What Size Mat for 7x17

[Richard K.]

do you use? I also recall (but can't find) something about clam-shell boxes for mounted 7x17 prints? Can some kind soul, who has better luck using the search function, please tell me where to find this information? Thank you! :)

[Scott Davis]

I'd probably use a 12x24 mat for a 7x17 print. It's not a standard size, but it will give you 2(top)x3(bottom)x3.5(L)x3.5(R) borders, which is enough to not crowd the image.

[Kirk Gittings]

I personally prefer a little more breathing space around my images, 4 to 5 inches. I would look at 15x25 with the window cut 1" around the image and 1/4 of an inch above center.

[Mark Woods]

Here's a source for the clam shell boxes.

http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=2088&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=1260&navTree[]=1364&navTree[]=2088

My wife is a research librarian and deals with archiving all of the time.

[John Jarosz]

That URL is truncated but I can't find out what is really supposed to show. It does take you to clam shell boxes but not the sizes we're after.


A real long time ago light Impressions (it may have even been with the original owner, not the current guy) had panorama boxes. I always meant to get a couple but never did. Now they've disappeared.

[Colin Graham]

I like big margins for square and the shorter rectangular formats, but to me banquet formats start looking a little lost on larger matts, like the image becomes subservient to the optical tricks of the surrounding white space.

[Mark Woods]

I'd contact them and see what they can do. I thought their inventory was pretty extensive.

[Vaughn]

I like big margins for square and the shorter rectangular formats, but to me banquet formats start looking a little lost on larger matts...

Good point. Just did some math. I am quite happy to put an 8x10 in a 16x20 frame, but prefer 4x10 in a 12x16 frame. With the former, the image occupies 25% of the area and the latter 20%.

Never mind -- I think I just proved my own point to be incorrect.

But I would probably mat 7x17 to 14x24. Or maybe 16x24...I seem to like to contrast the shape of the long image with a little fatter mat. I'll have to draw it up one of these days.

Vaughn

[Kerik Kouklis]

15"x25" is the matt size I used for 7x17 for years. I like breathing room around the image.

[Keith Pitman]

I use 14x24. How did I arrive at that size? I had 20x24 mat board on hand, and 14" and 24" frame sections. Regardless, it looks good with plenty of breathing room.

[Vaughn]

I use 14x24. How did I arrive at that size? I had 20x24 mat board on hand, and 14" and 24" frame sections. Regardless, it looks good with plenty of breathing room.

That's usually my way of doing it...I have sides and glass for 12x16, 16x20, 20x24 and 24x28 -- and any combinations of those sizes (12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 inches). So if I wanted lots of mat I could even do 16x28.

[John Powers]

You were talking about buying a 7x17 last weekend. Are you moving closer?

My mats are 23 ½” x 14 ¼”. The opening is 7x17” I prefer to cut some of the black border to the edge of the notch. On the other hand I have 12 film holders and three different notch shapes and sizes, representing what each maker thought was right.

Michael Mutmansky’s mats are 25”x15”. The opening is 7 ¼” x 17 5/16” This shows all of the black border.

Several years ago Michael, Clay Harmon and some other 7x17 users had some custom portfolio boxes made. Clay eventually offered his here and John Bowen beat me to the purchase. Perhaps they could direct you to the box maker.

If you find the source and are looking for enough buyers to make it worth while for the builder let me know.

John

[Richard K.]

Thanks for the information, John. I had a long walk/talk with myself and decided to wait on any new camera until I've shot at least 100 sheets with my new 10x12 (which I just got!) and made at least a dozen matted prints. Those of you that had 7x17 prints really managed to impress me though and I think that that format may be in my future again and a nice complement to the 10x12.

[John Powers]

Thanks for the information, John. I had a long walk/talk with myself and decided to wait on any new camera until I've shot at least 100 sheets with my new 10x12 (which I just got!) and made at least a dozen matted prints. Those of you that had 7x17 prints really managed to impress me though and I think that that format may be in my future again and a nice complement to the 10x12.

So, should I ask again next Wednesday?

John

[Richard K.]

So, should I ask again next Wednesday?

John

How insulting!! Better make it Thursday...:D

[Steve Nieslony]

Another vote for 14x24... just feels right to me...

Steve

[John Bowen]

Richard,

I double checked and my mats are 13x25 for 7x17 prints.

I don't know if you or John Powers noticed, but the gray box my 7x17 prints were in was one of the boxes I got from Clay Harmon.

Cheers

[Jim Ewins]

I start out with a 16x20 matt if the print is much smaller in the small dimension the matt gets cut down so that the lower border is somewhat greater than the upper - it is a case of visual balance. Put together frames come in inch increments so I use 14, 12 or even 10 inch x 20 inch frames. Some organizations require matted prints NLT 20"

[Vaughn]

Jim, that NLT 20" would make it a challenge to present a 7x17 image. I'd be looking through my negs, seeing if there were any I could take an inch or two off of for a better image...;)

Vaughn, who has a few 7x17 negatives that must be printed shorter than 17" -- saggy bellows on a couple vertical images! (26" lens).