Question What are your Favorite Top 25 Mat Colors??

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Markoc

Markoc

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
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Norwell, MA
Being new to the framing business I want to have a selection of popular mat colors that would go well with a lot of art work that would possibly come in the shop. Although I can't stock the thousand of colors available I'm sure there are many "go to" colors that many of you use everyday. Please share if you could what your favorites are. They can be Peterboro, Bainbridge, or Crescent. Thanks!
 
8815 bainbridge.

Best top mat ever. Also hides dust.
 
It's an interesting question and I use all three of those brands, but it's almost impossible to answer. There are about 30 different shades of white alone and with all due respect I don't think you can narrow the field to 25 "go to" colors.
I use linens, silks, other fabrics, almost every color of the rainbow regularly and unless all you are going to frame are black and white photos, I don't think you can narrow it to 25. :popc:
 
It depends if you have weekly delivery from a distributor. If you do, then I wouldn't worry about it; offer everything that the distributor carries and for which you have mat corners. Why limit a customer's selection? Many are used to seeing a wide variety from other frame shops and may not like having such a narrow selection.

If you don't have weekly delivery and your supplier delivers via UPS, and you don't have enough volume to order often, then that is a different story.

If your are considering this because you don't have free timely delivery, then consider that there are close to 25 shades of whites and near whites and that these whites are the most difficult (to me) to select the correct one. If delivery is an issue and you have to limit your selection, you might be hard pressed to keep it under 75-100 and still satisfy most needs. And even then, what about the customer that wants something different (linens, suedes, leathers, etc)?

If you are going to offer only a limited selection, then your need to limit your self to a single type, and that would have to be rag only. I believe that you will be doing yourself and your customers a disservice by offering only 25.

Are there others out there that limit their mat selection this much?
 
I agree. More choice is better.

Art is so diverse from kids drawings to masterpieces from the greats all requiring different treatment and colours.

Not sure why you would want to limit it to such a narrow range when you can order any day of the week and get the stock same day or next day?

The economy is tough, even the suppliers are carrying less stock. Used to be only xmas when there were out of stock. Now it is every supplier everytime we order.

When I was new to the industry we fell into lots of traps. Ended up with piles of flat packed 1 foot offcuts higher than our knees of moulding and smallpieces of mat board that could just not bare to throw out. After a while we relised that we would never use offcuts in a million years and established a rule that if it wasn't over a meter or it was smaller than an A4/A3 and it hadn't been used in 6 months it got tossed.

So I guess there is a fine line between having too much stock on hand and not enough. Customers do prefer choice or at least the illusion of it but also if it looks overwhelming that is ok providing the sales person is good and can guide the choice.
 
For top mats, I like the "flannel" textured range, because they cut starkness and impart a subtle texture, leaving the art to be the sharpest, most "important" part of the visual package.
:cool: Rick
 
Rick Granick said:
For top mats, I like the "flannel" textured range, because they cut starkness and impart a subtle texture, leaving the art to be the sharpest, most "important" part of the visual package.
:cool: Rick
Click to expand...

...and then Bainbridge discontinued practically all of them. I even started a thread on here just asking for the return of one particular flannel.
 
Larry Peterson said:
It depends if you have weekly delivery from a distributor. If you do, then I wouldn't worry about it; offer everything that the distributor carries and for which you have mat corners. Why limit a customer's selection? Many are used to seeing a wide variety from other frame shops and may not like having such a narrow selection.

If you don't have weekly delivery and your supplier delivers via UPS, and you don't have enough volume to order often, then that is a different story.

If your are considering this because you don't have free timely delivery, then consider that there are close to 25 shades of whites and near whites and that these whites are the most difficult (to me) to select the correct one. If delivery is an issue and you have to limit your selection, you might be hard pressed to keep it under 75-100 and still satisfy most needs. And even then, what about the customer that wants something different (linens, suedes, leathers, etc)?

If you are going to offer only a limited selection, then your need to limit your self to a single type, and that would have to be rag only. I believe that you will be doing yourself and your customers a disservice by offering only 25.

Are there others out there that limit their mat selection this much?
Click to expand...

My thoughts were to carry some popular colors for those customers that need something in a hurry. I can get weekly delivery but they have a minimum $100 order for it. I can't see them delivering one or two mat boards and I would be forced to add stuff to the order just to make the minimum. Just starting out there isn't always enough supplies needed each week.

I'm also just thinking of the basic colors, no fabrics or specialty mats right now. If we forego the selection of white mat variations, then maybe others can suggest other popular colors. More than 25 colors is ok too.
 
