You Bought a Print, Now What?

Here are some tips & considerations when deciding how to frame your print

By Francis Hsueh

What's Your Total Area?

You probably already considered the final desired ‘footprint’, that is, the area on the wall you intend to hang the piece on. We’ll assume you already worked out the maximum outer dimensions of the potential frame when you purchased your print.

Standard Sizes Are Good.

The vast majority of our prints come in standard sizes. Your frame retailer will have standard frame sizes to match, but you may also consider these factors:

• The width of the mat border you want between the image and the frame’s edge
• The width of the frame’s edge
• Style (modern, classic, etc.)
• Color

To Mat or Not to Mat? The Choice Is Yours.

• Your print comes with a small white border, about a quarter-of-an-inch all around, which is included in the total dimensions. We designed it this way to be enjoyed without a mat.
• But you may wish to add a mat to provide an additional border, especially if your frame size is larger than the print dimensions. A generous border of 2” to 3” wide is fairly common and produces a pleasing gallery-like aesthetic. But this does result in a larger footprint. Note that a mat will cover up some of the white border already in your print, but the white border also means that a mat will not cover any part of the image.
• Some people also enjoy pairing the mat color with a color in the artwork. Pick a color carefully to avoid overpowering the painting. You may also like the sophistication of a double mat, where top and bottom mats (more color choices) add depth and elegance.
• If you choose to go mat-less, then it’s a straightforward process of finding a frame that fits the total dimension of your print, and which does not clash color-wise. A mat-less frame will allow you to see the print’s white border.

Other considerations.

• Find the Opening. If a frame comes with a mat, look for words like ‘11”x14” opening’, which means that the mat accommodates an 11”x14” artwork.
• Please note that a mat lays on top of the print, and the opening overlaps with the print by a small amount, usually a quarter-inch all around. For this reason, if you measure the actual opening, it will be slightly smaller than the stated measurement. This keeps the artwork pressed underneath the mat, prevents it from falling through the opening, and provides a thin layer of protective space between the artwork and the glass, so the print has no chance to stick to the glass.
• Mix and Match. You can also buy a mat separately. Just make sure the ‘opening’ matches your print’s dimensions and that the mat’s outer dimensions will fit your frame. A standard mat’s outer dimensions will match the dimensions of the glass.
• The Maths. The final dimensions of the framed piece may be calculated like this:
  • (Border width + Frame width) x 2, added to each of the short and long sides of the print.
    • So a 2” mat border plus a 1” frame edge, multiplied by 2, and added to each side of a 11x14 print, will result in a total footprint of 17x20.

• Still Confused? Need more information? Email me at francis@art-francis.com if you have any questions whatsoever.