Mounting implies adhering a print to a back board. To protect your photograph from bending or wrinkling, to prepare it for framing, or to keep it stiff while hanging on the wall, it is necessary to mount your photograph on a rigid backing. If you require the expertise of a frame shop but have a small budget, do most of the framing yourself but pay to have professionals cut the window mat or dry-mount a large print. For a price, commercial framing is available. These techniques can all be accomplished yourself, with the right tools and a little practice. The following section describes the different processes involved in mounting, matting, glazing and framing and the distinct connotations each defines for the image and artwork. The artist who wants to create or order a custom frame is faced with myriad choices of molding (the frame material aka moulding), glazing (the glass or plexiglass) and board and frame color and size. This is referred to as conservation framing. Using all archival, acid-free materials (i.e., mounting and mat boards, tapes and adhesives), protects the artworks from exposure to contaminants that would cause staining or deterioration. A backing board, window border or sheet of glass gives the image weight, importance (in that it needs to be protected from buckling, exposure to light and dirt) and defined edges. Mounting, matting or framing the print asks the viewer to consider the image more as an object and as a substantial artwork.

This direct style of presentation places emphasis on the print as a piece of paper and an image to be communicated rather than as a Work of Art.

Prints can be trimmed and then tacked to the wall or placed in a box or portfolio. Photographic prints that will be hung on a wall or placed in a portfolio can be shown in a variety of ways.

Seal Dry Mount Press Manual