 jean ray |
Matting and Framing Photographs to Sell I want to start marketing some of my work at art fairs, etc. In order to make some profit, I of course need to keep costs down as much as possible. What I need to know is, just what else is necessary besides the mat between the photograph and glass? What goes behind the photograph? Is it acceptable to use the cardboard backing the comes with a ready made frame? I appreciate any help and advise on this.
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Mark Chatham |
Jean, Let me explain how I frame many of my landscape shots. I will buy a 16x20 frame (usually Black) without mattes. Instead of printing my shots in the usual 8x10 or 11x17, I will print out a shot 6x6 or 7x7 you will have to decide this based on your image. I might even crop and print an image at 6x10. Next, I will buy an extra sheet of glass (16x20) and place the image between the two sheets of glass. You can buy this extra sheet of glass at any glass shop. I recommend buying it at 1/8" thickness. Behind the second sheet of glass I place a textured white sheet of paper. This can be purchased at any art store. I buy mine at Aaron Brothers. This style of framing is most often called "Meseum Framing" It gives the image a floating appearence. Costs: I would charge between $59.00 and $79 for the print. If you have any questions, please let me know. mchat1@hotmail.com Best of luck, Mark
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John Wright |
I hadn't heard of this before, but can remember seeing prints like this... One question... How do you fix the image between the pieces of glass?
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Mark Chatham |
Lay the second piece of glass on a flat surface. On the back of the image I will use a piece of double sided tape. Then I will lay the image on top of the second piece of glass. You must be careful to get the picture striaght. Then I will lay the first piece of glass on top of the image. Another tip. Wear some cotton gloves. This serves two purposes. One it keeps you from smudging the glass. And two, it will keep you from cutting your fingers. The glass is very sharp. Hope this helps.
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Wanda Poteet |
Ohhhhhhhh - Cotton gloves!!! Thank you!! Excellent hint...I have to be soooo careful after cleaning my glass and then handeling it while framing. Wanda
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Wing Wong |
Hi Mark, Wow, that sounds like a wonderful way of framing! Great bonus that the glass will serve as a barrier from bases or acids. Question, will plexiglass work as well as glass? Ie, can I use a glass front with a plexi backing? Or plexi on front and back? Thanks, Wing
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Pamela K |
I thought I would join in here to ask another question. When matting my work, I always use acid free mats and backing. This is much more expensive but is what my framing shop highly recommended for photography. Does anyone know how important using the acid free matting is? I assume it keeps the shots from fading. Is this correct? Pam
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Wing Wong |
Hi Pamela, The acid free papers, tapes, and other materials will help to prevent discoloration of the paper. When you see paper turning brown, that is the acid at work in acidic papers like newsprint, etc. Photographs that fade do so because the pigments/chemicals that make up the colors are breaking down. Either due to exposure to ozone, UV light, moisture, etc. Acid free materials will allow your work to be framed and kept much longer without discoloration/breakdown. Use of high quality pigments/inks/processesses and UV protective glass/plastic/layers in front of the picture will help to prevent fading. Wing
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Pamela K |
Thanks for that very detailed answer, Wing! Pam
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MaryAnn Westlund |
I have been going through this issue too Jean. I started a couple of months ago trying to get prepared for shows,etc. I found a great source for my discount mats at precutmats.com (ask for Dennis) he is excellent! He sell entire "Showpaks" with the front and back mat boards along with the resealable plastic bags to put them in (for your unframed prints) I do like to put a acid free matboard in my frame first and then use the back that comes with the frame. I learned that placing a photo directly against the glass tends to get humidity in there and it will stick eventually,, I have bought a couple of those "floater frames" already made that way to place a photo in - I love that look too (at my local AC Moore) so - hope this helps too.. take care and good luck-- you can check out my site with a list of my upcoming shows at: www.AbsoluteArts.com/portfolios/m/maryannwestlund or log onto AbsoluteArts.com and type in my name: MaryAnn Westlund
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Lucia De Giovanni |
An excellent site for pre-cut mats is www.matcutter.com, and you can purchase adhesive foam backings as well as resealable plastic bags. I have used Marks' method as well, and please, use cotton gloves - the best thing I have found to be able to position the photographs instead of double sided tape is Post-It Glue - it is sold in a tube and lasts a lifetime - this glue allows you plenty of repositioning to get the photo straight, and you can make as many mistakes as you like without ruining the photo. Hope this helps. Lucia
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Sandra J. Colby |
One more site for mats is http://matshop.com/ I have used them for many years and they are wonderful to deal with, they answer any and all questions, and the mats are excellent quality.
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Ron Bergeron |
One problem with sandwiching a print between two sheets of glass as Mark suggested is that over time the photo will stick to the glass. The purpose of using a mat is to keep the photo from touching the glass to prevent that problem. I take the opposite approach from what many of the earlier responses say. I mat the photo and don't put it in a frame. That keeps my costs as well as the price I have to charge lower. I cut the mat to standard sizes to make it simple for someone to choose a frame in the future. Then they can choose a frame that goes with their decor.
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Cynthia A. Jones |
So glad to see someone addressing this. I am excited to try the two sheets of glass method. Very helpful to see the pre-cut mat websites also.
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