Picture frames work wonders at protecting valuable pieces of art, whether that’s valuable in monetary terms or in sentimental value. No matter the reason for framing, you can add to the design and aesthetic appeal by using picture mounts creatively.
5 Tips for Working with Picture Mounts
1) Go neutral for sophistication
For contemporary works of art and even the family portraits and those of family pets that require a touch of sophistication, neutral always pleases.
Neutral colours are the likes of magnolia, vanilla, beige, ivory and even black can work well with some pictures.
2) Dazzling white should always be avoided
White is and long has been a safe colour. It’s also a lazy colour and not one you want to surround your photo with in the frame. The reason being, that when you surround your print with a dazzling and bright white mount it’s going to distract from your print. That’s the opposite of what you want to do as the mounts should be complimentary to the picture and the frame, rather than becoming the main focus of it.
3) Use a double mount to introduce colour
If you have your heart set on using a coloured picture mount, do so with two mounts. The best layout for impact is to have a neutral colour as the top mount, with the coloured mount placed beneath it. This will ensure there’s only a slight touch of colour introduced, which prevents the colour surrounding your print becoming the most dominant.
If you use our frame designer, experiment with the sizes by going no larger than a ¼ inch of colour as the border for a double mount.
4) Don’t use equal widths all around
Something that’s become common place with picture mounts is to use the same width all around your pictures. It’s not that this doesn’t work, but for a far more balanced look overall, it helps to add some weight to the bottom of the picture. Specify one size for the top, left and right of the picture mount, and then when it comes to the bottom measurement, add an inch or so. You’ll generally find that a larger mount display under the picture gives it some much needed visual balance. It may not be instantly noticeable but it will be when you hang it up on the wall.
All too often when the same measurements are applied right around the picture frame, it creates a stripe look, so instead of people seeing what’s in the frame, they become distracted by the stripe design around it. You can avoid that happening by making the bottom of the picture mount deeper.
5) Use earth tones for presenting documents
For framing documents for display in an office, such as certificates or diplomas earth tones such as browns, beiges and sandy browns work better than bright coloured tones. Bright colours are best used in small doses using a double mount and should match the main colour in a painting or print.
For documents, though, do not use the double mount to insert colour that matches interior décor. The purpose of the mount is always to compliment what’s in the frame and not what surrounds it.