Okay, usually I do okay at this but I can't seem to decide for this print. What color matting would you use?


Feel free to use this thread to ask questions on the subject at hand.

I'd probably use a cream/off white with a simple black frame. Match the spirals and some of the other background elements. I generally use neutral matting to avoid competing with the art.

I was going to suggest something similar, maybe white, but I feel that would contrast too sharply with the colours. Interesting art, is there a story behind it? I am not sure if I am in love with it, or totally disturbed by it, or both - which usually is an excellent sign.

Neutral matting usually competes with the art. The only time it really works well is when there is a ton on matting on it and the print is small. Most people don't add enough of a mat margin when making a plain outside.

As for this print, which is awesome by the way, I would start with either the green(robin) or light blue/green(supergirl) color as the bottom mat. Maybe make it 3/4 inch showing. Then do the red as maybe 1/4 or 3/8 top mat could be a neutral such as the lighter brown or creme in the background. 3 inch outer mat.

Black or dark brown frame. Simple, not necessarily small.

Thanks you all, the input helps. The painting is Super Villains by John John Jesse who you may know from Nausea or Morning Glory. Most of his stuff is a mix of punk girls, drug use (he's been clean for some time), Americana and seem to be statements about his life experience.

I'd personally go no mat, with an ornately carved silver frame. I've scrambled my brains trying to pick mat colors before, and came to the realization that occasionally prints look great without a mat, and sometimes mats might even detract from the art.

Think I agree with no mat. The mocked up ornate gold frame looks good, as would something more simple I think. Just get some spacers in there to keep it from being up directly against the glass/plexi.

I think the gold frame makes it look like a painting/original and the black frame with mat looks like a print.

Sweet print. I keep coming back to look at it.

If you're only going with a single mat, I would go with a black suede mat board. The black suede is going to look blacker than anything else you could put around that print, which usually brings out a lot of the color in darker prints. Its a little more expensive, but its well worth it in the end. My mother did custom framing for over 10 years, and all of the artwork hanging in my house was framed by her. Every time she uses black suede, she makes sure to tell me all of the benefits of using it, blah, blah, blah... It looks cooler.

If you would like to see some examples, I could take some pics once I get home.

Damn it, you are all supposed to come to the same conclusion so I can avoid being decisive myself! It actually looks good with no matting but there is a white border on the print not shown in the picture. Hmmmm....

You can just trim the border down to the width of the frame rabbet. That way you can still go no mat and you won't lose any image. Doesn't work if there's a signature or numbering in the margin, or if it's a print you want to maybe sell for top dollar down the line though.

My good friend Rain was his assistant for a while.

I created his website in the early 2000's. Really a fan of his work even though I cant display my piece...