Re: Matting� and Framing Theory

About this list Date view Thread view Subject view Author view Attachment view

Ender100@aol.com
Date: 06/28/03-06:28:30 PM Z


For digital prints, I have a mat that matches the tone of the black and white
ink I use. It looks great. Then for frames, I use an aluminium "platinum"
coloured frame that also has a patina that matches the ink tone. If I want
the whole thing to look more elegant, the are some great wooden frames with
light etching or patterns on them that have the same colour tones as the
aluminium frame.

For mat sizes, I like a fair amount of mat around the sides—usually the top
and sides will be the same width with the bottom wider....maybe 6,6,6,8 (or
10)....

I have sold these images and then given the mat and frame info to people—this
makes it easy... or I have the mat done for them....it's hard to recover your
costs if you do the frame. I only do that when the person is willing to pay
the full cost plus something for my time getting it done.

Mark Nelson

In a message dated 6/28/03 7:16:32 PM, johnjohnc@core.com writes:

>
>
>       I    feel that a  solid white mat washes out the highlights just as  I
> also feel that the black mat  washes out the blacks in a print     .   So
> there is a delima as any of the two will wash out something   .
>      The photographer William Mortensen  who generally used a white mat
> would vary the width of the mat in a attempt to compensate   for this white
> wash .    If the  overall image was high key (  a very light  print ) he
> would use a narrower white mat border  and a heavier  or wider border for  a
> darker print .
>    I think when you place a white mat onto a white wall, the brain goes into
> overdrive trying to seperate the higlights from the huge mass of white
> surrounding it.     I feel it detracts from the image.. . Then if you  frame
> it in black,  it  creates a high contrast situation where the mind tries to
> adjust to  the  harsh,  contrasty and abstract enviroment that the  print
> lives in..   Some of the energy you should be spending on viewing the print
> I think is subconciously  spent on trying to seperate  and adjust to this
> unnatural setting....  ... I  usually then try to come closer to the print
> where the minds eye  begins to block out some of its  surroundings  to make
> sense of the print....
>      John Cremati
>
>


About this list Date view Thread view Subject view Author view Attachment view

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : 07/09/03-08:31:14 AM Z CST