Framing and Matting Photos

Mark from Paul's Photo gave us a few tips and tricks for framing and matting photos back in 3/2017, they are so useful I wanted to share again (I've combined and changed a couple of posts into one handy update) ~

My favorite tip that makes so much sense is to only buy black or white frames in standard sizes - you do not have to match the frames and mats to your wall color, or furniture, or style! Most photos will look good in either black or white, and limiting your color palette keeps things simple and cohesive. 

There are so many customized shapes and sizes to mat and frame your pictures if you go to a frame store, but if you stick with standard sizes (8x10, 11x14, 16x20, etc.) you only have to buy your frames once - when you want to change the picture you only need to get a new mat that fits your new photo and pop it into your existing frame. That'll save tons of money and is such a great idea that never occurred to me - every time I want to put a new picture up I go get a new frame! 

Another great tip is to hinge mat your photos - hinge matting is just taping the 2 mat boards together along the top edge only, and instead of taping all 4 sides of the photo to the mat (which is how I've always done it), you only need to tape the top edge and let gravity do the rest. 

• Print your picture. For this demonstration Mark printed his picture on 13"x19" paper, and is using an archival quality no-acid white mat that is 16"x20" overall with a 12"x18" opening. In this case his photo is 1" larger that the opening in the mat so only 1" of the photo's border will be covered - when printing your photo you need to figure out what size photo you'll need that fits the mat and frame. For example - if I have an 8x10 frame I probably wouldn't want to print the picture 8x10 or the mat might cover too much of the photo. The exception I guess would be if the image on the 8x10 photo is small and in the center, so my 8x10 mat opening would not be covering the image. Make sense? 

• When choosing the mat - since you've chosen standard size frames it's easy to find mats that fit - your biggest decision is how wide you want the opening or window of the mat to be based on how much of the photo you want covered.  

• Mats come in two pieces - the top window piece has the opening where your photo will show and the bottom is solid, the photo goes between them like a sandwich. To create the hinge mat, lay the top mat on your picture and pick them both up together. Hold them up towards a bright light source so you are looking thru the back of the picture, this way you can easily see where the picture should go in the mat. Get it exactly where you want it, carefully lay them down on a surface and tape the top edge of the picture to the mat using blue painters tape (or archival linen hinging tape if you are hanging in a gallery or long term).

hold the photo and top piece of mat towards
a bright light to help you see where the photo
should go in the mat

lay them down on your work surface making
sure to keep the photo exactly where you want
it in the mat, tape the top of the photo to the mat

• Lay the mat backing board next to the top mat, lining up the edges. Tape the two boards together at the top only creating a hinged mat, the window mat and picture in the front with the solid mat backing board sandwiching the picture. Because you've only taped the top edge of the picture gravity is allowing it to hang flat without buckling like it tends to do if you tape all of the edges.

tape the top edges of the mats together (on the wrong side)

Now you're ready to put it in your frame - easy!

Choosing what color mat to buy is just like with the frames - Mark recommends sticking with black or white. Once again, he says not to match the mat to your room, or your furniture (or your hair...funny guy), that simple white or black goes with everything, coordinates with everything, will make your photo stand out, and that the simple act of matting your photo will make it look so much better!

These cool tips come to you from Mark Comon at Paul's Photo (remember when I took the creative photo classes? Click here to see one of those posts) - check them out online and get inspired with tons of ideas or classes! These are super creative and helpful people - thanks for the blog post Mark! paulsphoto.com, creativephotoacademy.com

He made a short video on how to create the hinged mat - click here to watch him in action.