Mounting Prints
Complete Self-Instructing Library of Practical Photography
Volume I - Elementary Photography 1909
Trimming and Mounting
It is not enough to be able to make good negatives and good prints. The print should have a proper setting, to heighten its effect. The undesirable portions should be trimmed away, and a tasteful mount will greatly improve the finished photograph. Thousands of good photographic prints have been ruined by an unsuitable choice of mount, while indifferent second rate pictures have been greatly improved by discriminate and artistic taste in mounting. Indeed, taken together they have become quite an art in themselves. The best photographers, like the best artists, treat the mount like the frame of a picture, worthy of the most careful thought and study.
Where to Trim. As the purpose of all trimming is to improve the print by emphasizing and balancing the principal point of interest, it is evident that trimming is largely a matter of composition. If the picture is properly composed the essential parts of the view will reasonably fill the print. It is only necessary then to have due regard for the decorative effect of the principal lines and masses in the pictures. But sometimes an isolated bit of dark or light comes on the edge. Useless and undesirable details obscure the print and should be trimmed off. It is the concentration of the view that makes the picture. Make it a rule to trim mercilessly i.e., trim down until the best proportions have been obtained. A square inch of interest is better than a square yard of monotony. A part is often of more value than the whole. Do not hesitate to sacrifice the half or more of the print, if it benefits or accentuates what remains.
In seascapes, take care to have the horizons level. In buildings trim so that the vertical lines are perfectly square. One expects them to be perpendicular, unless the original was out of plumb, as sometimes happens in old buildings or ruins. When the lines are not straight, through neglect to use the rising front in the camera, or the swing-back, tilt the print a little when cutting to compensate for this. Two pieces of cardboard shaped like a carpenter’s square, laid on the print and moved about so as to get the most pleasing picture, will be a great help in judging how the print should be trimmed. In all this work be sure that the edges are parallel and the corners are square, regardless of the original size of the plate.
How to Trim. It goes without saying that the print should be thoroughly dried before trimming, otherwise there is a certainty either of tearing it or of leaving the edges ragged. The knife may be a common pocket knife, but it should be of good quality steel, with a slightly rounded point; and last, but not least, it must be kept sharp. Some trim with a pair of scissors, but this method does not insure accuracy or straight edges. We therefore recommend the regulation trimming board, with a measuring scale and cutting blade that does this work with neatness and dispatch. They can be bought at the price almost of a pair of scissors or of a knife.
Mounting Prints. It is only when prints have been properly trimmed, that we are ready to consider mounting them. There are two distinct kinds of mounts, viz.: commercial mounts that can be obtained ready made from the stock dealers, and artistic mounts, home made combinations of tinted mounting papers or boards. Both kinds are procurable in great variety, to suit all tastes from severe plainness and simplicity to the most artistic creations. However, there are certain general principles that the beginner should always bear in mind to help him in his choice of a mount.
Size of Mount. First, the size of the mount should bear a certain relative proportion to the size of the print. A small print will carry a larger margin, in proportion, than a large print will. Therefore, a small print should have a relatively larger mount, although it should be remembered that a small picture on a large mount will tend to dwarf the apparent size of the print. The proportion of the length and breadth of the mount affects the apparent length and breadth of the print. The print will always look better if mounted somewhat above the middle of the mount.
Texture of Mount. A rough print on a smooth mount or a smooth print on a rough mount are both accentuated by contrast with the texture of the surface on the mount. Great differences, then, of surface texture are seldom desirable, as they attract attention and divide the interest with the picture.
Tone and Color. Neutral tones are best where the purpose is to emphasize the high-lights and deep shadows of a picture. But the color of the mount should never so closely approximate the print that it blends with it in any way. The color of the mount should harmonize with the predominant tone in the picture, and this it can do in two ways: First, by harmony of analogy (i.e., a tone of the same or similar color); second, by harmony of contrast, where the complimentary color prevails. A suitable mount for any print, then, should either harmonize with its predominant tone or contrast with it along the lines of complement. The first method is the easier for the beginner to follow, because in selecting the mount he simply continues the predominating tone of the print. In this way one avoids such grave errors as mounting prints with purple tones on gray mounts, or black and white prints on brown and green mounts. There are no color contrasts to black and white; each contrasts with the other, and between these are many grays. The beginner, if he is wise, will mount his browns and sepias on mounts that harmonize with these colors at least until he acquires a good knowledge of complimentary colors. Hence dark mounts in general should be used for deep toned prints and light mounts for delicate tones but absolutely white or black mounts should rarely be used. Indeed all bright colored mounts are to be avoided, not only because they tend to attract attention away from the picture, but because of the complimentary color suggested. Extremes of color and even texture are not suitable mounts for photographs, as a rule. Quiet or sombre colors of gray-green or brown, also neutral tints are generally most effective. Grays and browns are always useful, and dull prints may often be brightened up by the addition of a narrow white edge around the print.
Double Mounting. In double mounting it is often best to use two or more shades of the same color, showing as rules around the print, rather than to experiment with another color. Double mounting requires a good eye for color effects, and the more line effects used the narrower they should be. It is also important that the different papers of the mount be stuck together and quite dry, before the print is added, otherwise the print will cockle. A dab of paste on the top edge of each sheet will hold them together, and a narrow strip of paste along the top edge of the print will attach it firmly to the mount. The whole thing, print and double mount, should be left under pressure for some hours.
Pasting. To come down to the dry details of pasting the print, use fresh starch paste, or Higgins’ Photo Mounter, an excellent and ever ready preparation for ordinary mounting of prints. Good mountant must stick well and promptly; should not affect the print either chemically, mechanically, or by discoloration; must be easy to prepare and easy to use without cockling the mount. The paste should be applied with a flat bristle brush, using as little as necessary but applying it rapidly and evenly. Before the print has a chance to expand lay it on the mount, cover it with blotting paper and pass the squeegee roller over it lightly at first; then gradually with more pressure, make complete and uniform contact. The print will dry nearly flat if kept between blotters and under a heavy weight for a few days.