Elevate Your Art: The Grandeur of Framing With a Wide Mat

Carmello Mission Campanile, 8x10” in a frame with 4” plus mat

South Mountain Window, Phoenix, 2004

There is something about a large, wide mat for framed prints that elevates artwork. I’m personally drawn to a generous mat framing style, especially for smaller prints.

One consideration on choosing a mat + frame is the size of the artwork itself. While larger pieces of art tend to stand well on their own, smaller pieces, such as 8 x 10” prints, benefit from a liberal amount of mat board “landscape”. The other matter to weigh is the amount of available wall space…. If you have a small area to work with, then a large mat won’t necessarily shine…. however, on the “canvas” of larger areas, a petite print is championed by a large mat and will look stately.

If you find a moment to pause and don’t automatically accept a default 2” mat board for framing, then you’ll more likely be pleased with the end result. Take a step back, consider the possibilities (Pinterest is a good reference), and go from there.

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~ L

Family photo of my mom, Vicki Jo, in the Mojave Desert, California ~ circa 1962

Big Sur Waves, Mist and Clouds 8x10” print framed with a large, 8-ply mat

Baku, August 2004