Not sure about the US. Sounds odd that there is $100 minimum order. Also in OZ most suppliers have what is called production boards. Would assume the States are the same.

These have a limited range of colours and have to be bought in boxes ie 25 per colour and they are also relatively cheap. Most framers I have worked for do this make up their own corner samples and call them stock black or stock white.

EG Football jumpers usually burgandy and green depending on your geographic and teams that are likely to come in.

I would definatly order a box of black and white and maybe a cream. These will get you buy because if you are doing a shirt or anything for that matter you can use black or white and it looks good. Sometimes better than getting a colour that is not quite right for the shirt or art.

Also colour is one thing. You must also consider quality. Certain jobs decorative boards are ok other just must have archival products.
 
I am not at the store right now to check specific numbers, but for just general colors this is what I would suggest:

1. black (my boss loves bainbridge's brushed onyx B8012, its a very rich black for a non-fabric but I think its a little shiny, I prefer brushed ebony/etched black and I can't remember the number or makers right now)
2. charcoal/dark grey
3. white(s) (probably at least a few of these)
4. cool white (a white that is closer to grey or blue than towards cream)
5. white with flecks (may want to do a couple of these, one more grey and the other more beige, if only doing one I would go for the grey)
6. ivory
7. cream
8. red
9. wine/burgundy
10. navy
11. olive green
12. hunter/forest green
13. chocolate/dark brown
14. blue
15. rust
16. white with black core
17. beiges & tans
18. taupes & pseudo-neutrals (a small variety of the grey-brown colors in different values)
19. dark purple, a little on the greyish side like crescent's 1671 (only if you like this color and will sell it, otherwise not worth it)
20. any local university/sports colors that otherwise would not normally be popular choices
21. gold foil
22. silver foil

One thing you may want to do is start with just 10 colors (mostly whites to blacks) to stock, then as you see which colors you sell the most, add those to your stocked choices.
 
I am with Rick: Flannel textures rock:thumbsup: Very forgiving when you are closing up a job.

From Bainbridge:

Sandcastle
Topaz
Featherstone
Flint

FromCrescent:

Spice Ivory
Silver Gray

Other hot colours in my collection:

Bainbridge:

French White,
Talc
Snowflake
Frost
Briarwood
Charleston Green
Carmine
Fiery Red
Tuscan Brown

Crescent:

Williamsburg Green
Newport Blue
Avocado

There would not be many items I couldn't matt with those colours and I keep them on hand all the time. If they aren't enough, my suppliers deliver daily for unnder $10.
 
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You want to stock colors for rush jobs, well, we have about 2400 mat choices available and we stock 600 for rush jobs. We get a weekly delivery. Even with 600 in stock colors sometimes it's hard to have the just right one for a rush job..Just sayin'...you paobably need to set your sidhts on at least 100-150 minimum.
 
My favorite mats I always try to use are....

Bainbridge 4471: Hibachi
Bainbridge 4836: Imperial Blue
Bainbridge 4123: Sphinx
Bainbridge 4126: Majestic Brown
Bainbridge 4846: Molten
Bainbridge 4843: Wheatfield - Can with anything
Bainbridge 4415: Bonsai Brown - Can with anything - My Most Favorite
Bainbridge 4097: Camel - Can with anything
 
Anything BUT white............. :kaffeetrinker_2:

Haven't sold one in months..........
 
A $100 minimum is surprisingly easy to hit :) Fome and a case of glass and your over $100 easy. ATG, points and v-nails and you're over $100

I use a lot of 8466, 8519 and Peterboro A452. (All whites Nicole :))

Crescent 1126, Bainbridge 8559

8518, 8517, Peter A109 B8184 good colors to grab...

5 mats and a roll of backing paper and you're over $100....

Give me access to your check book, I can spend at least $100 every week for you :)
 
Thanks everyone for the suggested mat colors. Now to put together my list for the supplier.
 
If you want stock for rush orders I'd say Bainbridge 8519 8529 8521 8517 8525 that gives you white, off white, cream, black and tan. We also use a lot of 8464. As for color, you can't anticipate.
 
Don't limit yourself too much....
I love my artiques; digital white, black, dark greys, dark blue, A4976 (which is a green and I have used so much I don't even have to look up the number....)

But, I also sell a lot of velvet mats and fabric mats. The trick is to show it.....
When you sell one or two of those a week; you're already getting close to spending those $100
I wouldn't invest in stock. After a while you will have enough left overs from other jobs to cut that mat on the spot....right now I have tons of leftovers, in just under 3 years time....
 
