The wrong choice of mount can ruin even the best image. Picking a picture mount is not an easy decision despite how simple it may seem at first. The perfect mount doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. For you, it may be that vintage orate gold, but to someone else, it may be a wooden border with a glossy finish. A picture mount can bring out the best features of a print or dull them, making it look out of place. The confusion when selecting a mount comes from the numerous options that are available. Photograph mounts are made in a host of colours, designs and materials. What makes one mount more suitable for your art piece than another?
Know the Right Colours
Colours can complement even the plainest art piece. You can use colours to bring out the personality of a painting, photograph or print. The best strategy to get the right hue when choosing a mount is to consider the colours used on the subject. From that mix and match look, pick the dominant hue of the art piece then decide what to mix it with. If you are aiming for a quirky theme, for instance, a yellow border can go well with a blue or red painting. You must also think about where the art will be placed. Whether it is the living room or office, the mount has to blend with the rest of the décor.
Complement Your Taste
Your art preferences say a lot about your taste, and that will extend to the mount used to frame a picture or painting. When deciding which mount to buy, find the one that best reflects your image. For an adventurous spirit, a mount in shimmering metallic is just risqué enough. If you like simplicity and prefer monochromatic themes, a mount with a white border works fine. Do you like to stand out? A detailed dark wood mount is an accurate fit. Take the time to see what style and colour options are available then narrow down the ones that best tell who you are.
Dimensions
Measurements are some of the other aspects that you need to focus on when choosing between picture mounts. Some mounting sizes are standard like A4, A5 and A6 but you are not restricted to only these. Most manufacturers will provide the option of setting specific measurements. You can decide the length, width and thickness of a photograph mount, depending on the dimensions of the paper. A good mount is defined by its border, and you have to decide how big it has to be. Factor in the picture and frame itself to ensure that everything matches.
To Double Mount or Not
Once you have a clue of the type of mount that you will be getting, decide if it will be a double mount or not. Most people opt to go with a plain mount, especially when working with bright colours. However, you can do more. The technique refers to the use of two mounts, one inside and another outside to get the print away from the glass surface of the frame. With a double mount, you can have one colour on the inside and a different one outside for that pop effect.
A good picture mount is not just about protecting a piece of art, but also about decoration. With the right picture mount, you can give a photograph, art print or painting that stylish look.
