Selecting the right matte color

[mpkirby]

Does anyone know if there is any guidelines for framing pictures? Selecting the right color matte, matte style, frame style, etc.

Almost like frame composition rules instead of photo composition rules.

Or, in the absense of any link, if people post their opinions, perhaps I'll collect it and make a link :-)

Thanks,
Mike

[iwatkins]

Mike,

My only rule is the have the frame and matte as simple as possible and should always play second fiddle to the print itself. I.e. no great big garish frames etc.

In addition, I tend to have the matte twice as wide as the frame width and the print to be two thirds of the size of the total frame size.

So I usually have a frame (plain black or natural wood) which is one inch wide with a matte (white, sometimes, cream) two inches wide (or so) for an 8 x 10.

Picture of a framed picture below.

Cheers

Ian

http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~iwatkins/Gallery/framed.jpg

[cprevost]

Use White Mats! Most anything else will distract from the picture. Some people use black mats. The problem with this is that if the black mat is blacker than any black in your image then it makes your print look washed out. Go to any museum or art gallery and you will see nothing but white. You do have some choices in white however. White comes in many different shades. Colored mats just scream and detract from almost any picture.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I think there are times when a colored matt works well.. if it compliments the image.

I took a photo of my granson-ish (type person,.. 18 months) playing the Theatre's Concert Grand Steinway...

The lid was open so we had the subject (Dylan).. with the deep laquer black of the finished Steinway.. the geogeous Golden blond wood interior of the soundboard and the maple stage itself all in the foto.

The fram I found was a similar color natural blond wood with black stripe set in it.. and the matt was black with a golden stripe that matched the color of the wood.

This framing job works out to be the best complete framed image combination I have yet acheived.. (sorry no picture.. it went to the parents)

So.. the rule of plain white like any rule is meant to be broken.

[Scottes]

I definitely like it whe then matte compliments the image. I rarely like a white matte unless it's very narrow maybe. Nah, forget it. I'd rather have a very mild shade of some color that compliments.

[cprevost]

Ah, to each his own. I would never use anything other than white mats. I have never seen a museum or reputable art gallery use anthing else. If it's good enough for them then it's good enough for me. The mat is meant to not be seen. If someone looks at your photo and says nice mat, that's not a good sign. I visited a gallery once where a friend had some work hanging. After we left he asked what I thought of the frames and mats. I told him that frankly I didn't notice. He said "great, that's exactly what I hoped you'd say!"

[Scottes]

Does anyone know the correct spelling for this word? We have three different spellings here.... :)

mat?
matt?
matte?

[maderito]

Does anyone know the correct spelling for this word? We have three different spellings here.... :)

mat?
matt?
matte?
matt's matte's on the mat (cf. scott's/scot's/scottes)

[robertwgross]

I had some very good landscapes that I showed around to some friends on 5x7 size. One person wanted to buy one in 8x10 size mounted on 11x14 with matte. I agreed and then announced that I normally use a white matte unless the customer wants something different. The customer said "White? Yecch! How about black?"

Three days later the customer got the print mounted with black matte.

The customer is always right.

---Bob Gross---

[CyberDyneSystems]

The "museum" argument is valid.. but the trouble with using there matting as an example is the intentions are different.

A museum is displaying the artwork itself.. nothing more..

A colored matt, especially one assembled by the artist/photographer themselves.. is designed to be a part of the finished product..

A museum would not attempt such an addition, would not pretend to second guess the intentions of the artist. But as the artist/photographer,.. i certainly will look to be creative in the entire display...

Painters did it with frames... you do not see Museums removing paintings from there sometimes VERY ornate frames... this is because the frame is an integral part of the display of the painting in many cases.. (arguably in all cases) ...on the other hand of you as an artist are having a gallery showing.. and you bring your drawings/paintings etc.. to the gallery/museum unmatted... unframed.. yes.. the gallery will matt them in white... but that is because the gallery/museum is not the creator of the artwork..

This is exactly what they did when I had drawings displayed in a gallery.. those that were allready matted and or framed remained so.. those that were not.. were matted white.

[Malok]

I matt (mat, matte) a lot of my photos for various stores and galleries. I find that a double matt can often be the best for bringing out the various colors of the image. It is amazing the difference that each color can make to the photo. One color mat may bring out the water and another will bring out the trees. It depends on what you want to emphasize in a photo. Some say that you should chose an inner matt that is similar to the color you want to emphasize and then chose an outermat that is a bit more neutral. You will have to play around with your photo as each one needs something different.

A good way to test this without spending any money is to go to: http://www.pictureframes.com. They have a nice little program on their site which will allow you to upload your image and then try it with lots of different mats and frames. It is a lot of fun.

Photos that are double matted with the right colors usually outsell single matted images 2 to 1. People seem to prefer it.

Hope this is helpful!

Malok

[cprevost]

Well, I am a purist who believes that the mat should remain neutral. If you need the mat to make the photo pop then maybie the photo wasn't that good in the first place? I shriek in horror at the idea that the colored mat is part of the image. When I compose photos I don't compose them with colored mats in mind. I don't edit them with colored mats in mind. If I want a color surrounding my image I'll put it there with photoshop. I want people to look at my photos not my mats! Having said that, what was said above is absolutely true, the customer is always right. If someone insists on neon green mats then I'll try to talk them out of it, but in the end they get what they want.