Digital BW, The Print

Hello Paul,

>I have also seen artists use a mat that has an opening too large for 
>the print, effectively floating it. 

This "floating mount" has been a common and widely used method for
fine art prints and preferred by collectors, dealers, etc for many
years.  Mat windows were cut bigger to provide a "reveal" all around
the print.  Besides looking elegant and 3-dimensional, the purposes
for this are related to showing all of the print: to reassure a buyer
that no damaged edges are hidden by the mat, that none of the
composition has been cropped out by the mat, and that exact print
dimensions can be verified.  Another benefit is the title and
signature (on the mount board under the print edge) are visible and
not on the window mat.  The only possible problem with that is if the
print is ever un-mounted and separated from the signature.


>They sign the board to which the print is attached. This look tends 
>to leave rather messy edges around the margins of the print (in my 
>opinion), unless they are torn and that is the look one is going for.

Used to be that dry mounting was the accepted practice with darkroom
prints.  Print borders were trimmed off and the print precisely
mounted on mat board.  Whether the edges are "messy" depends on the
skills of whoever does the mounting.  Good quality work isn't messy.

Today with ink printing everything is much easier.  Prints don't
buckle from being wet so dry mounting isn't needed.  Title and
signature can be on the print paper under the image edge, and the only
way they can be separated is for the border to be trimmed off. 
Because there's no dry mounting, the print can also be signed on the
back in case the border is ever trimmed off.  Window mats are still
cut to provide a reveal, so the 3-D effect is the same.  Plus, since
it's not mounted on a separate board, the entire process requires less
precision and goes much quicker (prints are hinged to the underside of
the window mat).

Especially since dry mounting was falling out of favor with
conservators, I view the current state of things as a huge
improvement.  Matting takes far less time than it used to and the
effect is the same.  

The only drawback to the new method is that because the print paper
shows in the reveal, the mat board must be carefully chosen to match
the paper color.  I'd rather deal with that than go back to dry
mounting. (anyone want to buy my Bogen 15" dry mount press?)

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm
I-Trak coming soon.