Help me frame some posters please. Post your matte and frame color suggestions! (1 Viewer)

[Daniel Swartz]

I've finally gotten around to framing some posters that have lying around and am trying to figure out what the best matte/frame color and material combinations are for the following three posters (for all of them I think a single matte would be best ... I think):

I would therefore appreciate very much everyone's input (including ladies) on what you think works best. For example, a white matte with a black metallic frame for the Marilyn Monroe poster, etc.
Thanks!

 

[Daniel Swartz]

One more thing, please ignore the yellow border around the first two. They do not appear on the actual posters. Thanks again!

 

[Frank Anderson]

All the posters I own I take to a frame shop. All of them are dry-mounted (except one), put in black aluminum frames with non-glare glass. No matting because they are big enough without it. A 27 x 40 costs $70-80. The one that is not dry-mounted is version A of Spider-Man movie (WTC in eyepieces).

 

[Daniel Swartz]

What exactly is dry mounting though? How is it different from alternative forms of mounting (if they even exist)? Thanks Frank.

 

[Janna S]

Where do you intend to hang them? What are the colors in the rooms(s)? What is the light source in the room(s)? Are you willing to do something other than the ordinary, basic white matte/black frame kind of thing? Are you willing to do double or triple mattes? Mattes with cut-outs? Are you trying to coordinate with any other art treatments? Will these be in the same room? Do you want the art to advance or recede?

 

[Daniel Swartz]

Janna,

The Lichtenstein and the Warhol ($) will go in my living room. The Marilyn poster will probably go in a hall or in the bedroom. All walls in the apartment are white and all carpeting is tan. However, I would like to use matte and frames that are as color-neutral as possible since I tend to move every 1-2 years.

Lighting is primarily halogen-based and there are no other art considerations. Although I'm willing to do anything that looks good, I'd like to keep each frame under $200.

Thanks!

 

[Frank Anderson]

What exactly is dry mounting though

Think about it as glueing it to a board. There are several types they glue it to, the most popular is foam, about 1/4" thick. All this does is prevent the picture or poster from wrinkling or bubbling inside a frame. Some people use dry-mounting as an alternative to framing because you can hang a poster by simply putting a hook in the back of the mounting board. The machine that does it looks like a press a cleaner would use.

 

[Janna S]

I have done dozens of photos, prints, oils, and artifacts over the years, and I believe it is worth it to get 'outside' the plain-and-safe mode much of the time. Especially if you are living in a plain-and-safe place, or if you tend to move into other plain-and-safe places.

Take the posters to a decent framing shop, one that will take some time with you, and plan on spending a couple of hours messing with samples. Find someone there who is willing to work with you. Think about shaped mattes, mattes with reverse edges, multiple mattes, different widths, and different frames. Think about using some strong colors, maybe as edging if not as full mattes. Think about using 'suede' mattes - especially if you can't get the nerve to go with anything but black, white, ordinary stuff.

I am really hesitant to suggest anything specific because I always have to see what it looks like. With the MM, I would play with a black suede matte, maybe with a fine edging of red, maybe something unique for a frame. Black with sponged red color? For the Lichtenstein, play with the blue - or with the odd touches of beige in the print. For the Warhol, geez, I don't know, try something old for a frame, instead of the obvious modern stuff. Not exactly barn wood, but something with a contrast - or maybe a greenwood frame.

Just don't be afraid to experiment. Don't be committed to playing it safe. Don't be afraid to try things. If ths shop you go to tries to steer you to the fast and the obvious, go somewhere else. Maybe you will ultimately decide to go with the obvious, but don't do it until you have brainstormed a little. My best choices have almost always been those with some risk, some fire, some surprise.

 

[David McGough]

Just depends on your budget. Frame shop or As I have done

to go Wall Mart and they have some pretty nice poster frames. You will have to put color matts around border.

Frames are a bit bigger.

Again you want hard woods check out frame shop for about

$75+ a frame. I checked.

David

 

[KeithH]

I like to post here, but please don't frame me!
Seriously though, I always take posters and prints to a frame shop. It's costly, but worth it. You can do the framing piecemeal if cost is an issue.

 

[Daniel Swartz]

Well, I just approved the Marilyn one. $207 with a 10% discount with no matte! Yikes. The Lichtenstein is going to run me $300 easy. *sigh* I'm going to wind up spending $600 to frame $150 worth of stuff.

Thanks for everyone's input though!

 

[Frank Anderson]

Daniel,

So far everything I have had framed cost half or quarter what it cost to frame it, so don't feel bad.

 

[Kelley_B]

I bought an original Nightmare on Elm street 5 poster that was 27x41 and it cost me $145 to frame it without glass...poster only cost $15.

 

[Daniel Swartz]

I wonder what the profit margins are like in this business...