Digital Art Photography For Dummies®

Chapter 18. Framing and Matting

In This Chapter

• Buying or making mats

• Configuring mats for your photography

• Buying and assembling frames

• Framing on the cheap

How you frame your print has a great impact on its value. Your options are many in terms of finding a display for your digital photographs. If you're on a budget or just starting out, you can refurbish old frames or learn the craft of making or putting together the frames and mats yourself. If you're preparing high-end art for galleries and upscale stores, there are many places from which you can order frames and mats and other accessories online or through traditional retail.

Note

Many galleries want only frame jobs that comprise professional mounting and acid-free papers. Read more about using acid-free papers and why they're important in the section, "Takin' It to the Mats."

Finding mats for your photographs goes hand-in-hand with finding frames for your photographs. When making framing choices, consider both the presentation of your work as well as how to protect it. You also have to consider the tastes and styles of your potential clients.

For the examples in this chapter, I show mats that are on the conservative end of the art spectrum because galleries and many stores want simple mats and frames for photography. You'll likely see many other options when you view mats for sale online or in catalogs, so keep your creativity and tastes in mind if you go with more fancy matting and framing.

At the end of the chapter are a few tips ...