Mat or Not to Mat a Texturized Print??

[2featheryournest]

I'm just beginning to experiment with texurizing prints and have many brands.
(Let me know if you want some of them: Frameco, Protecta Cote Semi-Gloss/Glossy, Craquelure Glossy) I've settled into Craquelure for matte and Z-Gel for Semi-gloss as my favorites. My QUESTION is: while visiting a fellow framer I noticed she had texturized a print and also added a mat, protected with Crystal Coat. I'm under the impression texturizing is to mimic oil paintings and then would not be matted. Am I missing a trend here?
Thanks
K

 

[Tom Reigle]

Texturizing a paper print doesn't mimic much of anything about an original oil in my opinion unless the framer is taking necessary pains to also mimic the brush strokes in the print. Most framers don't want to or don't have the time to do that and simply make a texture on the surface that is just that, random texture.

With that said, I don't know of any "rules" governing what you do with a print. If you want the look of a quasi original, I say go for it. Leave the glass and mats off, drymount the print, and depend on the coating to protect the print. If you like the looks of mats and glass on that print, well, that's what they were designed for in the first place. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder, eh??

I look on the use of texture producing coatings as just another facet in the creative design tool bag of the framer to make something that is ordinary look a notch above ordinary. And that is what may be a selling factor to your customer.