Set of Postcards to mount/mat/frame

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Rozmataz

Rozmataz

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Posts
2,773
Loc
Fingerlakes Region of NYS
Another challenge!!! I do love them!

Customer brought a set of 25 postcards... to be framed - not too expensively (not cheap though!!) So I priced to do with one mat and a moderately priced frame.

I designed it so that it will focus on the center 2 cards that will have mat openings... the others will be mounted on the surface of the mat...

I am wondering if I have boxed myself in to more of a challenge positioning these on the top as opposed to cutting openings (or utilizing a CMC which I did not allow cost for)...

Hmmmm. The customer could have purchased the whole set framed/matted but didn't want to transport back from vaction (makes sense) but he also thinks that all the openings were portrait shape openings versus landscape and 6 of the cards are landscapes - balance are portrait. They are by the way of the Albuqueque Balloon Fest...

Any experience with this, ideas or suggestions! Muchly appreciated.

Roz
 
Roz, since you're going to mount some of them on the face of the mat anyway, why not mount them on individual pieces of matboard and then mount the pieces. It's much easier to positon pieces of matboard than the actual postcards.

Cut the two openings, and since they will be "behind" the board, you could see how different thickness of boards for the postcards would look. You know, give it some "dimension."

When I have a lot of pieces to put on one board (like the fishing lures were) I have mounted them each, individually, to a small board, and then mounted the separate boards. And especially when the items are all different, such as items in a shadowbox, mount the piece, then mount the pieces, rather than handle a big piece of board with lots of "stuff" attached to it. (Learned this technique from an article in Decor by Brian Wolf.
)

Clear as mud? I could e-mail you a photo if you'd like.

Betty

[ 10-29-2003, 05:39 PM: Message edited by: B. Newman ]
 
Roz,
I just mounted and framed 40 reproduction Halloween Postcards. It was my suggestion to top mount them because even with the smallest overlap you are losing something on these cards. I also had suggested to use the decorative old fashioned corners to attach.

It isn't that hard to square these things up and mount them. I usually get the ones on the outside perimeter in place first. I will sometimes cut a mat out of flawboard and use that border for my outside dimension. Once you have the perimeter set up you can just follow your rows horizontal and vertical to place the remaining cards. In fact, you shouldn't have to even measure after that. I find a see through ruler with grid marks handy for double checking everything.

Good luck!
 
Betty, Kathy -

Thanks! Both good ideas... different approaches... I will look for the article of Brian's - I think I remember it!!

And Kathy, using flaw board (what's that!!) as a straight edge to line up to?!?

What adhesive would you suggest for these?!

Thanks, Roz
 
Roz, I could have just as easily said scrap matboard. Just something you don't mind wasting....I would cut it to the outside dimensions of your project and then the opening would be where ever you are starting your cards. Voila! Instant line around the project to line up the outside cards. Make sense?

As to what to attach these cards with depending on their value that would be up to you. Pretty much whenever I am mounting this type of top mount on smaller things I use the clear mylar photo corners, no adhesive on the artwork. The mylar corners are just the easiest to attach when you have everything lined up. I've never had anybody complain about them showing. You do have to provide expansion contraction space with these too.

[ 10-29-2003, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Emibub ]
 
Cutting this mat by hand should cost more than cutting it on a CMC. I hope you remembered to charge $3 to $5 for each opening.
 
Roz,

I know Kathy answered your question
flaw board (what's that!!)
Click to expand...
from the point she was trying to make,

but, I am guessing you don't know that you can buy "Flaw board" from your supplier. Essentially, they have mat board that is not saleable as regular quality board. You ask for "flaw board" and pay about $1.00/board. You might get anything! All one color, banged, who knows. I buy it for slip sheets and fillers (sometimes you get good enough quality for fillers sometimes not.) I didn't know about buying "flaw boards" until about 6 months into being in business.

Did you know that? Or, was I mis-reading your question?

Cliff

[ 10-29-2003, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: Cliff Wilson ]
 
Cutting this mat by hand should cost more than cutting it on a CMC.
Click to expand...
Whoa, hold the phone there, Jo!

Do you mean that, after plunking down $16,000-$20,000 or more for a CMC, we're supposed to LOWER our multi-window mat prices just because it's fast?

That does it. I'm sending my Mat Maestro back to RCI and demanding a full refund.

I'm sure they'll understand.

[ 10-29-2003, 08:14 PM: Message edited by: Ron Eggers ]
 
Roz, if you have enough depth in your frame I'd be tempted to mount the cards on the surface at different heights. That's how the balloons are when you watch them; some closer, some farther away.

The best thing about ordering a case of flaw board is watching the delivery guys haul it into the shop from the truck.

Kit
 
Not at all, Ron. As Bob says charge "what the market will bare...". The CMC shop should charge as much as the manual shop. However, in actual hours of labor the manual one will cost much more. With that in mind, Roz may be leaving money on the table if she charges less to cut a mat manually than to do it on a CMC.

You just wish it was that easy to get rid of the Mat Maestro!

[ 10-29-2003, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: jframe ]
 
This CMC versus by hand cut openings is interesting...

Give me an idea of how you program the CMC software to cut these 25 openings!??! And how long does that take? I have a source that can do the CMC for me, but I almost think I could do it faster by hand - since I have to figure the layout first either way!!

Kit - your idea is great - I may use that on another similar project - this customer likes the lined up look!!

Keep these responses coming... It's like a brainstorming session!! Love it.

Thanks already!

Roz
 
Jo,

Just curious... 5-10 minutes to layout and determine measurements on 25 openings!?!! If so, you are good!!

Thanks,

Roz
 
There are a couple of ways to do multi-window layouts for a CMC, and I can't believe the process is terribly different for different brands.

I just cut a couple of mats with 8 snapshot-size windows to fit 16x20 frames. In the design software, I gave myself a 16x20 grid and 8 rectangles. It happened to be 2 verticals and 6 horizontals.

On the grid, I could move the rectangles around (drag and drop with the mouse) until I was happy with the layout. The program is WYSIWYG - what-you-see-is-what-you-get - so it's very intuitive.

The alternative, especially if you want uniform rows and columns of identical windows, is to tell the program, how big the windows are, how many rows and how many columns you want, how much space you want between the windows and how much border you want around the outside. The software will execute the layout and determine the finished size.

The Mat Mestro is so quirky that I cut most of my basic mats on my Fletcher 2100, but for multiple windows, I ALWAYS use the CMC.
 
I've done these types of items by drymounting them on black foamcore and then trimming with an outward bevelled edge right to image. Looks great and it is fast and easy to mount them at different heights by putting a small piece of fc under each one.
 
There are so many great suggestions here... I still have not resolved the approach...

but here is another question.

The postcards are all 4" x 6" BUT the images vary on most of them. They have been scaled down to fit the 4x6 postcard size... WOULD YOU!....1) mount or mat to the same size on all? Or 2) would you trim/mat opening to suit each image size?

Thanks, as I contemplate this...

Roz
 
Roz, since the images are at different "depths" I would use my idea of mounting each separate, and then Kit's idea of using foamcore spacers to make them different heights. Put the more "close up" postcards higher, and the background ones, more, well in the background.

This could be a really cool project...

Betty
 
Jo,

Your time estimate was very good. The CMC source I have said it took about 20 minutes!! And it looks great - and will certainly save me hours of time mounting on the surface... phew.

Thanks to all for your input.

Roz
 
I'm glad it worked out for you, Roz. You know the old saying "time is money". We cut mats for another shop when they are busy (they don't have a CMC) or have a huge order. At least it lowers the stress level for them.
 
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