Day One: Black Frame and a White Mat

For ages, the most common solution for framing black and white art has been to choose a white mat and a black frame.

Like this…

Yeah, yeah, the white in this example is closer to ivory. But the same rules apply. I matched the matboard to the paper.

When you have art to frame, and that art is printed / painted / dyed / drawn / whatever in one color, choosing a frame that same color is always a safe bet.

In this case, the Harry Potter inspired Hogwarts image above is printed in black ink. The talented artist, Jack Daw, employed a technique called linocut. His linework is bold and solid. Leaving only black ink on white paper.

Hence, a black frame is an excellent choice.

A squared-off, modern style moulding is the most popular choice when it comes to framing black & white pieces. The classic, unobtrusive look of a flat surfaced, matte black picture frame does work beautifully in the majority of cases.

And could have given this print a nice, clean display.

My client on this one, however, was not looking for a safe solution.

The organic lines and the swirls around the dementors lead us to pick an ornate, vintage frame. Sadly, the one on hand was brown and showed signs of wear.

So I upcycled it with black paint.

A good coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins on an old frame. But it can’t restore missing chunks and dented corners.

Which was just fine with me for this print.

If you’re a Potterhead, you’ll appreciate how this frame suits the worn and ancient nature of Hogwarts. I like how the scrolls and leaves and lines spark the feels of that fictional setting. And how the elements play with the linocut.

Matching is a good thing.

Having the frame match the ink, anchors the picture visually.

It finishes the look of the piece and can elevate a viewer’s experience with the art. Which is always a good thing.

Speaking of matching, how about the mat?

I know I’ve been talking about a black frame and a white mat.

For our purposes here, when I talk about a white mat I mean a matboard the same color as the white in your picture.

In art terminology, the white in my example (which is paper showing through) is the negative space in the design.

White could be brilliant white, regular white, beige, cream, eggshell, Navaho white and vanilla. In this case, the print’s paper is ivory that was tea-stained by the artist.

Matching your matboard to your paper, as I’ve done here, expands the field for the viewer. The art has more space to breathe, so to speak.

Also, a mat always makes framing look more expensive : )

Day One Takeaway

Black frames with white mats are an excellent display solution! Most of all, match your matboard to your white background, whatever white that may be, for the best congruent look.

You can find my original post on Instagram by clicking on this sentence. Or first, you can cycle through my #blackandwhiteseries here.

Any questions? Leave me a message in the comment section below.

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