Framing and Matting

At this point I am not offering mats or frames for my fine art prints. I do, however, have some suggestions for those interested.

I am impressed by one online frame retailer, Frame Destination. I have no endorsement relationship whatsoever with this company (or any other). On their website you can use their Build-A-Frame wizard to design and order a custom frame to your precise specifications.

These are my suggested dimensions for matting and framing prints. I prefer a deep frame profile such as style S24 (1-7/8” deep) to give the art more presence on the wall. I strongly recommend using an 8-ply mat, the brighter white and the more archival the better. I take great care in cropping my images so it is best to leave some space around the image rather than having the mat overlap the image. I use a 3/8” gap around my images. The width of the mat around the image should vary depending on the size of the art; a smaller print requires less mat while a larger print is well served by a proportionately larger mat. I cut my mats approximately 3” wide on each side for 8x10 prints, 3-1/4” wide for 11x14 prints and 4” wide for 16x20 prints. The two sides and top mat widths are usually the same measurement. For the bottom mat width add a half inch for an 8x10 print and an inch for a 16x20. Use an acid free backing board. I assemble my mats using the photo corner or hinge mount techniques.

Certainly prints do not need to be displayed with a mat or a traditional frame. It does seem necessary, however, to use some sort of glazing (glass, plexiglass, etc.) as the rough texture of the artist paper and the coating required to receive ink makes your print inclined to cling to dust and absorb harmful airborne pollutants.

Make your own measurements of prints. Please do not rely on the measurements I have provided on this website in case I have made a mistake.

Finally, for those who want the ultimate print protection you may use a lacquer product such as Moab Desert Varnish. The prints available on this website have not been sprayed though I have used this product on other exhibition prints. Lacquers are toxic products so please use according to manufacturers’ instructions.