[BrianR]

I've recently picked up an epson r2000 printer and now that I can print 13x19", I intend to. I'm wondering about mat sizes.

In the past I've mostly printed borderless 8x12" at a lab, mated to 12x16" with a 7.5x11.5" window that obscured part of the photo. I'm wondering how people go about 'floating' the printed area inside the mat window, how much of a paper border is enough? Examples I'm considering are pictured below, all to scale. The mats are 18x24", with various window size options, and various print size options, and a few colour options (yes, impossible to know for sure without the physical materials in front of you). None show the white interior you'd see from the bevel of the mat. The vast majority of my photos are a 3:2 aspect ratio.



My thoughts from the left:

1) Thin paper border looks tidy. Have to be precise about positioning photo. Is a 1/4" border enough of a gap? No place for signature or photo title if mat is black.

2) As I've done before with the mat covering part of the photo. Room for aligning the photo less than perfectly. Plenty of room to mount to the backing via corners (less frightening to me than hinges). Room for signature/etc on a white mat. A white mat with a paper border reveal might be odd when the white unprinted paper colour doesn't jibe well with the white of the mat (i.e. it's better to be identical matches or decisively different).

3) Printing smaller than 12x18 gives room for signature/title etc. showing on bottom. This is setup for a portrait orientation, it would not be so clean for landscape orientation where I'd need to cut into the 3:2 aspect ratio to get a fatter lower border.


I'm actually looking at a mat place that sells complete bulk packages of mats, backings, and bags, intended for selling. For "conservation" grade materials, these packages work out quite reasonably. Options are limited to the above (but the hole sizes can be mixed with the colours). I'd be packaging some up for sale, and some would be going into frames for personal use (and also for sale). I'm by no means a print selling machine, but from my past experiences, I should have little problems making up my costs and then some. This is really 'just' a step up in size and presentation materials for me, but the initial outlay for materials on these things is always a bit scary.

I'm open to any and all input!

[Miguel]

For an 18x12 print, an 18x24 mat is pretty standard. These are available precut. You could have a quarter inch signing strip and mess with the aspect ratio. I just sign the back of the print and the front lip of the mat. Getting mats custom cut is pricey.

After doing this for a few decades I'm finding that customers or potential customers are running out of wall space. So I'm downsizing presentation size to 6x9. I'm also abandoning mats and frames and glass because the latter takes away so much from the excellent Entrada art paper I'm outputting on. I'm mounting on gessoed art panels and spraying the print with Desert Varnish. It a nice three dimensional presentation.

Something for you to ponder.

M

[wissink]

Following

[BrianR]

After doing this for a few decades I'm finding that customers or potential customers are running out of wall space. So I'm downsizing presentation size to 6x9. I'm also abandoning mats and frames and glass because the latter takes away so much from the excellent Entrada art paper I'm outputting on. I'm mounting on gessoed art panels and spraying the print with Desert Varnish. It a nice three dimensional presentation.

Arghh! I'm already paralyzed by the minutiae of selecting mats, now you give me another option?

This sound pretty cool, do you have any photos of a finished product you could share? How are you attaching the print to the art panel? Does the desert varnish spray add any sheen?

[Schraubstock]

Traditionally where signatures or titles are placed this part of the mat or border must always be wider from the rest, otherwise it looks crammed. Notice how crammed this part of your third (last) sample looks. It must be wider !

It also is the rule when you sign directly at the bottom of the mat, This part of the mat must be wider. It is also tradition to sign with a pencil.

Cheers

[Miguel]

Arghh! I'm already paralyzed by the minutiae of selecting mats, now you give me another option?

This sound pretty cool, do you have any photos of a finished product you could share? How are you attaching the print to the art panel? Does the desert varnish spray add any sheen?

I use PVA glue, it's archival. I brush it on the panel and use a brayer over protective paper (that comes with good printing paper) to distribute the glue evenly under the print. It's easy.
I'll post a picture of the finished products tonight.

Desert Varnish is completely non-glossy. It enhances contrast just a bit which is a benefit. It works far better with pigment inks as it tends to limit the gamut of dye inks.

M

[Miguel]

Here are a few working examples. I'm still getting the precision down, but the cost of materials are a lot cheaper than traditional framing. I also like the three dimensional presentation. And I can make them more affordable for people to purchase.

Glossy metallic paper


Unpainted side of panel


Art paper, matte finish



Painted side of panel




Matte paper


Painted side panel


Hope this helps.

M

[BrianR]

Here are a few working examples. I'm still getting the precision down, but the cost of materials are a lot cheaper than traditional framing. I also like the three dimensional presentation. And I can make them more affordable for people to purchase.

Awesome, thank you! I've always liked the simplicity of the canvas type of format, but not so much the surface. This looks like a great alternative for ready-to-hang pieces, I'll have to give this a whirl.

Traditionally where signatures or titles are placed this part of the mat or border must always be wider from the rest, otherwise it looks crammed. Notice how crammed this part of your third (last) sample looks. It must be wider !

I think I made the signature larger on that example than I would in real life, but definitely an important point, it does look crammed. Thanks for your input.