When someone contacts us or comes into our shop looking for a picture frame, the mount is almost always something of an afterthought. And I get it. It just doesn’t feel exciting. It’s just a bit of card, right? Well… not really.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the mount is usually the reason a framed picture looks “right”. Or, just as often, the reason it doesn’t.
Why Mounts Deserve More Credit Than They Get
Without a mount, a picture can feel boxed in. A bit tight. Like it’s been shoved straight up against the frame with no breathing room. That can soon change just by adding even a simple mount, as suddenly everything relaxes. The artwork has space and no longer looks cramped. Your eye knows where to go without that additional concentration or focus. It just feels and works so much better.
I hear “I want it really clean and modern, without a picture mount, please” all the time. Sometimes that’s absolutely the right call, and it all looks top-notch. But more often than not, once you actually display it on the wall, it can feel unfinished, especially with prints, photos, or anything with detail. A picture mount or mat board, or mount board as it is also commonly referred to, doesn’t make things fussy. It gives the picture somewhere to sit.
When it comes to the choice of colour, this is where people can sometimes overthink things. They often find that for the majority of the time; they don’t need anything too clever. Off-white, soft white, and light grey can often be seen as boring. I don't personally agree with this opinion, but even for those who do, I'm sure that we can all agree that they are effective colours to use every time. They let the artwork do the talking. When you start matching mount colours to every little detail in the picture, things can get messy fast. If the picture mount is the first thing you notice, it’s probably trying too hard, and you will likely want to change things up somewhat.
That said, coloured picture mounts can be great. I’m not against them at all. They just need a bit of restraint. One strong choice usually works better than three “almost” colours that don’t quite agree with each other.
Mount width is another thing people rarely think about until it’s pointed out. A wider mount gives a piece a bit of presence. It can make artwork feel calmer, more important somehow. Narrow mounts feel sharper and more modern. Neither is better — they just say different things. A delicate sketch with a tiny mount often looks lost. A bold modern print with a massive mount can feel overdone. It’s about balance, not rules.
There’s also the practical side, which isn’t glamorous but does matter. A proper picture mount keeps the artwork away from the glass. That gap stops moisture problems, sticking, and those annoying marks that only show up years later. Acid-free mounts are especially important for originals or anything you actually care about keeping. It’s not exciting, but it’s worth doing properly.
And here’s something people don’t always expect; picture mounts can help pictures sit better in a room. A well-chosen mount can quietly tie everything together without shouting about it. You don’t need to match the sofa or the paint colour. You just need it to feel like it belongs.
So yes, frames matter. Obviously, that goes without saying. But if something ever looks “not quite right”, nine times out of ten, it’s the picture mount. Get that right, and the rest usually takes care of itself.