Photo mounts

[Simon Clarkson]

In the competition yesterday the photographs were mounted in little white mounts. Where can you buy these and does the photo just slip straight into them?? I was told hobbycraft but they don't seem to stock them.

Regards

Sorry but I'm new to all this!

[Mike Farley]

Simon, the majority of the mounts seen last night would have been made by the photographers themselves to fit the images they are presenting. It is possible to buy pre-cut window mounts and I have seen them at Clas Ohlson, but they tend to be expensive and the image would need to have proportions to fit the mount, rather than the other way around which is possible with a bespoke mount. The problem being that once the image needs to be cropped due to aesthetic considerations, it is quite likely that the resulting photo can no longer be produced with dimensions which are compatible with a predetermined size.

http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Canson-Passepartout/Pr313997003

The most common size is 40 cm x 50 cm (which is very close to 16" x 20" in old money) and this is frequently a requirement for exhbitions and external competitions. Mount board can be purchased as A0 or A1 sheets and then cut down to size, although it might also be possible to buy ready made 40 x 50 boards. In essence, mounts can be produced in on one of two ways. The photo can either be stuck directly onto the board or a window with a bevel edge can be cut into the board, which often looks better. A judge should not be influenced by the mount when awarding a mark as they should be looking at the image, but good presentation can be a factor.

It is possible to cut window mounts entirely by had by using a scalpel, but the thought of using something so sharp worries me. I like having fingers and find them very useful. Most people use some form of mount cutting eqipment which makes life much simpler (and safer). The one I use was made by Longridge and I get good results, but it is quite expensive and there are other options available at lower cost. Google will be your friend in that regard and no doubt there will be some "how to" videos somewhere on YouTube.

http://www.longridge.co.uk/

Another factor is the board colour, which can enhance or degrade the overall impact of an image. A few years ago, the vogue was for black mounts, but nowadays mono prints tend to look best with a white mount and colour in a cream one. There are exceptions and it is possible for a coloured mount to complement the hues in the image. For example, a blue mount for an underwater picture might work, although green for the same photo would look terrible. If it is not possible to purchase a ready made mount of the desired colour, this would be another reason for making one's own.

[davidc]

I also noticed that some of the images were mounted without windows and simply affixed to plain card - I like the simplicity this offered and don't think it detracted from the image at all. However, if as you suggest some judges are distracted by the mount style then maybe this wouldn't be a valid option?

One other thing, how do people stick mounts together (e.g. front window to backing board) and the image to the backing board? I use pritt stick!

[Mike Farley]

One other thing, how do people stick mounts together (e.g. front window to backing board) and the image to the backing board? I use pritt stick!

Putting a backing onto a print has the bane of my life, recently. In theory, it is best to use another similar thickness of card which will ensure that the mount does not bend. It is especially important if the print is going to be hung outside of a frame for any period, for eaxmple as occurs with the SPA bieenial exhibition where the successful prints are on display for a month.

For a while, I was using sticky backed card, but that was problematic as there was only one shot at putting the backing card against the mount. If it was in the wrong place, the print, mount and backing were all ruined. On one occasion, I even had a print move once I had placed it in on the mount and I did not notice. Grrr! I also experienced difficulties with getting the print to lie flat against the backing and I often had air bubbles which had to be carefully pressed out without spoiling the surface of the print.

Prior to that, I was using a backing card held in place by 3M spray mount adhesive, which does allow some repositioning before it sets. With both these methods, the print is irrevocably sealed within the mount. Others use brown masking tape to hold a piece of card behind the print. The advantage of this method being that the print can be retrieved later, if necessary.