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Matting &
Framing
Do you find store-bought frames to
be cheap looking or are unhappy with the selection available? Are
you tired of paying tons of money for professional framing?
I was frustrated by these same issues
for a long time. There was never a good selection of store-bought
frames that I liked and I felt that ready-made mats had too narrow of a
border. I wanted more choices and more control but without the high
cost of professional framing and without the hassle of cutting my own mats
and frames.
My solution was to order custom mats
and custom frames through the internet and to have the glass custom cut
at a local arts supply store. I'll outline my process below.
Supplies
 I started by looking for a web-based
frame and matting source. I found a site that I have been working
with now for a couple years called
American
Frame. Their site offers a step-by-step approach to custom
frames and mats which I describe below:
You start by selecting a metal frame
cross section (I use Standard Plus) and color (I use Contrast Gray).
You then work on the mats. You
enter the size of your artwork and provide the color of mat (I use 61 Super
White), the number of mats (I do two), the border width, and, when selecting
more than one mat, the window opening gap between the top and bottom openings
(I use the default 1/4 inch). The website calculates all of the dimensions
for the mats automatically and then calculates the size of the aluminum
frame.
Now, you can decide if you want plexiglas
(I don't) or if you want a foam core backing (I cut my own at the art supply
store to save a bit of money - see below).
Finally, you go through the checkout
procedure to place your order. And the order arrives in a few days.
For the glass, I go to a local Arts
Supply Store and have glass cut at about $2.70/square foot. Most
times I'll also grab a sheet of foam core and cut it on their mat cutter
which they allow customers to use for free.
Costs
Here are
some typical prices for
framing an 8X12 print with a 3 inch border:
|
Frame (14
X 18) |
$14.50 |
|
Outer mat (with 3 inch
border) |
$10.00 |
|
Inner mat (with 3 1/4 inch border) |
$10.00 |
|
Foam Core |
$ 1.60 |
|
Shipping |
$ 3.00 (less w/ larger order) |
|
Glass (from art supply store) |
$ 4.12 |
|
Total |
$43.22 |
This is roughly twice the price of
a ready-made mat and frame but looks much better. This is also roughly
half the price of a professional custom framing job. And with care,
the results will be nearly as good.
Assembly
Once you receive the frames and mats
from
American
Frame and get your glass and foam core from the arts supply store,
assembly is pretty straight forward. The frames come with instructions.
All you need is a screw driver.
Here are a few other notes and tips:
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CAUTION: Handling glass can be
dangerous. Always be careful when handling glass. |
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There are many ways to mount the print
to the backing board. I'll leave it up to you to decide how you want to
do it. I simply tape the print to the back of the inner mat.
I do this with archival linen tape (self adhesive when moistened) and tape
the top edge of the print to the top edge of the mat opening. Taping
only the top edge minimizes bending of the print when the mat and print
expand and contract at different rates due to humidity and temperature. |
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When cleaning the glass, I like to wear a pair of thin cotton or
polypropylene gloves so that I am not constantly adding finger prints to cleaned
glass. |
Happy Shooting
!
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