I've started this thread in response to a discussion Lonnie Utah and I are having over on another thread.
Please respond, not just with your vote, but why you prefer one over the other. Of course, there is no definitive correct answer as it comes down to personal preference or what works with a particular photograph.
Here is the lead up to this poll...
In a photograph, your eyes are naturally attracted to the lightest part of the image. If this happens to be a white mat or border, then that's what your eyes are attracted to (and not the image itself). That's why I say ALWAYS black for mats (and borders if you choose). It's not just aesthetics, it's psychology.
True, the image certainly "pops" more, but, psychology has many twists... as soon as you put glass over a black mat, guess what it becomes? – a mirror. Guess what people will then be more interested in? – your right, themselves. Not everyone, but a surprising number.
I never realized this until a gallery owner pointed it out to me by suggesting I just sit and watch for bit to see what happens in front of the black matted photographs. Funny, eh?!
There is also a difference in the feeling of space between white mats and black. Black gives the feeling of looking in through a window or door or viewfinder (or peepshow) causing the viewer to feel enclosed, a feeling you don't tend to get with white.