The ones I like the best aren't necessarily the top sellers, but here it goes:

Crescent:
optic white
very white
wasabi
grass green
cornflower
calypso blue
bakers white
catchers mitt
forest green
pickle
dark shale
pewter
stormy blue
sable
black cherry

Bainbridge
olympian blue
antique taupe
sand dune
catawba
sorrel
taupe
cobblestone
matador
darkest blue
blue iris
dover grey
ash

Hope it helps!!!
 
My all time favorite: Bainbridge 8511 "Seamist!" My store's walls are painted a version of this color!

LOVE it! Neutral, grey and warm all at the same time. Sort of like Sand Dune, but more neutral.

Wendy
The Art Corner
Salem, Ma.
 
Just for giggles I pulled up the top 10 we've ever sold in Lifesaver.

All Bainbridges... even though we sell Crescent and Artique... go figure:

8647
8634
8449
8663
8463
8644
8186
8646
8307
8517

Although I figured whites would sell best, I surprised myself that only five of those are whites... Four of them are blacks meanwhile.... and the biggest surprise... our third most-used mat is cypress green!

At any rate, I agree with many that limiting yourself in mat colors is a poor choice. That being said, we have a separate stack of commonly used mats (with lots of whites and neutrals) that we go to first. If we can't match a white or the customer wants a specific color we go to our double-tierd mat holder that has a cr@p ton.
 
My favorite 25 mat colors are the last 25 I have sold.

I only stock some of the basic ones, like a couple of different whites, black mat and gloss and a grey or two. I have a weekly truck from LJ and can get Crecent / Bainbridge and Artique with about 99.9% in stock. I looked at stocking mats when I first opened but I think with limited storage and money that I make much more by stocking moulding than I ever would on saving a buck or two by stocking a mat.

Now I am very good at selling my remnants when someone is ordering a smaller frame. I know pretty well what I have in the back. If the art calls for say a blue mat, I excuse myself for a second and go around the corner and see what blues I have and then pull those first and see if they will work. 90+% they will, especialy as a 2nd or 3rd layer.
 
Thanks for seeing what your popular colors are. I'm just looking to have some colors on hand that seem to be the ones most go to on a day to day basis.
 
We stock a lot of mats, but if I were to just have a few on hand I would have Bainbridge rag mats as follows:
4 ply: white, ivory, cream, antique white, ebony, and a bright white like pure white.
Same for 8 ply. If you can cut 8 ply you will stand out and your customers will tell you that your mats are beautiful. Believe me--I hear it every day.

Then I would buy almost all the Artique solid core colors and I would push the 8 ply as they are a good deal and look terrific. We sell a lot of Artique Dover White in 4 and 8 ply. It has texture and cuts easily.

Beyond whites, creams and blacks, I would stock a few of each color group--red (Miro and one of the brick reds), a deep navy, a butter yellow and a mustard yellow, an olive green and a dark green, etc. And of course, if you have a college or pro team nearby, stock their colors! We sell a lot of blue and gold :-)
 
Kirstie, thanks for the suggestions to get some 8 ply. Definitely a way to set us apart.
 
Wow, interesting question.
The only white I use is suede white and I prefer Crescent over Bainbridge as it is plushier, much plushier...great on wedding textiles.

Use all sorts of suede, linen, leather, and Rag. Rarely paper, and almost never white.

Also, took a class recently with Bonnie Palizzi on taking the fabric layers off and using them on the mat for more texture. WOW, cool ideas, great class!

Love texture.
 
It's also a good idea to keep in stock a few of the local school (high school/college) colors. We use those ALOT. And it seems they are often rush jobs.
 
If I was opening a new shop I might get 3 of every mat a customer ordered, I don't think I would have a stock of "25 best sellers" on hand. Mainly because what sells for me won't necessarily sell for you. The color I use as a "goto" is not what you or your customer is gonna grab.

I'd just double up on mats ordered for a few months and when the rep came through I would find out what the mat deal is. Bainbridge regularly runs a special on select whites. Stock up then on the ones you use, but don't drop $1000 on mats starting out.

And don't save any that are under 16 by 20. Toss them and forget them or you'll have a mat nightmare on your hands :)
 
Late to the post

Interesting Post. Stumbled across while looking for a source for a discontinued mat.
Did you get your initial mats sorted?
I just opened up in December. I purchased the remnants of a store that I had worked for when they closed due to the owner passing away. Unfortunately the remnants were not the most popular as those had already been sold off.
Good luck on your soon to be year old business.

Brian
 
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