The Capt.

I am looking for equipment for framing and matting and I am wondering if anyone has any good experience with the equipment to do this.
I am also l am contemplating getting a large format printer and wondering about protective coatings for the paper.
Thank you.

Steved3604

Been a while since I've done it so maybe there are "newer/better" way of doing Matt and Frame. I had a Seal 3244 vacuum press to bond the print with the foam core. From a supply house in town I got the wood or metal cut pieces and necessary hardware to finish the frame. They also cut the glass -- usually non glare. If there was just a mounted print we used cans of matte or glossy finish and sprayed outdoors. Probably some YT videos on this subject. Unless we had quite a few to do I would usually job out the mounting and framing. The mounting and assembly tables take up a lot of space.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Try a place like Michael's.
I got a good matt cutter there several years ago but had frames, if not standard, custom made. So no experience there.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Google matting and framing, lots of info on the subject.

Both B & H and Adorama have great cutters, tools, and other supplies.

gonzo.3800

Logan will have something in your budget for matting. Amazon for mats. Have been using my Logan 450 for over 10 years. They also make an oval/round cutter and framing tools. Cutting your own mats allows you to crop for the best picture not to some standard hole.

Jim Bianco

I do exactly the same thing, I work at Hobby Lobby, and I get all of my equipment there.

MJPerini

Cutting Mats well is not complicated, but neither is it easy
A Good Mat Cutter from Logan is well worth the money (if you use it over time)
You say Large format Printer -that starts at 17". Standard sized paper is 17x22. A Few Brands make 17x 25
I use Roll paper in my Epson 5000. But say you want to print full frame without cropping that would be 14"x21" on 17x22 paper, or 16" x 24 on either 17x25 or roll paper. A Mat for those with 4" on 3 sides and 5" on the bottom (called bottom weighting) adds 8" in width and 9" in height so 25x32. You also need a backing board the same size and same material.
For large prints you really need 8 ply museum board -a good brand is Rising which comes 32x40' for about $50 bucks one print would a full sheet with a 15"x32 off cut for smaller prints
You really need a mat cutter rated for 8 ply and you need 40" cut capacity Those aren't cheap.
I'm telling you this not to discourage you but so you can go into it with full knowledge.
Printers are either Epson or Canon
If you went with a 13" printer they both make prosumer printers which will lower all costs. AND you will not always need 8 ply board (4 ply is about 1/2 the price)
One last thing, the prints you can make with a pro printer (mine is 11 ink 10 channel) are stunning I also use ColorByte software's Image Print RIP (Raster image processor, that takes the place of the manufacturer's software and allows control of how much ink gets laid down and has lots of layout features. You CAN get ice prints from the manufacturer's own software. Large format printers NEED to be used Regularly or you will waste expensive ink on cleaning cycles. In My view Printing really completes the process. It is not a picture until it's a print (for me)
When yo get it right, you will be astonished. But there is a learning curve, and you only get there by not being afraid to use ink & paper on many versions as you dial the process in, but once you do you will love it.
At least that is my experience.
Good Luck

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I have been offering custom picture framing, mounting, matting, and many other related display services in my studio business for many years. In some respects, it is a simple craft and in some ways, it can be an art form in itself. How much want to undertake and how far you want to go is up to you.

Do you want to make your frames out of mouldings or outsource them as made-to-order or from stock sizes?
There are literally thousands of moldings in varios woods and metals in every conceivable style and finish. If you decide to miter and join your own frames you will need the equipment and develop and practice the required. skills.

There are many methods and design alternatives in planning a total matte and frame combination to best suit any particular print or subject as well as decorative considerations. You can make a simple and traditional matte or a more complex compound matte. There are mattes with wooden fillets and special beveling. There is decorative matte carving. There are streighford frames and compound frames (a frame within a frame). There are various glazing methods with specialized glass. There are methods of framing stretched canvas prints.

If you want to get into archival framing, there are acid-free materials and special methods of mounting with hinges and specialized glass.

It can be as simple or complex- as far as you want to take it.

You can start by providing an ample and clean workspace and a method of cutting the mattes. It can be done with a sharp matte knife and a streigh edge but a matte cutter makes accurate cutting and beveling easier and faster.

Another tool is a framing gun that shoots in the framing points or nails that retain the print, mount, and glass in the frame. Other supplies are the hanging hardware, screw eyes, D-rings, wire, sawtooth hangers, and backing paper.

Is fun and a great addition to your photography. You can produce a framing design that picks up on color tones in the image and the challenge is doing that without distraction but enhancement.

