This is a WordPress Gallery View Format of
Posters from my Collection at Fine Art America
Just click and view each image individually w/out text 😊

• 

• 

• 

See more of Posters in my Fine Art America Gallery
And more in my Digital Pinterest Board 😊

*

A Little History
I Cut My Own Mats for Many Years, Starting on the Kitchen Table

Back in 1981, when I decided I could make a go of it doing art shows and festivals, my intent was to only sell my own work. I had far less images to offer than today by a factor of 1000s because of my digital photography.

But, back then, with literally only a handful of my own images, and no practical inexpensive way to produce prints of my own work, I realized I needed to sell other artists’ prints.

My first “matting” consisted of buying very small prints and pasting them onto a small size mat – one I quickly realized was best sized to standard size 😊

With three young children in a blended marriage in Galveston , I squeezed out enough to invest in a handheld bevel mat cutter. Did well, and purchased a small table mat cutter. Did even better. Traded in for a 40” mat cutter with side bar support to hold large sheets and get a smooth straight bevel – and never looked back til early 2000 when the physical toll lead me to my first inside job at a law firm since stints at the County Clerk’s office and State Attorney General’s offices, both in Galveston in the early 80s.

I’m not an attorney, but always liked the law. I’ve even a Rule of Law poster available at Fine Art America in my poster collection there.

I even also used it for my Fourth of July post this year!

That one’s gonna get printed in my new posters/prints venture too 😊

Standard Sizes

First thing I learned creating and carrying inventory in my car to art shows was – make it easy as I can to be able to do the shows, lol! 😊

And the easiest mat to have for prints for an art show was standard size, like 8×10, 11×14, and so forth. I still present most of my gift prints at tourist gift shops like the Old Bakery and Emporium in standard size formats.

Standard size mats and backing make it much easier for folks to simply pop their image into a ready made frame and be all set.

However, percentage wise, more people still prefer simply the print, regardless of size.

Why?

More options, more versatile, more portable.

And quite simply easier to stick on a wall and enjoy! 😊

And, for the fewer number of folks who desire to have their image framed, a large percentage prefer to choose their own mats and frames, often choosing sizes to suit a space in their home or office vs simply needing a standard size.

That’s why, with today’s printing technology and digital capabilities for pictures, I’m left with two options:

1. sell my images without a border, rolled and ready to go, or –
2. be creative, design my own border, both in size and colors, and still sell my image rolled and ready to go

Yesterday’s post, I see even more so now, was very much (as per #2 above) about seeing interest in an image & now being able to respond to that with a new poster variation!

Advantages of Digital Mats, Besides Not Slicing My Fingers 😊

Non-standard sizes are often a natural result of having an image presented as a creative entity in itself.

Cropping intensifies that result!

Squares, a format slowly become a standard size in my view, is the exception, but requires slight to severe image cropping, plus, as mentioned in one of my recent articles (including in the comments) – very special attention to edges!

Creating digital mats for my own images has 3 distinct pluses!

1. I can indulge my creativity w/out as much restraint. Today’s ink colors for printing art and photos far exceeds the colors of physical mats available.
2. If a person likes the printed border-mat colors, it reduces the cost of future framing and can still be rolled into a tube for transporting.
3. Additional physical mats can be cut and added around the existing printed border(s), even creating a double or triple mat effect!

The image sizes inside my self designed borders in the two images above illustrate how nice it is to create the size and color borders that enhance each photo in a special way.

Plus the image-only option is almost always still offered, as I usually have both styles on my Fine Art America site.

To start though, I plan to first offer poster versions of a select group.

Then expand into categories, including panoramas and selections by topic: florals, Vermont, Paris, Costa Rica, Austin, and BW Photography.

I hope you’ll follow along with us 😊

Related Posts About My Photography & Art

2019
new, posted since the release of this post 😊
Theatre of Light Poster, a Purple Floral – A Product Page Post Directly From the Artist
older relevant posts
White Blue Cluster Floral Among My Top Pins On Pinterest Again 2nd Week of August 2019 – Time to Make a Poster!
If I’m Gonna Make Posters (among other categories of prints)…What Do You Think of These?

2017
New Paris Image! Arc de Triomphe by Bus Tour Greeting Card Poster
New Austin Texas Images on Fine Art America – Butler Park, Lady Bird Lake

2013-14
Please note:
Except at the Old Bakery & Emporium, I no longer offer the gift images in the posts below in these formats, but the plans I’ve begun detailing in recent articles give me hope I’ll be able to offer them in both a more widely available and in a more versatile, useful manner.

This list below provides a good sampling of my wife and I’s original material of gift writings & images I’ve offered in the past with moderate success.

The technology today widens the variety and number of images & sayings I can hope to offer! 😊

• Volleyball Setter – Original Sports Poetry Back in Stock
• New Signed Gift Images – Texas Hill Country and Pansies
• Step-Mom Poetry Gift Writing, Matted Mounted 8 x 10s – Back in Stock!
• Gifts from Texas – Original Signed Photos, Matted Mounted 8 x 10s
• Gifts from Paris – Original Signed Photos, Matted Mounted 8 x 10s
• Gift for Seniors – Original Inspirational Poetry, Matted Mounted 8 x 10s
• Gift for Sisters – Original Family Poetry, Matted Mounted 8 x 10s

*

Related Amazon Searches & Products

mat cutting tools for framing
My comment – space to work in, desired versatility, production ability are just some of the factors to consider in choosing your mat cutting tools. Consider those carefully, read the buyer comments AND questions (plus see how those were answered). I may not know the answer, but feel free to ask me questions via the comments 😊 .
*

Images above are links! 😊

Thanks so much everyone! Happy safe travels!
Adan ❤️

Twitter / Instagram / FB @FelipeAdanLerma
Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/2YpgyUf
Fine Art America (FAA) – https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/felipeadan-lerma.html