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  #11  
Old 28th December 2012, 09:46 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Originally Posted by DaveP View Post
I generally got for this too - seems to work nicely.
Add another dimension - film format.

I'm about to mount 50+ images, I shoot and print full frame but use 3 (4) different formats, two produce similar sized images 5x4 & 10x8, but my 120 6x6 and 6x17 are quite different.

Final matted size is governed by my existing sets of frame 20x16 and larger, so I used black card to test what print sizes balance with each other in frames, of course there's some visual compromises but it does work.

Ian
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  #12  
Old 28th December 2012, 10:23 AM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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Aye thats true. I mounted some 10x8s recently in 30x40cm (12x16") frames which require a generous bottom border width, but with a 8x10.6" print in the same frame it ends up all evenly bordered.

What do most people do with 6x17s, get custom made long frames made, or just stick them in a standard proportioned frames with a huge top and bottom border?
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  #13  
Old 28th December 2012, 11:17 AM
Tony Marlow Tony Marlow is offline
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I would have thought the starting point is to crop, or frame the actual print to give the the most satisfying result in its self. Once this is done then sort out the mounting, borders and frame size to fit in with what ever restrictions are imposed. Just feel that starting with the mount size and margin width first leads to visions of those impressive stately library rooms with shelves of immaculate lines of books uniformly bound in expensive leather and gold lettering which never get opened or read. The fancy presentation seems more importent than the contents.
I suppose I am in a cynical mood where we are living in a world where the only thing that matters is presentatation and marketing and no one is capable or cares at looking beyond the glitze to assess the real substance. Just mention the magic phrase "centre of excellence" and job's done
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  #14  
Old 28th December 2012, 01:38 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveP View Post
Aye thats true. I mounted some 10x8s recently in 30x40cm (12x16") frames which require a generous bottom border width, but with a 8x10.6" print in the same frame it ends up all evenly bordered.

What do most people do with 6x17s, get custom made long frames made, or just stick them in a standard proportioned frames with a huge top and bottom border?
I'm happy to mount prints from 6x17s in similar frames to the rest of my images for exhibition, it works well. If I made an exception for my 6x17's then I'd have to have different exhibition frames for my 6x6 images as well.

If it's single 6x17s images for sale etc then I might have custom frames made, I alreday use square frames for prints off 6x6 negatives sold individually.

In answer to Tony, I shoot to fit the negative frame so cropping isn't an option, continuity in an exhibiotion set is more important.

Ian
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  #15  
Old 3rd January 2013, 10:12 PM
chisel chisel is offline
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No matter what I print I will try to only use one of 2 standard frame sizes: 500x400mm or 400x300mm. Those frames are easily picked up at lots of places.

So that gives me my mat sizes, and I use the calculator on the following website to do the sums:

http://www.russellcottrell.com/photo/centering.htm

Makes life very easy, and you can choose exact centering or the heavier bottom......

Fran
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  #16  
Old 10th September 2022, 08:16 AM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chisel View Post
No matter what I print I will try to only use one of 2 standard frame sizes: 500x400mm or 400x300mm. Those frames are easily picked up at lots of places.

So that gives me my mat sizes, and I use the calculator on the following website to do the sums:

http://www.russellcottrell.com/photo/centering.htm

Makes life very easy, and you can choose exact centering or the heavier bottom......

Fran
Is there a phone app for this?
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  #17  
Old 20th September 2022, 07:08 PM
snusmumriken snusmumriken is offline
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I make equal borders on all sides, on the grounds that any composition has already been done in camera. If a print needs the illusion of extra 'foreground' I feel I have failed at an earlier stage.
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  #18  
Old 21st September 2022, 06:24 AM
John King John King is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snusmumriken View Post
I make equal borders on all sides, on the grounds that any composition has already been done in camera. If a print needs the illusion of extra 'foreground' I feel I have failed at an earlier stage.
Varying the width of the borders make little difference to the original composition. That is in the image itself. As I mentioned earlier I try to give the bottom border about 25% more space because it gives the whole framed picture a base to sit on and looks more natural.

When I was receiving guidance many years ago before submitting a panel to qualify for my ARPS distinction, this was suggested to me because it gives the finished picture balance. This is still practised today. Where this may be inappropriate, is when a picture is a square presentation and one wider border at the base may look a little 'odd'.

Possibly the worst 'sin' is to mount and frame a picture where the edges are not equal and you have 2 narrower edges and 2 wider ones, especially on landscape format. It gives me the impression that it is amateurish and detracts from the presentation
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  #19  
Old 21st September 2022, 09:44 AM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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I agree with John here, and like to have my side and top borders all the same width. Anything different just looks odd to me. As for the bottom border, I like this about 10% deeper than the sides and top. It's all to do with an optical illusion. If the bottom border is the same width, then it will look narrower. Increasing its depth by about 10% makes it look the same. This satisfies the brain of the viewer, who looks at what you want them to look at - the picture, and not at the mount.
You see the same optical illusion at work in furniture. A cheap chest of drawers will have all the drawers the same depth. And the bottom one will look less deep. But a chest of drawers made by a cabinet maker will have the bottom drawer slightly deeper. And it will look the same depth as the others.
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  #20  
Old 21st September 2022, 09:49 AM
snusmumriken snusmumriken is offline
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I have re-useable frames and cycle my current favourites through them. One practical advantage of equal margins all round is that the same frames and mounts will serve for both portrait and landscape orientations.

We’ll have to agree to differ on whether allowing extra bottom margin affects the appearance of the print! What I had in mind was landscape shots where foreground space in the image itself leads the eye into the picture. Adding more space in the margin produces overkill to my humble eyes. But these things are a matter of personal taste, not rules.
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