MONITOR VS PRINT
For producing the final print a complex interaction between computer and printer requires precise calibration of all devices, aka “color management”. Your home monitor is unlikely to be calibrated and generally will render the image less SATURATED and more blue than the native file. For optimum viewing a print should be viewed in a somewhat dim setting with illumination by track light or similar; this makes the print really pop. Most of us do not have ideal gallery viewing conditions in the home or office, but there are several quite inexpensive solutions. A quick web search for “LED wall picture lights” will give multiple hits. Battery powered units do not require doing electrical work to light your print. This has the advantage of displaying your print with a more neutral light than typical indoor tungsten bulbs and will REVEAL the true INTENT of the image. Do avoid displaying in direct sunlight for longest light-fastness (your grandchildren will thank you).
FRAMING
I typically print with a 2-inch white border for anything less than 36 inches on long axis. I sign in archival ink in the lower right corner of the white border where it will display with the portion of the border not covered by mat or liner. If you don’t want it to be displayed, then a larger mat or liner can be used. If the print is in tier one it will have its edition number there as well. Larger prints may have a 3-inch border for balance. My photographs can be displayed with conventional framing, borderless in float mount (the mounting substrate is backed by a spacer that sets it off the wall), or mounted in plexiglass ( so-called face mount). Traditional framing, matting and glazing (glass) can become more expensive than the print itself, particularly with larger sizes. Weight becomes a factor when shipping or hanging the print and glassless display can save both weight and money. Any print purchased from me mounted or framed comes with a protective laminate that blocks UV light as well as moisture and dirt. Currently I am working with Duraplaq and have been more than pleased with their work. This protects the print, and saves the cost and weight of glass. The mounting process preserve art prints in an acid-free, moisture resistant, and UV-protected finish. A DuraPlaq® print is mounted in a fully acid-free manner to DuraPlaq®’s exclusive eco-conscious 1/8” premium wood product coated with an acid-free surface. Price Museum Glass or Optium Museum Acrylic at your local framery to get a rough cost estimate — of the available glazing products, those give best display performance with respect to clarity of the image and reduction of reflection. Standard ANTI REFLECTIVE glass imparts a softness to the image, as it is basically a very fine-grained sandblasting applied to the glass or acrylic.
In general, add at least 3 inches in each print dimension when determining how much display space is required, though this will depend on choice of frame and mat / liner. A larger print typically would receive a wider frame, though this is not a hard rule. size of the finished framed print will flow from that. Framing is a highly personal subjective topic and there are no right answers, just preferences. Be sure to leave some breathing room in the space where you will display the artwork. Sometimes it may be necessary to scale back print size to accommodate.
PLACE MATTERS, SIZE MATTERS
There are some general rules of thumb for “how big”.
In the living room above the sofa : 40 inches minimum up to the full width of the sofa minus about 4 inches on either side. Ideally two-thirds the width of the sofa. This is a great spot for a panoramic format image.
At the dining table : 40 inches minimum up to the full width of the table or wall minus about 4 inches on either side. If filling the wall leave proportionately more space to give the artwork room to visually “breathe”. This is a great spot for a panoramic format image.
In the bedroom above the bed : 48 inches or wider. If the bed has upright posts then allow at least three - four inches of breathing room on each side.
Hallways are a great location for a series of images in portrait orientation. Size depends on the available space, lighting, and how many images to display and at what size.
MOCK UP — VIRTUAL REALITY
You can get a rough idea using newspaper cut to size and taped to the wall; be sure to allow for frame width. An even better idea is to use a virtual reality tool, which fortunately is available on-line, below. You can download a j-peg image from my site by right clicking the image and saving to your hard drive. Then navigate to the design studio using the link below and follow the instructions. Choose a frame width (2-3 inches is a good starting point and remember to double frame width + any matting or liner when totaling width or height of the finished piece. A black mat in the design studio looks virtually like the black linen frame liner that is my current favorite. You can take a picture of your intended space with your phone and upload it for custom placement or use one of their canned spaces.