There is a lot of emphasis on choosing a frame for your art and photo prints but sometimes overlooked is the importance of matting. Not only does the mat help highlight the artwork, it also acts as protection so the glass or acrylic does not come in direct contact with the print.
Ever since we added our full service in-house framing other questions pertaining to matting have also arisen. The top question is if we offer custom mats. The other questions are usually related to the size of the mat, appearance or the archival properties of the mat. Other times it might have something to do with using a mismatched print with a larger frame. Below I talk about what some of these issues mean.
Do you offer custom cut mats?
That is a BIG YES! You can actually visit our framing section where we have custom mat options. which can be ordered online. You select both the outer width and height and the window size and we cut them custom to order. It makes it extremely easy to have mats tailored to the size you prints that you will not find at an art supply store. At FinerWorks you can also order the mats as you order prints on any of our papers. In those cases it is even easier because all you have to do is select the outer size of the matting.
Print Size vs Mat Size
If you are going to mat your prints, I always recommend choosing to have your print made with either the ½ inch or 1 inch border. As an example if you have a print which is an 8×10 and the mat window is sized for an 8×10, that extra border going around the 8×10 image will give the cut sheet ample size to secure to the back of the matting.
We had a customer frustrated that none of the mats at her local art supply store had a mat with an exact 8×10 window. She was afraid that some of her artwork would be cut off, most notably the signature would be only partially visible. This problem was because unless you are custom cutting your mats yourself any mat will have a window slightly smaller than the printed artwork. Again using that 8×10 example, the window will likely measure ⅛ to ¼ smaller. Imagine if you tried to mat a 8×10 borderless print and the window was also 8×10. You would have the problem of the print wanting to fall through the opening or at least not very will nested within the mat window.
There might be instances in which you actually choose a mat with a larger opening than the print’s total sheet size. In this type of display the print will appear to float between the mat window edges. I have seen this seems to be popular in instances in which a print has a deckled or torn edge (which we now offer). On a side note about floating prints, if you opt to not have a mat, make sure you have some sort of spacer so the glass does not come in direct contact with the print. Our framing department actually uses these spacers for framed prints that do not have a mat. These are basically plastic strips that are inserted just behind the lip of the frame which gives the needed space.
As is the case with most things related to decor, there are trends in matting. One framing supply company I know indicates on their website that the now days people seem to opt for wider mats meaning the space between thin mat window and the edge is greater compared to a couple decades ago in which people opted for thinner margin on the matting. I see this with photography as well. Right now it seems a more favorable display for fine art photography is a minimal frame with a wide mat. This is my own personal favorite way to display photos since it gives a nice contemporary look. One other advantage with the larger mat style is it can ultimately give a smaller print a more expansive presence on the wall.
Mat Color
When it comes to choosing a mat color, there seems to be some consensus among professionals I have spoken to that what is most important is the color does not draw your attention away from the artwork itself. I would also add that today there is a trend for people to choose bolder colors when painting their walls. If you have framed and/or matted prints on display somewhere for sale, be aware that any color other than white might play a role in your buyer’s decision on the purchase of that print or not. I say other than white because white tends to be both a safer and neutral color and less likely to clash with the wall.
Mat Materials and Archivability
Choose a mat which is not going to harm the print over time. There are 3 primary different types of mat materials: paper, alpha-cellulose, and rag. Paper mats are going to be your cheapest in quality and price. They are simply made from paper pulp. You want to stay away from the paper mat since overtime the acidity levels in these can harm the artwork in side. These are also typically the same mats found in cheap ready made frame kits you will see that the art and craft superstore or Walmart. The alpha-cellulose, made from wood pulp is engineered to be acid free while the rag mat is made of cotton which is naturally acid free. Incidentally most of our papers we print on are also either alpha-cellulose or cotton which makes the prints more archival. Also, all our mats are of the alpha-cellulose variety, more specifically the brand is called Artique Conservation Matboard.
