Small Prints Huge Mats--Happening Thing?

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2featheryournest

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Mar 17, 2008
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Nashville TN
I'm seeing a lot of pieces with small prints surrounded by huge mats. Is this a local trend or something happening I'm not "onto?" When doing this look can you use any size moulding? The most recent onces I've seen used small moulding; which scared me re holding the glass.
Opinions, info?
Thanks!
K
 
That's been one of "the looks" in my gallery for most of the past 10 years! I love the look of wide mats on small images and have pushed that look often over the years. In fact, I would like to believe that the "wide look" is one of the factors that caused the matboard companies to come out with their 4" samples over the old 3" samples.

I did a series of English etchings of different dog breeds a few years ago and used 6" mats and the widest most ornate gold mouldings that my Phaedra system could cut with a 10" blade. And the etchings could be covered by a normal sized post card!!
 
I've seen a little of this trend too. I had a customer come back from Europe with some 4" X 6" calendar prints. She framed four of them with 12" 8 ply rag mat borders and 13.5" on the bottom. Couldn't sell her on fillets though which which in my opinion would have made them gorgeous!

:shrug:

Many large newer homes have large wall spaces.
 
Look through magazines such as "Architectural Digest" and other such magazines. Study the art shown in those homes. Also, certain movies or TV shows - glance at the art on their wall. Go through model homes, etc., etc. - you will see a lot of the small prints, big mats and the weighted mat too!
 
I like the wide mats too, with small mouldings, it's a modern gallery look and I've been doing it for years. I know other frame shops that think 2 3/4" mat is big, so it all depends on what you've established with your clients/shop and what they come to you for.
 
2featheryournest said:
Is this a local trend or something happening
Click to expand...

It really depends on what you call "local". [If you fill out a little more on your profile, we might be able to answer better.]

If you are up in the back woods of Eastern Tennesse, or that deep in the MO Breaks, Middle of Nebraska, or E. Main in West Moose Breath Montana.... yeah, it's probably one of those "new trends". But if your near any coast (east,west,south), north 2/3rds of Central,close in to Hawaii or Alaska, or even in the outreaches of Florida and Texas.... yes, it a regional thing.

Ever been in a Pottery Barn or gotten their catalog? That's what a lot of Gen-X is seeing and wanting. . . and their mommies want to be "hip" and are following suit...... unless your customer mix is more "traditional" in their tastes.
 
I keep the Nielsen Artcare frame display near my design table for wide and 8 ply mat inspiration. Those frames are selling, albeit slowly.
 
I've seen this design used in public art galleries to display very tiny but precious items. Intricate oriental paintings on ivory come to mind. I suppose on a huge wall, a small painting would tend to resemble a lightswitch if displayed with 'conventional' proportions. A 2x3" piece of art in a 24x36" frame says "I am important".
 
Our default setting at the BB's is set at 4" for the top mat reveal. Personally, I love it. With the right mats, it really does bring the focal point to the artwork.

As far as the frame, it all depends. Sometimes I suggest a frame that is roughly twice as big as the top mat margin and sometimes a clean thin narrow metal frame does the trick.

It could be a trend because of the larger wall spaces with the McMansions.
 
Back woods of East Tennessee? Hold on a minute I resemble that remark.

That is a new old trend been there did that in the 80's just like the resergence of two tone moldings.

Several of us form east TN were in Vegas too catching the new stuff, new old stuff, seriously new stuff, the stuff they want to get rid of by telling us it is new stuff.:smileyshot22:
 
My customers tend to prefer mat widths of 1-2 inches, no matter what size artwork, and they like their frames to be no more than 1/2 inch wide, again no matter what size artwork. But my store is located in The Land That Trends Forgot, so we're an outlier.
 
My customers consistently request small mats. I believe a lot of customers confuse liners with mats.

It seems like we have two kinds design guidelines , one for prints on paper and one for prints on canvas.

I always fumble a bit when I try and explain the difference to staff and customers.

So why is it that a canvas print with a small liner or enhancer look fine but the same print on paper framed with a 1 inch mat looks amateurish.?

Doug
 
Good question, Doug.

Because that's how it is would be the only answer I can offer...


I always tell a customer who wants a narrow mat that it will make it look like they found a RM or an old frame and cut the mat to make the picture fit in the frame. When you're paying for custom work make it look like it is custom!

Works most every time to get them to defer to my judgment.

:D
 
If you want to sell them, they have to see framed samples, grasshopper.
 
DVieau2 said:
My customers consistently request small mats. I believe a lot of customers confuse liners with mats.

It seems like we have two kinds design guidelines , one for prints on paper and one for prints on canvas.

I always fumble a bit when I try and explain the difference to staff and customers.

So why is it that a canvas print with a small liner or enhancer look fine but the same print on paper framed with a 1 inch mat looks amateurish.?

Doug
Click to expand...


I think The "2D" appearance of the mat vs. the linewr has something to do with it.
 
RParrish said:
If you want to sell them, they have to see framed samples, grasshopper.
Click to expand...
You beat me to it! A few years ago, I grabbed a few art postcards and put them in 6"+ mats, fancy frames and dedicated fillets. One look at them and the small mat question goes away (in some cases).
 
Karen here

TOO FUNNY! Well, as a matter of fact, I'm in Middle Tennessee!! "Guitar City"
where the homes are huge along with all the money sitting here. Yes, I love the look but was afraid maybe I'd missed the curve on this and it was over about the time I found it. (It's usually that way in my life in general so why not my work?) A number of the prints I saw were on some older items
in a consignment shop. I loved the look and started doing it. THEN thought, MAYBE I OUGHT TO SLOW DOWN and find out if I'm "in" or "out." Either way I adore the final look, preferably with fillet.
I don't know how to make a profile so I can't do it quite yet. I'm new, growing, often a gallery on wheels with corners mounted on frames with decorative handles. (I did the frames with suede mat and the corners just stick on; added a decorative handle and extra nice decorative paper on the back and now I make house calls!)
Thanks for all the great input!
K:icon19:
 
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