Mounting and Framing Plain Loose Prints: So, now you are ready to take your picture to the framer. Here are some considerations for mounting and framing plain (unlaminated) loose prints.

The first step in framing these photographs is mounting them. All loose photographs need to be mounted before framing. A cold mounting process is best; all good framers know how to do this. However, the dry-mounting process, which uses heat will also work if the framer is careful not to get the picture too hot. If you don’t mount photographs, they don’t lie completely flat in the frame and all the little ripples and waves in the print reflect the light differently. This is very distracting to the eye. The photograph must be completely mounted, not just hung by a piece of tape from the top of the picture. Ask your framer for this kind of mounting.

The best way to frame plain photographic prints is by matting the picture and then using glass to protect both the mat and the picture. Cutting corners here really is more expensive in the long run than doing the job right. It’s not a good idea to put a frame around a picture without glass. Sooner or later the print and mat will get dusty or dirty or greasy and then it will be ruined. Also, it’s not good to frame a picture using only glass and no mat. There needs to be a small space between the photograph and the glass which the mat provides. Double or triple mats look much better than single mats even though they are more expensive; however, in the long run, I think they are worth the extra cost

Non-glare glass can be used to limit reflections and glare but is probably not necessary if you can situate the picture so that it is not facing any windows or lights. If the picture is facing large windows or lights, expect lots of very annoying reflections and glare; it can get so bad that sometimes it is impossible to even see the picture. The best kind of non-glare glass is called Den Glass which works quite well but it is also quite expensive. The less expensive kind of reflection control glass is actually glass that has a ground mat surface on one side; this kind of glass helps eliminate reflections but also takes a lot of sharpness and brilliance away from the photograph.

Mounting and Framing Laminated prints: Laminated photographs should be framed without glass or mat. Using glass defeats the purpose of laminating which is to eliminate glare and reflections. Mats cannot be used unless they are under glass, because unprotected mats will eventually get dirty and be ruined. So, don’t have laminated photographs matted. If you want to use mat and glass, you should order an un-laminated photograph.

Make sure that your laminated photograph is mounted before it is framed. A cold mounting process is absolutely necessary with laminated images; all good framers know how to do this. Hot mounting will injure the lamination. The photograph must be completely mounted, not just hung by a piece of tape from the top of the picture. The picture should not be mounted onto regular foam core as most pictures are mounted. It should be mounted onto a heavy duty foam core such as Gator Board or Mighty Core. Ask your framer for this kind of mounting.

Ask your framer to frame a laminated photograph as if it were an oil painting. Wider frames in the three, four and five inch size work well. Since you are not using mat, it helps to use these wider frame sizes to make the overall picture size larger. Linen liners of various colors inside the frame, as well as fillets, also work well. Your framer will probably have other suggestions along these lines.

Do not use Windex or other chemical cleaners on the lamination; it will damage the lamination. Laminated pictures can be cleaned with a soft damp rag or with mild soap and water if necessary. Do not try to clean them with a dry cloth, this can scratch the lamination.

Framing Huge Photographs: We now have the ability to make some really large photographs, some can be as large as 96 inches long and even longer. Mounting and framing photographs this large presents some special problems. Here are some solutions.

Trout Lake Autumn, Colorado , Very Long Narrow Size

Displaying photographs: Photographs can look vastly different under different kinds of light. If the photograph is framed with glass, try to situate it so that it is not facing a window or bright lights. This will eliminate some reflections and most glare. Generally, the better the lighting, the better the photograph will look. Light from windows and nearby lamps will help, even though the reflections they add may prohibit this kind of lighting. We don’t recommend the small picture lights that clip on the top of the frame; these lights are generally too small to do any good and look clunky.

Although it is not necessary, the best kind of artificial light is track lighting that comes from the ceiling. Properly placed track light hits the picture at a 45 degree angle and bounces back toward the floor, not the viewer’s eyes. Even pictures framed in glass can be displayed this way without any glare or reflections. Using this kind of lighting can be a very, very dramatic way to display a picture. Laminated pictures are absolutely dynamite when displayed this way.