Does anyone here mount and display 4x5 contact prints?

[snay1345]

I have just begun to create contact prints of my 4x5 negatives and I am looking into buying some mats for them. I currently have a bunch of 5x7 mats that have openings for 4x5 prints, but they seem kind of small. I am thinking a mat of 8x10 or 11x14 might be a better fit so when you are looking at the print the frame is not getting in the way. Do people mount these things to a mat the size of 11x14 or would an 8x10 mat be more suitible. It is hard to tell from what i see on the net without having two mats in front of me. Thanks for any info.

[BrianShaw]

I have just begun to create contact prints of my 4x5 negatives and I am looking into buying some mats for them. I currently have a bunch of 5x7 mats that have openings for 4x5 prints, but they seem kind of small. I am thinking a mat of 8x10 or 11x14 might be a better fit so when you are looking at the print the frame is not getting in the way. Do people mount these things to a mat the size of 11x14 or would an 8x10 mat be more suitible. It is hard to tell from what i see on the net without having two mats in front of me. Thanks for any info.

I generally put 4x5 into 8x10 mat.

[atlcruiser]

I use 13 x 15 and they look great!

[Daniel Stone]

I use 13x15 for my 8x10 and 4x5 contacts, as well as the occasional MF(6x6 or 6x7) contact print. Also the same 13x15 size for 7x7 enlargements from my 6x6 negatives(color and b/w).

Its nice having only 1 size for everything, I generally think that a lot of people put their prints into too small of a mat, IMO...

you don't have to buy matboards in a certain size, go to your local butcher or supermarket, and ask them for 2-3 feet of their butcher paper. Cut it out to various mat sizes, and lay some prints out on the sizes to get a "feel" for how they look.

-Dan

[SpeedGraphicMan]

How about 36x48 inch mat? :rolleyes: :)

Just Kidding!

[Wayne Lambert]

I place my 4 x 5 prints in 11 x 14 mats and then frame with black wood frames. Makes a nice package for hand holding or to fill a small wall space. I also generally use vertical mats regardless of whether the image is horizontal or vertical. Some installation examples are on my website in the "The Photographs" section. The three photos at right are 4 x 5's in 11 x 14 mats and the four at left are 8 x 10's in 14 x 18 mats.
Daniel's suggestion to try several sizes with butcher paper is a good way to see what you really like best.
Wayne

[Jim Shanesy]

I use 13 x 15 and they look great!

Me too, but I'm changing my standard mat size to 16x20

[paulr]

If you also make mats for much larger prints, you may be able to to use piece cut out of for the windows to mat the contact prints. I did it like this for several years.

[Vaughn]

For 4x5, 8x10 makes for nice hand-holdable work -- say, a series in a nice 8x10 portfolio box of some kind. On the wall, 8x10 would be the minimum size I would go...better would be 11x14 or 12x16, IMO.

My 8x10 contacts (platinum or carbon) go on 16x20, tho I have gone to 20x24 but that was almost too much.

[vinny]

yes. 11x14 mats.

[fireboy]

When the intention is to frame and matte, are you folks printing your 4x5 contact prints onto 5x7 sheets or 4x5?

[BrianShaw]

Depends, but mostly > 4x5.