Mat Color Choice

Stephen Enggass

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Posts
185
Location
Maine
I would love to hear from some of you what Mat Color you would go with here. I plan on a 3" top mat with 1/4" under(double) or a 3-1/4" with v-groove. Weighted at the bottom... First thought I had was a nice white Mat to draw on the bright whites in the Calf's chest - but, the print is on an off-white paper, almost an eggshell. Would it be wrong to have a nice, brighter white bordering the off/warmer white? Love you hear your thoughts on this. Thanks.
IMG_0739.jpg
 
In general, I prefer to not pick a white that is whiter than the whitest part of the image. Going too white can make the image look dirty.
In this case I would apply that as well to the border.
I would probably match or go slightly darker than the paper, with a dark brown inner mat.

Brian
 
If a customer would come in my shop, the discussion would first be how badly they would want to see the signature and limited edition. More often than not, when I show the difference, they opt to cover it. I take a photo of it and that goes on the back, glued to the dust cover.

I would go with that hay color, preferably in a suede to mimic the texture. Maybe with a rustic brownish frame.

Not all art needs double mat. I find the look a bit dated. When I do a double mat I would pick a similar color as the top mat, just in a different texture.
I always offer regular mat cut or reversed bevel and show those options.

I would also play with a few darker textured mats.
 
Easy answer. Like Ylva said if a customer brought that in, then, the color that the client likes best. Professional salesmanship and design can easily draw that determination. Customers care more about conversation than conservation. Talk to them

Now, if it's for you, you should be able to make that decision quicker than an NBA Shot Clock

Opinion time, if mine: Darkest Brown suede mat available. But that's why Baskin-Robbins has 31 Flavors. Sounds like time to fire up Visual Software. William Parker called it the perfect solution for the Terminally Indecisive

more opinion: years ago a design expert had an expression about white (paint, mat): add white to any color and you rob that color of it's richness.
 
Walnut fillet, beige mat to match the color in the calf and background, or dark brown inner mat with the same beige outer - solid core or reverse bevels. I hate white bevels on most art. Showing the white with signature bottom weighted at customers option. Antique gold or rustic wood frame or if budget allows "the best", this Regence rosewood carved frame. 😁



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hey Pat take that same example, put a very dark green suede mat (can't remember numbers any longer) and watch those colors pop.

And, that's why there are 31 flavors at Baskin Robbins;)

we had three rules that started design conversation with client
1. We don't care what color your couch is
2. It's not hanging in our house
3. Ask and listen

repeat step 3
repeat step 3
 
My only rule would be to avoid a white matt as the brighter white will always make the darker one look dingy. My little mnemonic for this was:
"white on white - try all night."

At the risk of being out of date I would use a 5mm sepia or darker brown bottom matt and a top matt of a soft grey like crescent's Silver Gray or Fog. Depending on the colours in the artwork Spice Ivory may also work. Another possibility would be to use a single matt with a coloured bevel but I never managed to find one of these in a conservation board which suited anything I wanted to frame.
 
White (ish) reveals on double mats can work well if the white goes right up to the image. Quite wide I find best,
10-15mm depending on the scale. A soft, slightly off-white in most cases. Not a jumps-out-and-grabs-you bright white.
It's a similar thing to putting a white(ivory) liner round a oil painting. I do a lot of that.

When you get sigs and titles and other complications it's a different proposition. A dark(ish) but quite narrow reveal (3mm) can
tie all the gubbins together and make it look tidier. Also if the border is tinted or just darkened paper it can make it look lighter.
I agree with Ylva's sentiments about sigs on the border. If covering them works better in the design then do it. The print will still
be signed. The sig will still be on the print. You don't need to see it.

Also agree about double mats being a bit dated. Especially when both elements are a similar tone. Pat's fillet is a good alternative
to a double mat. The fillet nicely echoes the sight-edge of the frame and being narrower looks further away, thus creating depth.
 
My rule of thumb on art with a prominent image out front is to just extend the background. Probably a darker tan/brown suede, with a lighter suede filet to step down to the white border, IMHO,
 
My #1 rule of thump is, I do what the customer wants - I may give them different options and suggestions but I do what the customer wants.

My #2 rule of thumb is, if framing for myself as a display or for sell, trust my gut. My saying is: "If it isn't good enough for my wall it isn't good enough for my customer's wall" So I trust my gut and generally it is correct.
 
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Extending what Joe alluded to in his second rule: if you wait long enough for a frustrating customer to decide on mats and frames, he/she will look you right in the eye and ask you this: "Well if this was yours, what would you do?"

Then you and your friend Mr Adrenalin get to work pulling a masterpiece frame job.
 
I have had customers over the years who want the frames to match their furniture/woodwork/curtains/whatever.
Most of the time this is totally at odds with the artwork and impossible to do. I've had people come in with cabinet doors,
wallpaper samples and bathroom tiles. My philosophy is better to have a total contrast than not-quite match.

People generally have no idea what they want so you have to tell them. 🙂

Only once has someone doggedly stuck to a really sick-making mat combination but I gritted my teeth and did it. 🙄
 
Over the years, we learn what makes an image look good. My wife works with me in our shop. If I make 2-3 suggestions and the customer is still undecided, I ask my wife to give us a new perspective. Once engaged, I generally leave my wife and the customer to work it out. And vice-versa. Often we find that one of us just "grooves" better with a customer, and the problem is solved quicker. Sometimes it is people chemistry. I find that often, my wife works better with males, and I work better with females. This is not always the case, but it happens often enough.
 
I would love to hear from some of you what Mat Color you would go with here. I plan on a 3" top mat with 1/4" under(double) or a 3-1/4" with v-groove. Weighted at the bottom... First thought I had was a nice white Mat to draw on the bright whites in the Calf's chest - but, the print is on an off-white paper, almost an eggshell. Would it be wrong to have a nice, brighter white bordering the off/warmer white? Love you hear your thoughts on this. Thanks.View attachment 31695
Often on images like that one, I like to use a hand wrapped linen mat because of the texture.
I cut an 8 ply mat and then I would wrap with an off white or light tan linen from Framing Fabrics.
I wrap around the mat opening to the back of the mat opening.
I like the texture with an image like that because of the rough animal hair and the rough ground area in the image.

You could also cut a reverse bevel 4 ply mat and wrap it with linen and then add a wood toned fillet to the mat opening to match a wood toned frame.
 
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is Visualization Software used much today? It was instrumental for us
 
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