If you are planning on framing your photographs, you will need to get them matted first. It is important to keep in mind that many finished frames are sold with a mat, which was cut to fit that particular frame. There are a couple of potential problems which you should consider before settling on the supplied mat. First and foremost, unless you are shopping for some very high end frames, you will receive a mat which is not of archival quality. If the photography which you intend on displaying is valuable, and you expect it to last for many years, mats made out or Acid-free, or even Preservation quality materials should be used.
Know what you are getting The biggest problem with most reasonably priced frames on the market is that they do not state whether or not the supplied mat is naturally acid-free, buffered PH, to control acid, or preservation quality, which is the top of the line. You will find more details and description of different types of mats in the Selecting a Mat for Your Photographs Article. Most people are on a budget when they shop for framing and matting materials, so simply tossing away a perfectly good mat may seem like a wrong thing to do.
flowers
