just wondering if the matte colour should match the print paper colour?

[Aristoc]

Should the matte border match the colour to the paper you choose? So for example, EEF is very very white, should I select a pure white matte border? Or, Gold Fiber Silk if warmer paper. Should I pick a warmer matte ?  Just wondering if there are any rules on this or not or is it purely a creative/artistic decision?

Thank you very much.

[neile]

Well, when I frame you can't see the base colour of the paper, so it doesn't matter if the mat matches the paper. Are you thinking of leaving a bit of the base paper showing (say 1/8" or so?).

I usually just use white, but if I have to pick a coloured mat I try and match a secondary/non-dominant colour in the image.

Neil

[Aristoc]

I guess with full colour prints, I can't see the base paper. But , with black and white prints, where there is lots of areas of white, you can see it. I guess that's what I was doing.

[neile]

I always make sure my images have *some* ink laydown even in the brightest highlights, using a technique from Brooks Jensen in Lightroom where a last curves adjustment makes sure everything 2% or brighter is moved down to get ink. Then I mat in white (usually Crescent Select RagMat White) regardless of paper base.

Farmah will likely chime in on this with his thoughts

Neil

[Aristoc]

OH that's an interesting tip. THank you.

[Light Seeker]

I like the matte colour to match the paper base. When I do that I find that the specular highlights pop and give the image more perceived dimension. Of course if you mask the specular highlights as neile does, the effect is reduced or eliminated.

Terry.

[neile]

Here's the link to Brooks's article on "chasing highlight tones": http://technology.lenswork.com/2010/04/chasing-highlight-tones.html.

Neil

[framah]

I find it almost impossible to "match" the paper color with any mats available... Bainbridge, Crescent, Rising, Peterboro, etc.  It always looks like you tried to match it but missed. It's better to just use a simple white like Rising white if you want white around your images.  Try for a warm or cold look instead of matching exactly.

 I think  this also creates a separation from the print and the mat... otherwise, visually the image isn't captured and seems to run out..  if that makes sense. Something has to hold the image in place.

My 2 cents.

Hi, Neil!

[dmerger]

framah: "There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't."

 

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

framah: "There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't."

 

As a retired mathematician and computer guy I've always enjoyed Framah's tag line, too.

Eric

[John R Smith]

When I was printing B/W in the darkroom, there was a lot less agonising over "blown" highlights in the print than there seems to be now. We cheerfully accepted that certain areas in the clouds would essentially be paper-white, for example. And we would always try to ensure that specular highlights printed to paper-white in order for the image to "pop" as it should. So the idea of deliberately degrading your highlights by pulling everything down to below 245 or whatever is anathema to me.

So my digital B/W prints also have pure paper-white areas in them, and this does not bother me at all. In fact it is the way I like it, just as I like to lose my deep shadow areas to pure black. This being the case, the colour of the matte is very important indeed, as if it is white there will be a direct comparison with the whites in the print. The crucial aspect IMO is to ensure that the matt white is always warmer than the print white. That way the whites in the print will look clean and "pop". The other way around looks dreadful - a cooler, brighter white in the matte makes the print highlights look grey and degraded. So I tend to use very light cream mattes to complement my B/W prints on the Harman Warmtone gloss paper.

John

[neile]

We must have learned B&W from different people, John My B&W instructor always sent me back into the darkroom to fix my blown highlights. I am so glad I can burn just by tweaking my curves now instead of having to dance my hand around the light!

Neil

[Aristoc]

edtied  

The crucial aspect IMO is to ensure that the matt white is always warmer than the print white. That way the whites in the print will look clean and "pop".  

edited
John

I think this is very valid for me.  I currently mounted my 13 X 19 EEF print with a pure white matt border. It looks fine but perhaps a slightly off white border would be better? Next time , I'll take a smaller 8 X 11 print into the store and select my matt based on that.

[Jeremy Roussak]

As a retired mathematician and computer guy I've always enjoyed Framah's tag line, too.

Eric

+1. I also like "There are three kinds of economist in the world. Those who can count and those who can't."

Jeremy

[RFPhotography]

John's idea is consistent with mine and something that I try to do, both in colour and b&w.

With b&w, making sure the lighter mat (which is typically the inner on a double matted print) is slightly darker (warmer) than the brightest highlight in the print brings attention to the print itself.

With colour, when coloured mats are being used (I know, sacrilege to some, but I don't use just black frames either  ) having the lighter mat be slightly darker in tone than the lightest colour in the print and having the darker mat be slightly lighter than the darkest tone in the print does the same thing as using a warmer mat on b&w prints; it brings the attention of the viewer to the image and prevents the darker (typically the outer) mat from being too heavy and weighing down the entire presentation.

[Aristoc]

That's another good option I hadn't considered Bob. Thanks.

[AFairley]

I prefer an off-white matte, just a tich warmer than the EEF I print on, it helps make the whites a little more brilliant.