Digital BW, The Print

Hello Steve,

Lots of good questions, several things to think about...

>I am still wondering how people do this with your frames and 
>landscape images.  For portrait the sizes work but not for 
>landscape.  In all cases one gets too much landscape width to 
>get the height.

Frame size - It is possible, through creative matting (and within
reasonable limits of course), to put longish landscapes in standard
frames (or square pics in rectangular frames, etc.  So you first must
decide if you want to use standard sizes.  If you're selling a matted
print it will make a difference in cost and/or hassle for the buyer,
and may affect the buying decision.  If you're doing your own framing
its not as big an issue, just more hassle to purchase different size
frame pieces for each print.  The glass, though, is a more difficult
issue unless you cut your own.  You can always settle on a "standard"
non-standard size and keep the parts in stock.  Bottom line is its
always easier to stick with standard sizes.  Whatever you use, just
keep that in mind as you make the pics.  Your call.  Another issue is
whether a non-standard size is an incentive or disincentive for
potential customers.  A long framed panoramic may be difficult to work
into a decor with other more standard frames.


>...allow extra room at the bottom for signature etc. For example, 
>a 10x15 image might require a mat opening of 11.5 x 15.75 inches
(3/8in top and sides and 1 1/8in at the bottom).

It is not necessarily a requirement to have more room at the bottom. 
That's just one way of doing it.  Many photographers put the same
amount on all four sides, and still have plenty enough space for a
signature and/or title.  The space can be as small as 1/4" (I recently
did this for a 3x4 print in a 5x7 matt, which included a small title
and signature in that 1/4 inch), to 3/8" for an 8x10, 1/2" for 11x14,
5/8" for 16x20, etc.  Don't feel you have to do it a certain way.  Try
things and see what looks best to you.

Just some things to think about.


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm