SayCheese
I’ve read that you should leave a 1-inch border so that there’s enough paper underneath the mat and the print is held flat. That seems like a lot for 18x24cm sheets; there wouldn’t be much left for the picture. Up until now, I’ve always left 1.5 cm of space on the narrow sides. Assuming I want a 5 mm white border within the mat cut-out, is 1 cm below the mat sufficient? Or can I leave even less (10 mm, i.e. 5 mm in the cut-out and 5 mm below the mat) with such small print formats?
Thanks!!
Urnes
Baryta or PE paper? With PE, it doesn’t matter; half a centimetre is enough, as the paper lies flat on its own.
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With baryta, you’ll generally need more, depending on whether and how much it curls. The Fomabrom I’m currently using definitely needs 2cm, but only 15x20 instead of 18x24. The mat then also serves to keep the picture reasonably flat in the frame. Of course, the question doesn’t arise if you mount the pictures.
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How big should the mat be?
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Regards, Sven.
SayCheese
Thanks for the quick reply!
So far, these are all just theoretical considerations; I’ve never framed any of my prints and haven’t decided on a specific frame size or mat yet.
I’m currently using Adox MCP 18x24, which I expose in the 21x14 format. I like this paper size because you can still hold it in your hand to look at it, but it also offers the option of framing. I’m planning to switch to MCC (baryta paper) in the near future and am just giving it some thought. 21x14cm is a nice size for me, but I don’t want anything smaller either. With a paper size of 24x30, I’d have to buy a new enlarger frame and my drying solution would also need to be a size larger.
piu58
PE prints tend to slip in large frames. After all, most frames only grip the edges. If you’re displaying an 18×24 print in a 50×60 frame and only clamping it in by half a centimetre, there’s a chance that quite a few will be hanging crookedly by the time of the opening. Baryta paper with its rough reverse side is less prone to this.
You can live with the narrow edge if you take care of it when framing. For example, secure the prints with the adhesive strip from Post-it notes.
Urnes
Yes, of course, I’d forgotten. I attach the pictures using Post-it notes (also available as white correction tape) or cellulose acetate tape (available from Scotch).
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Hi Uwe, what’s the deal with this? My Fomabrom, which comes out of the press perfectly flat, keeps curling upwards after a few days in the box. I can’t quite imagine how I’m ever going to get it properly under the mat. Do you have any tips? The old Polywarmton behaves much better in this respect.
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Regards, Sven.
SayCheese
I’d be attaching the print to the frame anyway; otherwise, I’d never get the whole thing straight. I thought it was more about keeping it flat. Of course, that’s only if you’re not sticking the print onto backing board anyway, which is something I’d actually like to avoid.
Best regards, Klaus
piu58
> My moulded paper, which comes out of the press in perfect condition
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I’ve spent a long time trying to get the paper to lie flat. From a dry press (only suitable for small formats) to the wet tape method (which damages the paper, stretching it quite a bit) and finally to the dry book. That works well. I hang the pictures up by one corner until they are just damp and sticky. Then I put them in the book, with a few books on top to weigh them down. After half a day, I move them to another, drier page.
This allows them to dry naturally, without stretching or overdrying due to heat. At most, they might still warp very slightly.
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A professional finish – completely flat, without a trace of warping – can only be achieved by mounting on hardboard. However, a boxful of photos can quickly turn into a cupboard full.
