has been matted with white and framed in black wood, although I have deviated from the pure rectangular frame moulding.  I do have one B&W print that is double matted, with white right next to the print and then a cinnamon colored matte with a slight pattern.  The frame is mostly black but with a gold bit of moulding right next to the matte.  It is very nice, but it does make the whole thing more obvious and the print a little less so.  I have some large prints on canvas that are mounted on gator board and framed in black with no matte.

pcgpcg

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2015, 06:12:44 pm »

¿ How do you decide what color you use for matting when framing your prints ?
In general, I concur with others and almost always go with a white mat.

The exception is when I have a dark print. In that case I think matting the print with a dark mat helps the eye find the light and detail in the dark areas of the print. It seems to make the lighter values stand out and "pop".

As for the color, that always depends on the color of the sofa beneath the print.  :D
« Last Edit: May 19, 2015, 11:02:05 pm by pcgpcg »
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Rainer SLP

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2015, 06:42:03 pm »

Thanks all for your comments.

 ;)
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BobShaw

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2015, 07:47:05 pm »

I do custom framing and have most colours of mat board. They ones that mainly sell are black, white and off white. If it's a monochrome image then grey is good.
The other colours tend to be for when you are double matting. Frames tend to be black or white. I agree with the comment to see what they do in galleries and museums.

However that is not necessarily correct. Along the lines of what Steve Jobs said, people don't know what they want until you show them.
The colour of the mat and the type of frame can greatly enhance an image.

I have a simulator on my Aspiration Images website here.
http://aspirationimages.com/joomla/quote

You can upload an image and see what it looks like on any colour of single, double or triple matted and with various frames on various colour walls.


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Rainer SLP

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2015, 08:04:59 pm »

I do custom framing and have most colours of mat board. They ones that mainly sell are black, white and off white. If it's a monochrome image then grey is good.
The other colours tend to be for when you are double matting. Frames tend to be black or white. I agree with the comment to see what they do in galleries and museums.

However that is not necessarily correct. Along the lines of what Steve Jobs said, people don't know what they want until you show them.
The colour of the mat and the type of frame can greatly enhance an image.

I have a simulator on my Aspiration Images website here.
http://aspirationimages.com/joomla/quote

You can upload an image and see what it looks like on any colour of single, double or triple matted and with various frames on various colour walls.


Hi, Thanks a lot. Just tried it but I get no captcha image and so I can not input a code ¿? and no simulation possible  :(
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Alan Klein

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2015, 11:15:43 pm »

I once did a lot of color picture framing:  16x20" pictures in 24x30" frames.  I picked a color mat to match one of the colors in the photos.  The frames were all silver aluminum.  The intent was to hang them in my house on my walls; not in a museum.  The point being that while the color pictures were nice (IMO), I wanted them framed for décor purposes as well.  The complementary color schemes seem to have worked. (My wife also seemed to be pleased that I considered these things.)

BobShaw

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Re: Matting, Framing and glass
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2015, 11:38:49 pm »

Hi, Thanks a lot. Just tried it but I get no captcha image and so I can not input a code ¿? and no simulation possible  :(
Sorry, just had a technical problem. Try it now.
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