What Is Matting In Photography

Guide to matting for art shows.

What is matting in photography.

The mat s border around the image often white separates the image from its surrounding environment providing a clean viewing field free from distraction. The window can open onto only part of the photo thus cropping the image while leaving the photograph whole. If you are cutting multiple mats add a title to identify the artwork and print off. So now that the matting is finished we move on to framing.

Visit our framing advice section to learn more about matted presentations. The majority of matboard and more s customers are artists whether it be photography painting drawings or other forms of art. The color of the mat is the first decision you must make when framing a picture or painting. White mats work well for black and white photography because they amplify the monochromatic effect of the print.

This busy colored mat idea works because the photo and frame are both simple. In the picture framing industry a mat or matte or mount in british english is a thin flat piece of paper based material included within a picture frame which serves as additional decoration and to perform several other more practical functions such as separating the art from the glass putting mats in a frame is called matting a term which can also usually be used interchangeably with mat. This high contrast photo from permanent press editions is matted with a reveal in our gallery frame in dark walnut and we love to how the illusion of multiple layers mirrors the photograph itself. The darkness and lightness will especially impact your mat choice with black and white photography which usually looks great with a clean white mat but might look better with a dark grey or black mat depending on the feel of the photo.

I use a glass cleaner mixture i make myself of 50 50 isopropyl alcohol distilled water and lightly mist it on to one glass surface at a time. A window mat can selectively display the photograph. What other mediums might determine your mat and framing style. Usually mattes are used to combine a foreground image e g.

You now have a cutting list for each mat you need. Cream colored mats are popular because this color is versatile enough to complement almost any image. Matting definition a coarse fabric of rushes grass straw hemp or the like used for floor covering wrapping material etc. We love to support artists and since we get so many questions about what kind of matting to use in shows we thought it would be good to create a tutorial on exactly that.

Well for large custom framed concert posters or movie posters we usually recommend the straightforward look of a full bleed custom. The first step is to make absolutely sure the glass is spotless with zero smudges marks dust etc. A scenic vista or a starfield with planets. Gently wiping with a micro fibre cloth.