Paper Sizes and Printing - Is what I am thinking a bad idea?

[JeffJones]

Lets say you want print, mat, frame and hang an 8x10 print. So you find an 11x14 mat with an 8x10 opening to use with your print. While there are several ways to mount the photo, it takes a little work to make it come out perfect. There is an issue with humidity and how that can cause paper to become wavy, but there are techniques to combat that.

Here is my thought --- Why not just print the 8x10 image on 11x14 paper? Lining up with the mat may not be perfect, but one could always trim a bit off the paper and tape to the print after making a slight adjustment. I am thinking this might help with the issue with waviness caused by humidity.

Other than the higher cost for the larger paper (and the difference is pretty small), is there any other downsides to what I propose?

 

[john.margetts]

If the print is taped to the mat, it will still go wavy if humidity increases.

 

[Ysarex]

Pretty much only upsides. I've done much the same for as long as I can remember. For archival B&W prints it's pretty much a requirement. The inches of print paper border act as a buffer resisting attack from our toxic atmosphere along the exposed edges of the paper.

Joe

 

[JeffJones]

Thanks, Joe. I couldn't find any examples of others doing this and sometimes was concerned there was a reason why I couldn't.

 

[JeffJones]

Thanks, John. I do realize by hinging allows for the print to normalize. But paying an extra $.25 a sheet that I don't even have to mess with taping, seems like a win.

 

[KmH]

Unless my customer (or myself) wants no mat in front of a print I always have the print made on paper larger than the actual photograph.
The extra print paper is used to mount the print.
I only do hinge mounting of prints to be framed with a front mat and glazing.
Glazing, a back of the frame cover, and air conditioning help keep humidity at bay.

Hinge mounting allows the mount to be changed down the road, because even the best museum grade, acid-free mount board becomes acidic over time as it gradually absorbs contaminants from the air.

 

[Gary A.]

I've been printing that way for decades, but with a twist. In the film days I tended to print without cropping and with the black, Henri Cartier-Bresson borders. 8x10 is not a perfect fit with the dimensions of a 35mm negative, so I printed smaller than 8x10 with wide white borders to make everything fit. Even today, I print to the dimensions of the final image, I don't make the image conform to the predetermined size of the paper. I use a DTP program to print and I adjust the width of the borders to the final image. My borders are wide and fill the gap from edge of print to edge of paper.

 

[JeffJones]

I don't know if that is the direction I will go Gary, but I definitely need to check that out by mocking it up in photoshop.

Thanks for the input, Keith.

 

[Gary A.]

I don't know if that is the direction I will go Gary, but I definitely need to check that out by mocking it up in photoshop.

Thanks for the input, Keith.

Good luck with your printing.

Here's an example of the printing with the Henri Cartier-Bresson filed out negative carrier borders.

A sample of my DTP borders. The first inside border is black (in this case thin top/bottom and wide on the sides), then a thin white border and on the edges a wider black border. These borders all adjust to accommodate/fill-in the gaps between paper dimensions and image dimensions of the final print. They are sorta like a 2D matte board.

 

[Bebulamar]

I think it's a good idea as long as you have a printer that can take the larger size. The extra cost of paper isn't high. It's the ink that cost more but you don't spend any more ink as the printed area is still 8x10.

 

[table1349]

If you are worried about humidity then face mount the photo. That is what museums and galleries. do.

 

[PersistentNomad]

As a former framer, this is my preferred method for printing and mounting.
1. GET COTTON GLOVES. You will probably end up touching the face of the print either accidentally or on purose at sone point.
2. Print the image with at least half an inch of white border all around.
3. Use photo corners and hinging tape for the mounting. My favorite hinging tape is filmoplast p90. I use both because if the hinging tape ever fails, the corners keep it in place. You can also go with just corners or just hinging.
4. Get an acid free mat and back board. Put the backboard on the table with your image face up and the top mat over top. Ideally, the top mat's opening is sized to just a bit smaller than your image. This is where the white gloves become really useful. You want to finagle the image inside the opening of the mat so that it's placed in the perfect position on the backer board. Use a soft surface weight to hold it in place as you remove the mat.
5. Very carefully place the photo corners in all four corners to hold the paper in place. Then, you can go back through and hinge along the top edge. Use hinge or double sided atg tape to hold down the mat and you're done.

 

[snowbear]

^This.
I cut my mats with a window a tad bit smaller than the print - say 8-1/4 x 9-3/4 to 8-3/8 x 9-7/8. I only hinge the top of the photo, so there isn't any buckling. For the weight, I put a bag of dried beans in a clean bandana.