Mismatched to Frame Size
At times you may find yourself in the need to mat an odd size print which is not exactly ideally suited for a frame you might have lying around. For instance, you might have a square 12×12 print and only have a 16×20 frame. You will likely need to have the mat custom cut so the outer dimensions matches the insert of the frame. Another popular choice is to bottom-weight the mat which means the bottom mat side is larger. I have seen some artists will further use that bottom margin to cut out an additional widow which might display the artworks title and the artist’s name.
Digital Mats
One other alternative to matting, yet which will give your artwork a matted look is to create a digital mat. This will give you the ultimate control in both color and the appearance of texture. Just the other day a photographer I know had us print up some photos for a competition he was entering them in. They all had a type of digital mat effect which enhanced the artwork considerably. When framed the print would be able to stand on it’s own without a physical mat. I seen this done quite often and have even seen some artists will add drop shadows and strategic bevels in the inner window edge to trick the eye even more into thinking a real mat is being used. Not until you get within inches of the print can you tell that it is not a real mat. When framing, the only thing I would recommend in this situation is to make sure you have some spacers between the print and the glass so it is not in direct contact if possible. Digital mats can be created with an image editing program like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.<
Lisa Langell of Langell Photography shows you how to create an interesting digital mat in Photoshop. In it she actually uses part of the original image as part of the mat.
Do it Yourself Hinge Mat
Matting your prints is not difficult either. And it does not have to be expensive even if you need to cut out the mat window yourself. This is easily done with an exacto knife and a straight edge. Uncut matboards are readily available in different colors both online and offline at various art supply stores. Once your have cut your mat and the window opening its even easier to mat them with something called a “hinged mat”. Hinged mats are mats in which one side is has the window while the back side is solid. Hinged mats make an excellent way to display prints you might be offering for sale but don’t want to place in a frame. The following video illustrates how to create a hinged mat to display your prints.
Ordering
Our calibration print is a special 8×10 print you can order which allows you to adjust your monitor to try to match the print. Once you have done this and start working on your images on your computer you will be working on an image which is more closely aligned to industry color standards. Read more…
Some product types will give you the option for “Priority Processing,” in which case we attempt to have the order completed within 24 to 48 hours.
Rush or priority processing may not be available for all product types; however, you can contact customer service to see if this is possible.
Yes. When checking out, you would enter your friend or family’s address information as the “Ship To” destination. You can also request drop shipping on the final review page. With the drop ship option selected, a generic packing slip is included, which does not reflect the price. In addition, we will print your billing address on the return address label and not include any mention of FinerWorks.
Depending on the product type, they may be boxed, rolled in a shipping tube, or in some cases, placed on a pallet (huge orders). We use multiple carriers and multiple shipping methods, broken down as either Economy, Standard, or Express shipping. The primary carriers we use are UPS, FedEx, and USPS.
Orders shipped overseas that are sent via USPS will ultimately be turned over to the destination country’s shipping carrier.
International orders tracking sometimes relies on the destination country and shipping method. In many cases, for small orders, tracking might end once it reaches its last stop before leaving the U.S.
Your images should be in RGB mode. Images in CMYK color mode are more likely to experience noticeable color shifts which may result in a muted or washed out looking print.
The best method for getting accurate prints is something called soft proofing. Soft proofing involves using a calibrated monitor and viewing your image with the color profiles assigned to them. For those who are unable to invest their time and funds on a professional calibration system, we recommend one of our calibration prints instead. Read more…
We have a comprehensive video tutorial on how to successfully soft proof.
A real-time preview will be visible as you go through the print setup process.
In addition, a time stamped preview of how your image will be printed will show up in your shopping cart before you submit your order.
If this is not enough, please read our post about 3 ways to proof your work.
Please contact us within 30 days of placing your order if you are unhappy with your print. Our first goal will be to help you get a satisfactory replacement. If that is not an option, we offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
View our returns page for more information regarding refunds and/or returns.
We do offer COAs as an option at checkout. You will see an option to order a COA once you add a print to your shopping cart
Yes, you can. When creating your print, make sure you include a border on your print. Matting options will be found below sizing.
Our average for most frames is about 5 to 7 days in production; however, there may be exceptions dependent on current inventory levels and how quickly the supplier can send us the required stock.
You can also see our turnaround time page for time frame details.
