Opinions Wanted Frame before Mats or Mat before Frames

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Grey Owl

Grey Owl

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Nov 2, 2007
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Lakewood, CO
Another thread talked about how much guidance we give during the design process. I noticed that several framers mentioned they select the mat before the frame.

I often do things back-a**wards, and I wondered the reasoning. I look at the artwork, then select the frame options and finish with the mats, mat decoration / fabric decisions at the end.

I guess I do this because if I'm framing an acrylic or oil I start with the frame, then finish with the liner / additional frame? I also do quite a bit in mat decoration where appropriate.

What do you do, and the benefits?
 
I was taught that you start with the mats to compliment the art and then work to find a frame that completes the package. Sometimes, the frame choice makes us go back and tweek the mat color so it all works together.
 
Most of the time I start with the mats. Sometimes we pull a frame out that does not work with the selected mats but the customer loves. So then we go through the mats again to see what would blend them together.

If you start with the frame first, you might lose the mat sale. If you start with the mat the customer will think that matting is almost required.
 
hmmm..the chicken or the egg......or is that a baby owl?
 

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I too always do mats first, and mostly double mats first. Then the frame.

Usually I end up with 2 great color combinations mats, and the final choice is whatever works better with the frame.
 
I nearly always start with the mat and for at least one reason. The mat is usually the widest component of the package. It must be right and while there may be several mat selections that may work with particular piece, there will probably be a greater number of mouldings that will work with the mat/art combination. Getting the right mat(combination) just seems like the natural place to start to me.
 
Nothing I've read has shifted me from what I said on the other thread - I work from the art out.

What's the point of offering up a moulding sample next to the artwork ...... if it's not going to BE next to the artwork?

Most (of my) customers are thinking 'frame frame frame - I want to get 'this' framed, it's a frame I want, I want to see frame choices, this guy's a framer ..... frame frame frame frame'

Offer up mat samples, be they single, double, quadruple/with a fillet between... whatever - 'this' is a whole different ballgame now.
 
I always start with the mats and often times have some frames in mind while doing so.
 
I agree with Anna of the Moon - sometimes I start with the frame, sometimes I start with the mats. It all depends on - what? - the phases of the moon or the angle of the sun? :)
 
Most always, mats first. However I sometimes have in mind a particular moulding that is perfect for an item and will pull the moulding and work inwards... rarely though.
 
I always recommend mats first from a sales standpoint, because adding even a single mat to an order increases the total sale by about 35%-45% due to the increased size.

If you quote a price without a mat first, it's extremely difficult for a customer to accept that putting a piece of "colored cardboard" around the picture should cost $100-$150 more. Many framers lose sight of the fact that this is a sales business.

From a design standpoint I also think it's easier to choose mats first, because you're often choosing a combination, and they're closest to the art. Once you get the mats right, the frame is usually easy and often they almost jump off the wall. Many times there will be a number of frames that look good.
 
Mats first mainly for design reasons except in very few situations. I like to work the moulding into the design and I find it very hard to do if I don't have the mats style and colors selected first.
 
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