There are Several Reasons to Mat your Photos

Separation from the Environment

A photograph is just a photograph, nothing more than a piece of paper. Even when the photo is

compelling, and it draws your eyes into it, when it is mounted to the wall without any anything separating it from the environment, the photo looses its flare, and does not show its true color, so to speak. It is very important to create a layer of separation. A flat photo on a flat wall does not draw your eyes in. On the other hand, when you place a photo into even a simple mat, you create a border, a frame, something that immediately makes the photo more interesting. You may ask why, and the answer is geometry. Our mind is built to recognize and appreciate shapes, and even the simplest of mats creates a slight 3D appearance from the shadow the is created when the mat is placed on the wall. Our brain and our eyes recognize this, and see more interest than when a photo is attached to the wall without anything else around it.

So, make sure to at the very least put the photo into a mat, and be sure to put a backling on the mat to add some thickness, and create a finished look.

Changing the Dimensions

Do you often feel like the photo that you printed yourself, or received from the lab looks too small and simple? Most of us have. It is easy to change the dimensions of the photo just by adding a mat. A photo immediately looks bigger, when it is matted. Remember, most mats add anywhere from 1 1/2″ to 5″ around the photo thereby increasing its area anywhere from 12″ to 60″ or more of additional surface area. This makes your photo not only seem larger, but also more significant, since it occupies more space on the wall. Be sure to add a mat that is sized correctly to your photo. In other words, the photo should fit inside the mat, and the inside edges of the mat should ideally overlap the photo by appx. 1/8 of an inch. This creates a nice finished look, and improves the photo dramatically.

Protecting your Work

There is nothing more important than protecting that perfect photograph. Whenever you choose to display a photo in the open, in other words, outside of an album or a photo box, you expose the photo to a myriad of hazards. There is a lot to be said about this, but here are the main arguments. Any exposed photo is easily scratched, bent, torn, and well destroyed. While a mat does not add ultimate protection, it does enclose the photo to an extend, and when high quality matting materials are used, it will protect the photo from acids, and other natural phenomena that will cause accelerated fade and deterioration. Ideally, a photograph, after it has been matted, should be framed in a matching frame, with either a glass or a UV shielded plastic front. This will further protect your precious memory, or a fine art piece and will considerable extend its life.

Matting does a lot for you, so consider using top quality materials, which will increase the longevity of your photos. After all, you put so much work into finding that great photo, you owe it to yourself to maximize its appearance, style, and life. Asfor framing, we will discuss it in detail, in another article.

By: Sam Zaydel