Selling matted photos

I often exhibit matted prints for sale, and am debating the best way to have them mounted.

I have used removable tape as well as acid-free mounting tape, and am experimenting with spray mounted

technique permanently mounting them on.to foam board.

Do most buyers expect to rematt them to their preference.??

Should I be using a removable method or permanently adhere them to the matting of my choice??

<p>I use archival quality adhesive corners. The print is held in place behind the mat window, and is not attached (permanently) to anything. The backing board simply helps to keep things flat. Works well. I use high quality materials, and don't know of any customer that has opted to re-mount what I've sold them.</p>

<p>I use acid free artist tape. No one has mentioned the desire to re-mat. I do like Matt's corners idea which I have seen him mention before. I may try that next time, I like the idea of nothing at all adhered to the print.</p>

 

<p>Here are some quick (badly lit!) reference shots. First, just how I usually show the prints. I leave a substantial bit of white space around the image itself, so that I have plenty of room to work with. I then cut the mat window large enough to leave a quarter-inch of that white space showing around the image. That gives me room for a signature, if I want to do that. Usually I use a 4-ply mat, and 3/16th foam core backing board. Depends on the situation. Always acid-free materials.</p><div></div>

<p>If you flip that print over (it's a 16x20 mat, with about a 3 inches of mat on all sides, plus that 1/4" of print white), you'll see - because of the size of this print - the larger 3" Lineco corners holding the print in place. The adhesive side of the corners faces the back of the window mat, holding the print to the back of the window.</p><div></div>

<p>I use the three-inch flavor for larger prints, and the inch-and-a-quarter versions for smaller prints. They come on sheets, boxed. For some larger prints, to help control sag or buckling, I'll also use the mounting strips in the middle of the long edge of the print. They're like the corners, in that they don't get any adhesive on the print itself.</p><div></div>

<p>I use acid free hinge mounting tape, if you hinge mount the photo there is less chance of it buckling and wrinkling in the future (as opposed to mounting it with tape all the way around). I hinge it at the top and then back it with acid free mounting borad.</p>

<p>I'd also NOT mount the photo with any kind of spray adhesive, if that's what you're talking about. Spray adhesives have chemicals in them that can erode the photograph over time. If you want the photo mounted that way, take it to a pro and have them dry mount it for you.</p>

<p>I see three downsides to the spray: 1) as Ted says, chemicals can be an issue 2) if the customer does want to remount, or if someone wants to remount the picture years down the road, it's more difficult 3) if you're spraying on any kind of production scale (dozens of prints for a show) you almost need a hook and ventilation to keep from breathing the stuff or having flammable fumes build up in the room.</p>

Thanks Matt,

 

You use the corners to mount the print to the back of the mat, not the mount board behind it.

Excellent.

 

How do you hinge the mat and mount board, if I may ask?

<p>Thanks for the extensive post Matt. Great information.</p>

<p>Generally, Richard, I don't. I display the matted-but-not-framed prints in clear bags or shrink wrap, so those stay together that way. When I (or a customer) go to frame those matted prints, the backing board is aligned by the frame ... so, still no need to do that.<br /><br />If I had the mats out loose, with no covering, I'd hinge using acid-free tape ... but I've simply never had that issue come up.</p>

<p>I think there is a lively debate between permanent mount and removable mounting. And it also depends on the paper the print is printed on.<br>

Some people/customers do not like the wavy appearance of fiber paper it is not dry mounted. <br />And some photographers like the flatness when you dry mounting the print. <br />Dry mounting is for all practical purposes a permanent mount.<br>

Some people/customers WANT the ability to remount the print if they want/need to.<br>

If you print ink-jet (or any other non-darkroom print), I do not know if paper/ink will survive dry mounting temperature, so it is spray mount or one of the removable methods.<br>

Some people want to control the mat board as it is part of the presentation of the print. So permanently mounting the print does that.<br>

BTW I used spray adhesive before, and it does smell. And probably is NOT good to breath a lot of it. I have had unglassed RC prints peel off after many years, so I question its permanency. </p>

<p>I wanted a non permanent mount for 16x16 FB prints. I just assumed I should mount them to <strong>mount</strong> board. Mounting them to the back of the mat with the 3" corners is, I'll assume until I try, a perfect idea.</p>

<p>I don't sell any of my prints thus far, but I do have a few friends who say, "Oh, I want one of those" which I usually oblige. That will be perfect, if they actually intend to frame them later. I have done the rolled up in a tube delivery thing, but I think that detracts from the value involved. Besides, I don't want to take the time to take the curl out of the FB print, just to put a new one in by tubing it.</p>

<p>The three dimensional quality, as you say wavy, in what I want from FB. If I wanted perfectly flat prints, I would just print to RC. There is a tactile response to FB prints, I believe; it draws one in and makes one want to touch it. If the owner of one my prints, including myself, would like to take it out and hold it...more power to them.</p>

<p>Richard: the trick, in deciding whether to use the 3-inch or the 1-1/4-inch corners, is in how much of the print/paper is going to be hidden behind the top mat. If you don't have a lot of print margin to work with, the 3-inch corner may be too big, or require you to cut a notch out of it, where the hypotenuse of the right triangle wants to cut across the mat opening. Nothing you can't fix with a pair of scissors!<br /><br />You also have to learn to work on a nice big surface, and with good light, on a table you can lean well over. When I do this, I put the print on the table, face-up, with the adhesive corners (already pealed from their backing!) slipped onto the corners of the print, adhesive side up. Then I lower the window-cut mat board directly onto the print/corners assembly. You only get to do that once, when those stick. To help with alignment, I usually arc the window mat slightly (so that it doesn't touch down on the corners) so that I can see I'm getting things straight.<br /><br />This isn't nearly as fussy if you're not leaving print white-space showing. But if you are, and want the image to be centered within its own margins within the window, you need to have some care in laying the window down on those corners. It can take a few times before you develop a good sense for it. After doing it untold times, I think I've only ever had to sacrifice a couple sets of corners for having done it badly. Just give yourself plenty of time to think about what you're doing, and before you know it, it will be completely second nature.</p>