DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

How to Confidently Choose the Right Mat and Frame for Your Photographs

Nov 4, 2014 by Lindsey Leigh Graham 7 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

If there’s a downside in the shift to digital photography, it’s the mindless hours we now spend uploading, liking and clicking through endless online galleries. The instant gratification from the immediate applause leaves us with our best photographs buried in online albums, rather than appreciated and cherished up on our walls. It’s all too easy to ‘post’ a photo that you might have framed a decade ago, and then forget all about it.

choosing-mats-01

Worse yet, if you aren’t social media savvy, these photos may sit on your memory cards, hard drive or permanent to-do list, collecting dust until you find the time to upload and share with the world.

choosing-mats-02

I’m a big advocate of bucking that trend. Get your favorite photographs on the wall, where they belong! Choosing your own mat and frame allows you to incorporate your own artistic flare and decorative taste into a unique and personal wall piece. Though the options can be overwhelming, turning your photos into beautifully framed pieces of art doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Follow these guidelines and become a master of color coordination.

Types of Mats

There are three types of mats used for framing photographs: paper, alpha cellulose, and rag. Paper mats are wallet friendly, but the material found in the wood pulp will eventually deteriorate and stain the photograph underneath. Alpha cellulose mats are treated to maintain a neutral pH and considered to be ‘preservation quality.’ Rag mats are considered museum quality, and being made from 100% cotton, these mats do not require treatment to neutralize the pH.

Choosing a Mat Color

choosing-mats-03

choosing-mats-04

Choosing the right color mat for your photo can be tricky. It is essential that the mat does not distract from the photograph, but rather accentuates it and draws out the main focus or key element. In order to achieve continuity without overwhelming the eye, the color of the mat should match one of the colors in the photograph’s background. Be careful not to base your decision on the space where you are hanging the print, but instead on what will best compliment your work.

choosing-mats-05

As you can see in the three photographs shown above, the blues in the sky and browns in the landscape are all background colors. Matching the mat to these background colors makes the focal point stand out. While these mat colors are bold, you can certainly use softer colors for less contrast.

Accent Mats

There are times when a single mat for large prints can look unfinished. In these cases, the use of an accent mat is necessary. Accent mats can help the subject pop by creating an additional border around a print.

Mats cut to fit an 11×14 frame, will usually accommodate an 8×10 photo, which leaves you with significant distance between the photograph and the frame. This can cause the photograph and mat to visually run together. The addition of an accent mat will create a distinct focus and can help pull additional color from the background, creating a finished look.

choosing-mats-06 choosing-mats-07

As you can see, the photograph on the top lacks the definition and the eye-catching appeal of the photo on the bottom with the yellow accent mat. I specifically chose the yellow to match the background behind the woodpecker.

Black and White

White mats generally work well with most colored walls and home decorations, and are an easy way to achieve a clean look. The colors in the photograph are able to stand out on their own as the neutral space between the photograph and the frame does not distract the eye. If you are looking to create a modern gallery like grouping, use a mat that is at least 3 inches wide.

Most photographers and studios like to use white mats with black cores for their prints. Black cores create a well defined black outline and visually sets the photograph apart from the white mat.

choosing-mats-08

Black mats with a white core can add a little more drama to a photograph. They are typically most effective for photographs that contain black, white or gray—without these elements the black mat will only detract from the photograph itself.

choosing-mats-09

Framing

Selecting the perfect frame for your print is all about your own personal style! Antique frames are great for older prints, or prints colored for a vintage look. Slick plastic, metal or polished frames work well with contemporary styled photos, while barn wood, dark deep-grained woods and earth tones are great for nature photos.

Browse the internet for unique options or visit your local craft store to purchase pre-cut mats and browse through the frame-lined walls. Larger frames aren’t cheap. I’ve found a few at Goodwill, and just removed the artwork already in them so that my own photo could reside there. Make sure to bring your actual photo (or photo copy if you’re worried about damaging the original in transit) with you to help make your final decision a confident one!

choosing-mats-11 choosing-mats-10

Most importantly, have fun with it!

About The Author

Lindsey Leigh Graham is a beach-loving photographer based in coastal South Carolina. Her favorite subjects are the wildlife and landscapes of the Lowcountry, and she creates decorative and functional pieces of wall art to display her photos. Lindsey frequently contributes to the blog at Treat.com.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Learn how to choose the best frame rate for your videos in just 10 minutes How To Choose The Right Softbox For The Job: Understanding Softbox Size Vs Soft Light How to choose the best lens for portraits and headshots Are you really using the right lens for your landscapes? Here’s how to choose

Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: analog photography, framing, Lindsey Leigh Graham, mat, printing

Guest Author: from diyphotography.net

About Guest Author

This article was contributed to DIYP by a member of our community. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us here.

« Everything You Need To Know To Master Composition In One 30 Minute Lesson
Quick Tip (GoPro Beginners): How To Set Smooth Slow Motion Videos »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Here’s a bullet time video booth you can build yourself
  • Ricoh has discontinued the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens
  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy