Choosing between a Mat Board Frame or a Poster Frame
Trying to decide whether your print will look better in a frame with a mat board or a poster frame is a tough decision. Even with our years of experience we flip back and forth with some pieces! But with those years of experience comes a mental checklist we go through with every client we do custom framing for to help us determine our recommendations that we want to share with you!
A lot of prints will work well in either, so you’re never really going to make a wrong decision, but a lot of the time a print is better enhanced by one choice or the other. So to know when to choose what, check out our checklist below to get an idea of how we narrow it down every day.
How protective do you want it to be for your print?
If you plan on switching your print out regularly, then there is no worry here. Make your choice based on visuals and budget, but if you want to put something in the frame for 5-10 years, then consider a few factors:
If it is a glossy print or a painting, the humidity we get in NZ may cause it to stick to the glass overtime. This will vary depending on how humid your home is.
To that point, any print you have needs an air gap between the glass and the paper to help prevent mould, sticking, or other moisture damage. Glossy ones have the faster visual effect, but this applies to all other prints.
Personal preference!
Sometimes the rules don’t matter. If you’re not worried about protection for your piece, then you can frame it however you like! Personal preference is a major consideration here. After all, it’s going to be on your wall! But if you can’t decide, the following tricks will help you narrow it down.
How much space do you want it to take up on the wall?
A mat board will add to the size! From about 6cm with the smallest photo frame, to 16cm with the A1 print frame. If you want your print to make more of a statement on the wall, a mat is the choice for you, or if you are running out of wall space, go for the poster frame!
Budget!
A frame up to the edge of the artwork is more affordable than one with a mat board because it uses less material to make. With a matted frame, the frame is larger i.e. meaning longer lengths of the frame, more glass, and more backing board, and we also need to include the mat itself!
Does is have a signature outside the image itself?
And is it included in the standard size sheet of paper? Then it is likely meant to have a mat board in the eyes of the artist. This is the more traditional way of doing things. This was because traditionally signed prints and limited edition prints hold more value than open edition ones, and those details are part of it. Whether this looks good will be determined by how much white is around the image, if the oimage is quite small on a larger sheet of paper it may be better off in a frame to the edge so you don’t have an odd balance.
What kind of print is it? Is it a photograph? An art print? A painting?
Typically, from a visual point of view, photos can work really well in either, but have the effect of looking out a window when framed to the edge which can be quite nice.
Art prints are more determined by how busy they are. Cleaner, more simple looks are better up to the edge, whereas if it is a bit busy you may want to put a mat board around it to give it some breathing room.
Paintings typically want a mat board, as it is part of the very traditional look for paintings, but if we are talking about kids art where you will be changing it out regularly, this is a good case for a poster frame. If you want it to look a bit fancier and like a proper artistic painting on the wall, then go the fill mile and do the mat board!