Soft proofing relies on having a consistent white level on the surface of the media the image is being printed to. Since the wood is not white and the hue of the wood can vary slightly dependent upon the age of the veneer, there is no way to profile a wood print.
Your print cost is dependent upon a few factors: size, media type, number of copies and style where applicable. Pricing is updated as you go through the ordering process. You can also visit the product links in the main menu for specific pricing of both set sizes. For some products you can calculate custom size pricing.
It will be up to you to select a print size that compliments your image’s current aspect ratio. If your image file does not quite match those dimensions, it will be cropped to accommodate the print size selected. This can result in part of your image file being cropped. Be sure you pay attention to the real-time preview when you setup your print. If any part of it looks cropped, then you may need to choose a different size print or adjust your image file to fit accordingly.
We are unable to always properly assess if an image is suitable for printing due to varying standards and degrees of expectations a customer might have.
The production team does their best to check prints for obvious defects within the print itself (paper, ink smudges, scratches, etc). If there is a defect in the image or the image quality of the file itself is poor we will usually assume the artist or photographer is already aware of this, therefore we will print images without question.
Please note that some items such as Kodak prints or cards are produced by automated machinery that produce dozens of prints a minute so while we may not be able to catch obvious defects or questionable prints these are still guaranteed with our quality assurance guarantee.
Most prints are ready to ship within 1-3 working days. If your order exceeds 100 prints, production time may be as many as 4 working days, but feel free to contact us if you have concerns about the time frame.
Test prints, or proofs, are not standard unless you are placing an offline order in which we are producing a large run (1000 copies or more), but if color matching is a concern, we highly recommend working on a color managed system or investigating in a calibration print prior to ordering.
There is no minimum order required.
Add as many prints to your order as you would like. You can increase quantities within your shopping cart once a print has been added.
Please allow for a processing time of 1-3 business days before picking up your order. You will receive a notification via email when your order is ready for pickup.
Knowing a suitable print size from your digital image files may be challenging if you are not familiar with using programs such as Photoshop or other image editing tools. We recommend a resolution between 72 dpi to 300 dpi at the print size you want.
To make things easy visit the Convert Pixels to Inches post.
Problems Uploading Files?
Typically any problems using the upload tool are associated to the web browser being used. In most cases if you do not see any sort of upload tool, it is because either Flash is not running in your browser and HTML 5 is not supported. This is usually fixed by updating your web browser.
If you do see an uploading interface but nothing happens when clicking the “add files” or “upload” button, this is also usually fixed by updating your web browser. Here are things to try first:
- Close then reopen your web browser
- Try rebooting/restarting your computer
- Install or try a different web browser than what you are using
Updating Your Web Browser
The first step is to make sure you are using the latest version of the browser you use. These are going to be Chrome, FireFox, Safari or Internet Explorer. Doing a google search will get you to the websites where these browsers are offered. They will always have the latest version available for free download and installation.
If that does not work, try installing and using one of the others mentioned above. FinerWorks recommends the following in order: Chrome, FireFox and Internet Explorer. If you are on a MAC Safari might be a good choice to try as well.
File Does Not Progress
Another problem which can occur is the file fails to start or complete the upload process as indicated by a progress bar. This is probably not a problem with your web browser itself but is more associated with a disruption in the Internet connection.
If none of this seems to work, please feel free to contact us and let us know. Please provide the type of web browser you are using as well as specific details of the problem.
You can see what shipping options and costs are available to you when you have items in your shopping cart.
Please note that some shipping options may not be available where print sizes exceed the measurements the packaging can hold. In cases of oversized packages (usually when they contain multiple mounted canvas prints measuring 30×40 or larger), additional shipping charges may be required. The customer will be notified in advance prior to processing the order.
More information on shipping rates can be found here.
If you have not completed checkout, you certianly can. When viewing items in your shopping cart, look for the options to the right of your small print/product preview to Modify, Remove, or Copy individual items. Once an order is submitted however, we are unable to make changes to images, or other products. If a mistake is made, please contact us immediately so that we can cancel the order for you, and you can, in-turn, reorder correctly.
