There are several photo framing supplies that you will need to frame your project. They include mount board, which is often made out of foamcore, a means of attaching the artwork to the mount board, the matting and frame moulding, as well as glazing and a picture hanger.
Both mount board and matting can be made from archival quality materials. These are excellent choices if you care about the longevity of the artwork, because archival quality products are typically acid free. Acids in papers used in artwork, along with airborne pollution particles, can damage the surface of artwork, as can ultraviolet light. In order to prevent the art from succumbing to these, acid free products like pre cut mat board can help preserve the beauty of your artwork for the long term.
Pre cut mat board is sized to fit properly in ready made photo frames. Using ready made products saves a great deal of money, so that you can put a large display of framed artwork up and not have it cost a fortune.
Mat board is also available for digital photographs. Ready made photo frames, including a 12 x 18 picture frame, make it easy to enclose your digital photographs with an appropriate sized mat and frame.
Mat board offer a great deal of variety in your photo framing aesthetic choices. Mat board comes in both wide and narrow widths, so that you can choose one that outlines the image without covering up too much of the artwork. You can also select the appropriate color of mat. Often photographers prefer a black slender metal frame used with a wide white mat board, because it does not detract from the image in any way, and is a traditional choice used in professional photography art galleries. Painters, on the other hand, utilize a lot of color in their art, and prefer wood moulding to be used in the frame, along with a colored mat board. Both of these can be used to complement or contrast colors found within the painting itself. Wooden frames are also sometimes easier to display in a home rather than gallery setting, blending in well with your furnishings. You will find mat board in a wide variety of styles and colors, all sized to fit ready made or custom frames. The matting can be the finishing touch in the presentation of your work of art.