framing thoughts?

Ok - this going to sound really silly...but here goes.  I have been wanting to start printing / framing my fine art images for 'ages'...bought all the equipment needed - but then life got in the way and it was put on the back burner.  Recently, I was thinking about getting back into printing again but realized that 'the look' may have changed over the years. I personally still like a fine art image to be wide matted - but I am seeing more and more images with no matting.  Is that the preferred look now?  You may think: do whatever pleases you - but I was gearing up for selling fine art prints, not for personal use - so I feel 'pleasing the masses' is more important.  With 17x22 paper - what framing size should I focus on?  Thanks!

From my brief experience being represented by a gallery, I think what sells is a mystery. I use mat borders on all of mine. I just checked a 17 x 22 that I exhibited last year, and it has 3 3/4 inch on three sides, with an extra half inch of "weight" on the bottom side. 

On the other hand, museums most often put paintings into elaborate (often ugly) frames with no borders. I personally find that distracting, but who am I?

I suggest that you do what you think look best unless the venue where you are going to try to sell prints has a particular style or preference. When I was in a gallery, the director gave me no input on that at all. 

I think a standard answer would be that it depends on the space and the size. A smaller image is more likely to need matting to provide "visual spacing" between the print and the surrounding wall, particularly if the wall is a different color. In a gallery, of course, walls usually are white/off white, so less of an issue. A large image however has enough area to not need such a wide matte, or any at all, if even bigger. Likewise, if the display wall is small, then a print may not need a matte either. I think I am not alone in finding the "tiny print in a huge, wide matte" an unwanted affectation. Of course, what constitutes a "big" or a "small" print is difficult to define. If you think high falutin' types will be likely buyers for your shots then I suspect big can mean really big (4 x 6 + feet) as richer people will have more space to hang this kind of print. If more modest, then a 13 x 19 matted and framed print or a 17 x 25 could be classified as big.

Framing without a mat is less expensive, and less archival since over the long run the print will eventually get stuck to the glass. For those just selling less expensive decorative artwork this is fine. There are no rules for framing but there are some guidelines. In general the idea behind the original gallery style framing for photography is a simple black frame and white mat with decent borders. This was especially true with black and white photography. The idea being you want the frame to separate the image from the wall but not distract from it. However this is a very contemporary look and does not go well in a household with something like a western decor. When thinking about framing you have to consider where will it be displayed and for what purpose? For a gallery exhibit it is typically a good idea to have a theme and not to have the frames detract from the theme. Framed images being sold to go into someones house is a totally different ball game. When custom framing a single image for display in a house you want to select a frame that works with the image and works with the decor...this is where custom framers earn their money.

On 9/13/2023 at 7:27 AM, d_ponce said:

Ok - this going to sound really silly...but here goes.  I have been wanting to start printing / framing my fine art images for 'ages'...bought all the equipment needed - but then life got in the way and it was put on the back burner.  Recently, I was thinking about getting back into printing again but realized that 'the look' may have changed over the years. I personally still like a fine art image to be wide matted - but I am seeing more and more images with no matting.  Is that the preferred look now?  You may think: do whatever pleases you - but I was gearing up for selling fine art prints, not for personal use - so I feel 'pleasing the masses' is more important.  With 17x22 paper - what framing size should I focus on?  Thanks!

I like a fine art matte but would say there's no preferred look except the look you prefer. I've seen both and they can both be great.  Is there any reason to commit to one way of doing it?