The Fine Art Mounting & Matting Process

As explained in Fine Art Print vs Standard Print, what makes a Fine Art print beside it visual quality is its archiveability quality. Such a quality is the result of a mindful printing process. However, all this means nothing if the Fine Art print is not mounted and matted properly.

Mounting a Print

Mounting a print consists of placing a firm piece of board underneath the print to protect it from bending or wrinkling. There are three techniques to mount a print: dry mounting, hinge mounting & hang mounting.

Dry Mounting a print uses heat activated adhesive tissue sandwiched between the print and backing board. The inherent problems of this technique are:
- The adhesive tissue used is not acid-free and since it is in direct contact with the print, it is bound to damage it over time.
- The other issue is this technique is mostly irreversible ( the print cannot be detached from the backing board or with great difficulties one may risk to damage the print).
Hinge Mounting a print involves taping the print into place with T-hinges. Such a method, when used with acid-free tape protects the archive ability of the print but the print is still in contact with the glue of the tape. This technique is preferred when the artist wishes to not matt his/her print as the mounting process is invisible.
Hang Mounting a print uses the so-called “photo corners”, triangular pockets, to adhere the print (by its corners) to the backing board. Not only the “photo corners” can be acid-free but they also allow the print to be removed from the backing board safely. While the corner will cover a partial part of the print’s corners, this is not a problem when the print is also matted. This is the technique used by Tom Migot Fine Art.

Tom Migot Fine Art only uses Conservation Grade Backing boards to mount our prints. These boards are conform to the Fine Art Trade Guild requirements for conservation (level 2).

Matting a Print

Matting a print consists of placing a piece of paper-based board with a cutout window on top of the print. This process has two main advantages, archiveability and aesthetic:

Glazing refers to the glass or acrylic panel used to cover and protect the artwork. Such panels are acidic. To ensure the archiveability of the print, it is crucial to avoid any contact between it and any acidic material. Hence, matting adds a protective gap between the print and the glazing.
The window helps to frame the print, isolate it from the surrounding even more, thus improving its narrative.

Tom Migot Fine Art only uses Conservation Grade Mat boards to mat the prints. These boards are conform to the Fine Art Trade Guild requirements for conservation (level 2).

All Tom Migot Fine Art’s prints for sell are both mounted and matted. The whole process from the actual printing to the mounting and matting exclusively uses museum grade Fine Art paper, conservation grade mount and mat boards and the archival pigment-based inks, thus guaranteeing the best image rending quality of your print with a lightfastness rating of over 100 years when looked after (Learn how to look after your Fine Art print).