mounting/Presentation

[Sebastian]

Hi all.

It is my sincere goal to sometime this year get a showing. Well, to try to get a showing. And to be able to do that, I need to have images mounted. So, to those that have experience with this, what is your process? How much does it cost you? Do you have elaborate matts, or do you go with the basics? What have you seen by others that you have liked?

Steve H., I know you do your own framing, would you mind to explain that a bit?

Thanks everyone in advance.

[megan]

If I may speak up before Steve H...

I generally make window mattes. I get white museum board so that when you cut the beveled edge, it's white through and through. It's archival as well. You'll need a long ruler and a beveled cutter. They run the gamut from $10 - $100 - depends on how fancy you want to get. I just use the cheap one that's not on a ruler. I don't mount the photos, I do it the down and dirty way and just use masking tape in back. Most galleries prefer black frames and plexi, FYI.

[Sebastian]

Awesome, thanks Megan!

Got any links?

[darkman]

Hi Sebastion,

I use a relatively inexpensive matte cutter like this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

It only takes a couple of mattes before it pays for itself.

Mike

[Asylum Steve]

Seb,

There's a ton I can tell you about this, but I'm a little pressed for time today. Still, I wanted to chime in about the mat boards...

I'd really think twice about trying to cut your own mats. Of ALL the things even remotely related to photography in any way, the thing I HATED doing the most was cutting mats for my prints.

It is super easy to screw up a mat cut, and I think I got one decent one (not great, decent) for every five or so I tried. That's a LOT of ruined mat boards.

Ok, so maybe it's me. On the other hand, pre-cut mats, even custom sizes, are relatively cheap in bulk (anything over ten or so).

I suppose it might be worth trying to see if it makes sense for you, but I know from experience that it can easily add to the stress factor when you're trying to put some work together to exhibit...

Oh, and Megan. You don't REALLY use masking tape on your work, do you?!?!? Oooo, dat's BERRY BERRY bad...

[adina]

Light Impressions Direct sells pretty nice mats. All precut, you can get them hinged as well. They also will do custom sizes, but you need to call and talk to them to get a price.

They also have cutters and anything else you may need, frames are pretty reasonable as well.

I take mine local. They know me by name, and can give me a two day turn around in emergencies, if I let them know before the truck leaves. And the work is gorgeous. Plus, they are right across from the ice cream shop, so if I have help, and they behave, they get instant gratification. I'm not above a bribe.

[adina]

Oh, and Megan. You don't REALLY use masking tape on your work, do you?!?!? Oooo, dat's BERRY BERRY bad...

My sil is into that scrapbooking thing, and is forever asking me how I store my photos. She cringes when I tell her they are in a sleeping bag box in the closet.

My framer recommended some doublesided tape, so far, it's worked great. But mostly, I have this all done for me.

[Asylum Steve]

Well, the thing is I'm old school on this, and with "archival" silver prints, using acid-free reversible mounting tape was a big thing. The tape is readily available and just as easy to use as masking tape...

BTW, I've already turned Seb on to Light Impressions (which I too use for all my mounting and framing supplies).

As for custom mats, I figured out a "standard" size window that fits my recent work in both horizontal as well as vertical format (same window size, just slightly different orientation), so ordering custom cut mats from LI is a breeze...

[darkman]

Seb,

I'd really think twice about trying to cut your own mats. Of ALL the things even remotely related to photography in any way, the thing I HATED doing the most was cutting mats for my prints.

...

I found when I was trying to use the cheaper cutters this was true. With the one I listed, which has a long straight edge, clamping mechanism and locking mechanisms, and adding a T for measurement, cutting matte's is too easy. I don't thik I ever messed one up.

This is from someone who can' t use scissors

[mtbbrian]

Like everyone else I use bright white matte board, I do a window matte.
I use the four ply stuff from Light Impressions. Which you should be able to buy locally, instead of buying it directly. Not that is a bad thing, it's just easier.

I have a matte cutter and very talanted person to cut my mattes. My lovely and talanted wife.... ;)

Light Impressions sells the big sheets and they also sell the pre cut stuff, in your basic sizes, 16x20, 20x24, etc....

I am doing silver frames for both my color and black and white stuff.

I do a bottom heavy matte.

I hope this helps!
Good Luck!
And let us know how it goes!
Brian

[megan]

Oh, and Megan. You don't REALLY use masking tape on your work, do you?!?!? Oooo, dat's BERRY BERRY bad...

Oh! No! This acid free stuff I picked up at Pearl. 'mibad, scuse my brain - I'm sick this week and have stuffed painful sinuses.

[megan]

Of ALL the things even remotely related to photography in any way, the thing I HATED doing the most was cutting mats for my prints.

I TOTALLY agree. Unfortunately, I'm always short on cash, short on time, and long in the extremely odd-sized print department... so it's cheaper for me to do it myself.

However, for the solo show in September, I actually had the work mounted in a non-traditional manner to avoid the whole framing issue. I had the lab mount everything flush on black-edged archival gator board. I really like the presentation. Overlams can be applied to protect the prints.

So if one is short on cash, I would go with doing it yourself. It's a good thing to know how to do, I guess!

I've got the push stule Logan 2000:

http://www.dickblick.com/zz171/13/

[SmartWombat]

'mibad, scuse my brain - I'm sick this week and have stuffed painful sinuses.

Ouch! You have my sympathy, I was on antibiotics for two weeks trying to clear mine.

Great thread, thanks for the input. A framing shop has just opened up in the covered market here in Oxford, so I'll go and talk to them a little more knowledgeably now