If you are already printing, you know the drill about paper and ink choices and getting al lyour ducks in a row in terms of color space and calibration. If you have no previous experience in printing, it is wise to set up you all the calibrations in andvance- it will save lots of wasted paper,ink, and time and preclude frustration. .

MDI Mainer

For mat cutting you can't go wrong with the Logan 750 or 760 series, depending on the size of the work you will be matting. Unless you're operating a pro frame shop you don't need anything more. You can get by with a less full-featured cutter, but getting perfect cuts will be harder, take longer and likely waste expensive mat board. I can vouch for Blick, but you can likely find a better price elsewhere.

https://framing4yourself.com/product/logan-simplex-plus-mat-cutter/?attribute_pa_size=40-logan-simplex-elite-mat-cutter-model-750-1&utm_source=Google+Shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Feed_2022&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmICoBhDxARIsABXkXlKsL0JT4_GEKP_vswJvlD8gyLdzwahwidSMd7PSKBZayQsdiu0YC6oaAgqvEALw_wcB

https://www.dickblick.com/products/logan-750-1-760-1-simplex-elite-mat-cutters/

DRM Loc: NC

You're contemplating a three-prong process: making your own large prints; cutting your own mats; completing the process by framing the matted prints. Some excellent advice and observations above.

You might approach the process by acquiring the necessary equipment and becoming proficient in its use, one stage at a time. From personal experience, I would recommend beginning with the mat cutting segment of the process. For that, as several have suggested, a quality mat cutting system (and adequate space for using it) is imperative. I have used my Logan 650 mat cutter (forerunner of current 750 model) for close to 20 years. It has paid for itself hundreds of times over its original cost, plus it has allowed me to be more creative with my matting, and to do so on my schedule, not on that of a frame shop or a Michaels/Hobby Lobby type store.

Framing 4 Yourself and Dick Blick are both reliable sources for Logan equipment.

Doyle Thomas Loc: Vancouver Washington ~ USA

Art is cheap, framing is expensive.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

KIS, Keep it simple. Printing large format limits the number of images you can display on a wall. You have perhaps four feet of good viewing angle perhaps less on an eight-foot wall and perhaps 8 feet of width before getting too close to a door or window. Add at least two inches to an 8x10 and it is landscape a foot wide.

Frames and mats compete with the photo for visual attention, that is why I like a wrap framing. I use the backside of flooring laminate. This material is hard, flat, and does not warp. To do an attractive wrap create a mirror wrap of the edges to wrap around the mound board. Stick a pin in each corner, invert then place a wirebrad at each corner to index the 3M adhesive sprayed board. Then face up and wipe the bubbles out. Invert again and fold over the edge material and adhere to the backside. That framed photo then has two 3/4 blocks [Ebay or Amazon] two at the top for mount wire and one at the bottom. [3 points define a stable surface]
https://fineartprinting.com.sg/mirror-wrap-photoshop/

Protective coating paraffin is an effective use of a soft cosmetic brush to apply a microfilm of wax. I assume your living room or display wall is not lit with a Zenon Arc lamp, so UV is minimal within rooms. Most print inks have a degree of UV protection even the ones UHH people fear because they are not expensive or are 3 party. UV additives are low cost so when the "Chinese Knockoff" made in the same factory as the OEM ink formulates their ink it is added.

Using wax "creating a protective layer that shields the fabric from environmental stressors. It helps prevent water absorption, UV damage, mold, and mildew growth, and extends the overall lifespan of the fabric."
https://batikindonesia.com/wax-for-fabric-aircraft/

ronichas Loc: Long Island

I have several large double matts. Black with white inside. I would love to sell them.
I have 3 different sizes. I am$10 each plus shipping costs.

20 x 24 with inside 15 5/8 x 19 5/8
18 x 24 with inside 12.5 x 18.5
16 x 20 with inside 10.5 x12.5

Photos to follow

rplain1 Loc: Dayton, Oh.

I have a Logan mat cutter and I buy my mats at Hobby Lobby (bought my cutter there also). I wait for the mats to go on sale. The cutter was on sale also. I don't make my own frames - just buy them off the shelf. Usually find them on sale also at Michaels. I don't put any coatings on my prints. Some are almost 20 years old and still look like new.

CHuckle's Loc: Lockhart, Texas

Great skill to have and offer to prospective customers and or for yourself. As a former Picture Framer, two MAIN golden rules:
1. ALWAYS make sure your cutting blades are sharp with no Knicks
2. Make sure you research mounting sprays/glue/peel-off sticky back mounting board for the correct action...acid free and so forth.
Regardless, it's an incredible skill to have and enjoy the outcome.

"A picture framer is an artist in their own right, they complete the piece of art."