You can do this by creating a virtual inventory of prints or cards. Once you have uploaded images to your account, you can set up individual giclee prints or cards with different sizes and styles. These will be stored in your Virtual Inventory. When you need to have an order dropshipped to your customer, go there and add the print you need to your cart.
You can log in to the order status page or go to your order history (if you have an account). Toward the bottom of the copy of the order, we will post your tracking number shortly after your order has shipped.
Whenever we ship an order, we will send an email notice to the email address you provided in your billing information. This email will include a link where you can access a copy of this order, as well as tracking information when made available. Note that orders shipped from our partner lab may not always have tracking information available.
Prints being lost or damaged during shipping is rare; however, it does happen on occasion (less than 1% of orders are ever reported), and we will do everything possible to provide a replacement as soon as possible. For more information, please visit our returns and replacement page.
If you have a history of placing a substantial number of orders on a weekly basis at regular intervals, we would love to discuss with you the various discount programs we can offer based on the options you plan to order. We have Tier programs, plus we can also take into consideration other things such as product size, style, and volume of prints.
While we do offer a 30-day money-back or replacement guarantee in most instances, customers who use us to fulfill their orders are responsible for any third-party refunds or returns. Please visit our returns page for more details.
No. VAT (Value Added Tax) is something not currently applicable in the United States, where FinerWorks is located. If you are not based in the U.S. and are subject to paying VAT, then this would be your responsibility outside of your purchase from FinerWorks. If you have additional questions about VAT, we recommend consulting with a tax specialist.
We only charge sales tax if the recipient/shipping address is in the State of Texas. If you are outside the state of Texas but you have a customer in Texas, you will be charged sales tax unless you are registered with FinerWorks as “Tax Exempt”. Contact us for instructions on making sure your account is tax-exempt for orders being shipped to Texas.
- The account holder will need to enter their business information within their account so that we can later make it tax-exempt.
- Provide a valid Texas Sales Tax ID (apply here) or any other valid U.S. state sales tax ID.
- E-mail us a completed and signed copy of the Texas Sales and Use Tax Resale Certificate / Exemption Certification. If your Tax ID number is outside of the state of Texas, enter it in the second tax ID field below the one for the Texas field.
Please note the following: We cannot refund sales tax charges for previously placed orders. Also, we cannot accept tax-exempt forms from other states since they may not be recognized by the state of Texas.
Store credits are issued in situations such as price adjustments, or late returns (after 30 days). These credits do not expire so if you are unable to redeem your credit right away, it will be ready when you are. Unfortunately we do not offer refunds for credit vouchers, nor do we exchange them for any monetary value.
We require returns to be processed within 30 days of the delivery date to receive a full refund or credit with FinerWorks. Credits with FinerWorks are non-refundable and do not expire.
Most people order online via our website’s Print Online Setup Tool. Using this method, you will upload your image file(s), select the product type, styles, and size of print you want, then add the item to your shopping cart.
Some businesses that use us may have their websites connected to us, either through our Order Fulfillment App or one of our legacy integrations, which allow for batch order submissions.
FinerWorks is unable to accept orders by phone or email.
There are 3 ways you may want to try. Since different monitors and screens can be adjusted differently, you may see variations compared to a print, especially if the device you are viewing the file on is not properly calibrated.
The following article lists 3 common ways you can proof your image files before submitting them for print.
Artists and photographers will have varying levels of expectations as to what is acceptable and not when it comes to accuracy.
It’s also important to understand that different printing processes can also have varying results. When it comes to color accuracy, giclee fine art prints, photo prints, and canvas will tend to be able to achieve the greatest accuracy because of the nature of the printers and inks used. Other items and surfaces may be more limited in their capacity to achieve the same level of color accuracy or even detail, so testing on varying types of print products can be key.
Acrylic Glass Prints
Transform your space with our sophisticated Acrylic Glass Prints, featuring exceptional clarity and durability to showcase photography, art reproductions, or commercial applications with modern elegance.
It’s interesting to know that matting takes a lot of work to get right. I will keep that in mind when getting acrylic photo printing services someday. Getting that print matted will help a lot in preparing it to be displayed.