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Re: Matting/Framing, etc.
Check out http://www.framesbymail.com for frames and matting.
Its not hard to do yourself, if you have the right tool. I use a Logan simplex mat cutter (around $250) and its easy. I don't even want to think about doing it with one of those $15 handheld cutters!
Here in Raleigh the city runs an arts center where you can use the mat cutter (and darkroom, pottery studio, etc) for $25 a year.
Bill
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Patricia Figliola Lewis <pflewis@hotmail.com>
Reply-to: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:59:25 -0400
>Hi Everyone --
>
>This is *more* than a bit of topic, so pls accept my apology now (or hit
>delete!!), but I thought you all could help me from your experiences from
>when you were getting started with selling your work.
>Here's my issue: I need to get some of my work matted if I hope to do any
>selling this summer. HOWEVER, as I've noted before, I am a total newbie to
>all this art "stuff" and am overwhelmed. . .
>
>So, two things.
>
>First, until I get a little more up to speed (see "Second") on how to do
>matting and framing myself, any advice on what qualities to look for in a
>shop -- aside from price and being nice to someone who will be asking a lot
>of questions? Since I do sx-70 manipulations, most of my work is just "off"
>square -- so pre-cut mats won't work for me. They either need to be done
>individually or at least at done in batches at 4x4, 8x8, etc. I've found a
>wholesale place in washington State (unfort I am in DC!!!) that will cut
>whatever sizes -- they have a min order of $100 to do wholesale prices. The
>website seemed to ofer reasonable prices though. See
>http://www.matshop.com/. So, I am thinking of going with these folks. I am
>also curious as to what you all might recommend as a "starter" set of pieces
>to go out with -- say at a craft show or flea market. Is there a certain
>number of certain sizes that I should consider doing? I would also plan to
>take a portfolio with original manipulations that people could look at.
>There are a lot of books about marketing and I've done some research on my
>own, but first-hand accounts would be appreciated! I mean ANY advice on
>getting started. (This is more than one thing, I know, I just got going and
>couldn't stop!)
>
>Second, I think I need to learn to do my own matting. SIGH. The only
>workshop I found in the DC area conflicts with a weddning I am goin to (June
>16-17). Any advice? I've checked out a couple of books on this topic, but
>would appreciate recs for "first time" equipment purchases. I've seen
>Logan, Alto(s), and Fletcher equipment on ebay. . .does anyone have any
>input on these and their ease of use for a beginner?
>
>Oh, one last thing -- I went walking aound DC's Eastern Market on Sunday and
>looked at peoples' various presentations of their work to get ideas. I saw
>that a lot of mats did not "fit" the work perfectly -- there was a border of
>bare paper around the print -- so maybe I am being too anal retentive about
>mat opening size. . .if my stuff is usually almost square, maybe as long as
>I size it to fit within the square with a certain amount of bare paper
>showing, that is ok?? Also, most folks had some work only matted PLUS some
>work in very simple black plastic frames. . I wish I could recall what it
>said on the backs of these frames. . .Anyway, EVERYONE had work in them. .
>.I got the impression that they were a good way to present a work that could
>be taken home and hung immediately by buyers who did not wish to be bothered
>with finding a frame - at the same time, they required very little
>investment on the part of the artist.
>
>Thanks so much! Again, I know this is a long email and I am very sorry if I
>have overstepped even the bounds of "off topic".
>
>Patty
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