Hi, i'm a high school junior that's starting to prepare a portfolio for the colleges, mostly of my photos. My question is about matting... All that I know about matting is that it's something that photographers sometimes do to make their work more presentable for portfolios and such, though i was wondering if anyone out there could enlighten me as to how it is done.

Thanks in advance, Rosie

-- Rose S. (mystical@GalaxyCorp.com), October 09, 1998

Answers

To museum mat a print, first you must mount it on a backing board of some type. I use 2-ply rather than 4-ply board so I can fit more mats in a box. I mount using archival photo corners, though some people like dry (heat) mounting. Then you must cut a "window" mat to lay over the print. You should probably have someone do this for you, because it is rather difficult to do it neatly unless you have a really GOOD ($500+) mat cutter and a lot of practice. Pre-cut mats are also available for standard size prints. The overmat is then hinged to the backing board using special tape. Of course, use only acid-free materials for matting. Photgraphs should be mounted cleanly and simply; forget fancy cuts or double and triple mats. They look tacky and will peg you as an amateur. http://www.ravenvision.com/rvapeter.htm

-- Peter Hughes (leonine@redshift.com), October 10, 1998.

I have to disagree with Peter about the need to purchase A $500 mat cutter and have lots of practice to produce excellent mats. People produce professional mats with a straight edge and a dexter free hand mat cutter. My experience is with the purchase of a $70 Logan mat cutter abou 4 years ago. This cutter can produce professional looking mats with a little practice. I've only spoiled may 1/6 dozen pieces of mat board in that time. The key is to measure and mark and then measure and mark again. Once the cut is layed out, the actual cutting is routine with my Logan.

By cutting your own mats you gain several things over standard cut mats.

1. You can cut the opening to any size to fit the print size. You can even crop after the fact.

2. You can cut mats for less than 1/2 the cost of standard mats.

3. And the thing I feel is most important, you can cut the bottom of the mat 1/4 t0 1/2 inch wider than the top and acheive a very professional look.

I strongly suggest that you read Ansel Adams "The Print" to see how the master presented his works.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), October 12, 1998.

Using a Dexter isn't always easy. The book "Life of a Photograph" gives complete instructions on using one, plus a lot of really good info every photographer needs to know

-- Nancy Goldstein (nfayegold@earthlink.net), April 25, 1999.