Problems when matting a print

[Charliedelta]

Hello,

I've done a number of arts and crafts shows, where I brought my 16x20 prints matted to fit my 20x24 frames. To mat the photos, I used the hinge technique with the tape looking like "T".

My problem happened at two shows. After about one day, I'll have a picture that looks like at the bottom right sticks out of the mat. Basically it looks like the tape I used on top has shrunk and pulled the picture slightly upwards, but enough for some to come out of being under the mat. I threw away the first picture it happened to, and brought another one to the second show. On some other prints,
you can see the mat bulging out a little at the bottom, so that you can see a millimeter or so in gap in some parts. Does anybody know what could have caused it, and what I could do to prevent it in the future?

Thanks

ps: I use the same exact technique also for my smaller frames, and I do not have this issue with them.

 

[benhasajeep]

Not sure but I am guessing Humidity.

 

[KmH]

Yep. A change in the humidity can do that, and there is no way to prevent it, but you can compensate for it and/or plan for it.

With sufficient blank border the print paper won't come out from under the mat.
The extra blank border also makes putting the mat/frame together easier.
I always have my prints made so some blank border shows all the way around the mat between the image and the mat.

 

[Light Guru]

With larger prints i find it best to attach the print to a mat board the the same size as the outer dementions of your cut out mat.

Keeps the prints from curling.

 

[fmw]

Hello,

I've done a number of arts and crafts shows, where I brought my 16x20 prints matted to fit my 20x24 frames. To mat the photos, I used the hinge technique with the tape looking like "T".

My problem happened at two shows. After about one day, I'll have a picture that looks like at the bottom right sticks out of the mat. Basically it looks like the tape I used on top has shrunk and pulled the picture slightly upwards, but enough for some to come out of being under the mat. I threw away the first picture it happened to, and brought another one to the second show. On some other prints,
you can see the mat bulging out a little at the bottom, so that you can see a millimeter or so in gap in some parts. Does anybody know what could have caused it, and what I could do to prevent it in the future?

Thanks

ps: I use the same exact technique also for my smaller frames, and I do not have this issue with them.

Perhaps you should consider a dry mounting press. That has always been my method.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I've used hinging tape (and know how to dry mount if a press is available, that's a nice option). I've never had anything like this happen.

Check the mats - are they cut so that the print fits underneath with the print edges under the mat? Did you measure to make sure the mat has been cut exactly to the appropriate size? What materials are you using for hinging?

Try looking into other methods and techniques for hinging and see if there are any other ways that might work better. I'm not clear on why you threw away the first print, did you try removing the hinging tape?

 

[KmH]

Dry mounting is not an archival mounting method, where as hinge mounting is.
Dry mounting precludes replacing the mount board at a later date as the mount board becomes more acidic with age.

A major benefit of hinge mounting is that the print can 'float' and move on the mount board as atmospheric conditions change where ever the work is hung or is transported from display location to display location.

 

[Charliedelta]

Thank you guys.

I guess I'll go with the white border then. But here's the new question now. In my example I want to use a 16x20 print in a 20x24 mat. The mat comes with an opening that is 15.5x19.5 to match the 16x20 requirement. If I add an extra white border to the picture, the new print would be larger, but most importantly not a standard size anymore. So how many inches of border would you add on each side? What would be the size of the new print? What size would you order from the lab in my example?

 

[Light Guru]

I guess I'll go with the white border then.

I want to use a 16x20 print in a 20x24 mat.

Sounds like you are truing to get the exact crop of your image to match the exact cutout of the mat.

Most people dont do a white border and a mat. They just have the mat overlap the print 1/4 inch on each side. Thats why the matts are always 1/2 inch smaller cutout then the standard print size.

 

[Charliedelta]

Sorry to ask again, guys, but I can't understand. You have a 16x20 print to mat. The opening is 15.5x19.5. That leaves 0.25 on each side. How much border do you plan to have? Say you get 1 inch, I believe you would encounter two problems:
1) you would need the lab to print an 18x22, and I can't find a place that would do that.
2) when the picture shifts because of humidity (like the problem I had), wouldn't the white border show?

Thanks again

 

[john.margetts]

Sorry to ask again, guys, but I can't understand. You have a 16x20 print to mat. The opening is 15.5x19.5. That leaves 0.25 on each side. How much border do you plan to have? Say you get 1 inch, I believe you would encounter two problems:
1) you would need the lab to print an 18x22, and I can't find a place that would do that.
2) when the picture shifts because of humidity (like the problem I had), wouldn't the white border show?

Thanks again

If you are matting the print you would not have any border on the print. The picture goes right to the edge of the 16x20 paper. The matt covers a part of the printed picture.

When the picture changes size with humidity changes, the 1/4 inch overlap comes into play: the picture can shrink by 1/4 or slightly more and still have the matt overlap the picture.

Sent from my 8070 using Tapatalk

 

[john.margetts]

If you want the avoid the print from shrinking once you have mounted it, make sure the print is very dry first. The print needs to be drier than the room it is going to be displayed in. If your house is on the damp side, you can dry the print in a sealed box with some fresh silica gel.

Sent from my 8070 using Tapatalk

 

[KmH]

Using Photoshop I put the image I want printed on a white background the same size as a standard paper size larger than the window opening in the mat.
I size my images so there is an equal size white border between the edge of the mat window and the edge of the image of 1/4 inch.
I then have the print lab trim any excess paper such that there is an additional 1" to 2" of print paper under the mat between the mat window and the rabbet of the frame. The extra paper greatly aids hinge mounting the print and ensuring that the print paper stays under the mat.

It's a rarity for any of my prints to be a standard size.

I should also mention that most of my framed prints use a bottom weighted mat & window.
Also, I put my signature in that 1/4" of blank, white border just inside the lower right corner of the mat window and under the image.

 

[smoke665]

Using Photoshop I put the image I want printed on a white background the same size as a standard paper size larger than the window opening in the mat.
I size my images so there is an equal size white border between the edge of the mat window and the edge of the image of 1/4 inch.
I then have the print lab trim any excess paper such that there is an additional 1" to 2" of print paper under the mat between the mat window and the rabbet of the frame. The extra paper greatly aids hinge mounting the print and ensuring that the print paper stays under the mat.

It's a rarity for any of my prints to be a standard size.

I should also mention that most of my framed prints use a bottom weighted mat & window.
Also, I put my signature in that 1/4" of blank, white border just inside the lower right corner of the mat window and under the image.

I like this idea, but I'm confused, could you clarify?? You say you "leave a 1/4" white border between the edge of the image and the edge of the mat window, then you have 1"-2" of print under the mat". So if I understand correctly you actually size your image such that they have 1-1/4" - 2-1/4" border on the print. Is this correct? Also, why do you leave the white border exposed in the mat window??? Is this just a preference???

 

[KmH]

Yes that is correct.
As I mentioned, I sign the print but sign in on that exposed white border rather than in the image. Having the mat window larger allows the signature to show. Plus, the exposed border all the way around helps isolate the image from the mat window edge and/or serves the same visual purpose as using more than 1 mat.

Indeed, one of the primary accomplishments of a matted and framed print is to isolate the image from the color/texture of whatever wall the image is presented on. Another major reason for matting and framing a print is to increase the print's longevity by protecting the print from environmental factors like UV light and air pollution. Hinge mounting is way better at preserving print longevity than dry mounting.