Matting Your Artwork to Sell, A Beginner's Guide

Jim Fishwick

Professional and semi-professional artists and photographers must effectively market their images. This market is very competitive, and keeping costs down while using quality materials is of prime importance. Be prepared to provide the best possible product at the lowest price.

Choosing Mat Colors
Try putting your artwork behind several different mats. This can be done at most photo stores, or use the corner samples at a custom cutting counter. It becomes readily apparent that the perception of the image changes radically with different combinations of colors. In most cases double mats will work best, but images without bright colors will often work best with a single mat. Adding a single or double mat will usually be cost efficient, since most end-users will appreciate the added value.

KEEP IT SIMPLE. Do not try to match every image with a different color combination. A color combination that fits several images quite well will meet your needs much more efficiently. One opening size is better than several. Your cost will be reduced, and those images that do not sell will not saddle you with high or useless inventories of mats.

Using Single Mats Effectively
If a single mat is used, it is often safest and most desirable to use a neutral color, such as off white, cream, light grays etc. These go very well with most images and fit into most home settings. If you wish a stronger color, try to match the mat color with a dominant color in the image. For example, with lots of dark green trees in the picture, use a dark green mat. For black and white photographs, off-white mats with a black core are very effective.

Using Double Mats Effectively
Double mats add considerably to the richness of the presentation. The safest method is to use a neutral outer mat, and a color for the inner mat that matches a dominant color in the image. The amount of the inner mat that can be seen is called the “reveal”, and varies with the size of the mat. A reveal of 3/16" is close to being an industry standard, but use your own judgment. When using a white mat over another white mat, a reveal of 1/2" or even much more can work very well. Double mats are usually twice the price of a single.

Matting 'Flourishes'
Adding decorative cuts: Closed and open "V-grooves", decorative corners and graphics can be attractive, but often unnecessary. A closed v-groove is very common, and can be quite cost effective especially with larger artwork. The extra cost can be recovered by a higher retail price. Closed v-grooves can be especially effective on single mats of conservation quality.

Matboard Quality
The two common types are non-archival, regular mats and conservation quality (rag) mats. It would always be nice to use conservation quality, but this market is very competitive, and price is important. Regular matboard is still of very high quality, and I suggest they be used for any image that does not have a high value in itself such as photos and printer copies. Conservation mats should be used for original artwork, high quality prints, limited editions prints or any image that has a high value in itself. Price wise, a presentation using regular mats will cost less than half that of using conservation quality.

Choosing a Mat Size
Use standard sizes when possible, allowing your customer to buy a frame easily. Non-standard size mats mean an expensive custom frame is necessary, and most end-users recognize this when purchasing matted images. Standard sizes are 5 x 7, 8 x 10, 11 x 14, 16 x 20 and 20 x 24. The borders around the image should be a minimum of 1 1/2 inches for small images, and up to 3 inches or more for large images. A 5 x 7 image in an 8 x 10 mat will give borders of 1 1/2 inches all round.

If you plan to provide a frame with the mat, keeping to standard sizes is not important.

'Backing' Up Your Art
You will need a backing for the mat and image. The backing completes the package and protects the image. For regular mats, I recommend manila board or heavier non-corrugated cardboard (for mats 11 x 14 and smaller), and foam core for larger mats. If you use conservation quality mat, your backing MUST be acid-free. Use an acid-free mat or acid-free foam core.

To Frame or Not
In general, do not get heavily into framing for the "drop by" market. The customer can pick a frame of their choice if the mat is a standard size. Consider having a few framed pieces so the customer can see a finished result, and can buy your framed piece if they like.

Acrylic is becoming very popular as a replacement for glass. It is much lighter and being very durable is a big plus. It also provides some solar radiation protection for outdoor events or florescent lighting.

Putting it all Together
Tape the image to the back of the mat on one long side only. This allows the picture to “breath” under differing atmospheric conditions. Use magic (scotch) tape or something similar. For conservation matting, an acid free tape is mandatory. Photo corners are good, but time consuming. Attaching the back to the mat is not necessary.

A covering of some sort is a necessity. A product made for this purpose is a re-sealable poly bag. It protects the mat package from the elements and dirty fingers, and also gives a very professional appearance. Some ultraviolet protection is built in to all plastics.

Shrink-wrapping also works, but requires time and equipment, and is finicky. Shrink-wrapped matted art often has a tendency to bow in hot weather.

Pricing It All Out
How much to charge? A general rule is to add up the cost of your mat, image, bag and backing. Add some for labor. If you are going into a show, add a proportional cost for this. Multiply the total by 2 to get a ballpark figure. If you sell through a retailer, the "norm" is for them to double whatever they pay you to get the minimum retail price.

Final Thoughts
Selling images in this market is competitive. If your presentation is as good or better than your competitors, then the quality and uniqueness of your image will determine the outcome. There is a large appetite for well-done photos, artwork and crafts. Keep it simple, keep your costs to a minimum, don't expect to get rich, and most importantly, enjoy the experience.