Following on from our recent advice about the importance of mounts, Sandy answers the question:
What size should the mount be?
This is the most common question asked by framing customers and we could write a whole newsletter devoted to this topic alone!
However, in broad terms, the size of the picture influences the size of the mount. But so too does the width of the frame and the composition of the picture. One thing is certain, small picture does not mean small mount. Insisting your picture is framed with a skinny mount is probably the biggest mistake you can make.
Each piece should be judged on its own merits but in our experience a 70mm mount is suitable for a wide range of compositions, sizes, colours, subjects and moods in a picture. It is wide enough to give the picture space to breathe in the frame, but not too wide that it disconnects the picture from the frame.
However, very small prints can, if they are the right subject, composition and colour, look stunning with a very wide mount. In the example shown, most people would find the middle one the most comfortable on the eye. The one on the left being too skinny and feeling “pinched” in the frame. The one on the right, is for some people too wide, especially if wall space is a consideration. However, the strong composition allows this to work, making more of a statement.
For advice on any aspect of mounting and framing come and talk to our experts.
