Adding borders to paper prints offers numerous advantages, enhancing the artwork’s visual appeal, protection, and framing options. A border can act as a built-in mat, giving your artwork or photography a professional, polished look that makes it stand out. At Giclee Fine Prints, we encourage artists and photographers to consider borders as an effective way to elevate their prints. Here’s why adding borders to paper prints can be beneficial.
Enhanced Visual Presentation
A border around your print creates a visual frame that draws attention to the artwork. It provides a clean separation between the image and its surroundings, making the artwork appear more refined and professional.
Key Benefits:
- Focus on the Artwork: Borders help focus the viewer’s attention on the central image, reducing visual distractions and enhancing the overall presentation.
- Balanced Composition: Borders can add balance to the artwork, especially for images that have intricate details or vibrant colors. This extra space allows the artwork to “breathe” visually.
- Polished Look: A border gives prints a gallery-like feel, making them look well-finished and ready for display even without additional framing.
Best For:
- Photographers and artists looking to enhance the presentation of their work, making it more appealing to viewers and potential buyers.
Ease of Framing
Borders make framing easier and can even eliminate the need for a mat. This is especially helpful for customers who want to frame the print without added costs or hassle.
Key Benefits:
- No Need for Matting: The border serves as a built-in mat, giving the print a finished look when framed without the need for additional materials.
- Customizable Border Sizes: Borders can be adjusted to different widths, giving flexibility in framing styles. A thicker border can serve as a statement, while a thin border can add subtle enhancement.
- Protects the Edges: A border helps protect the edges of the artwork from being hidden under the frame or mat, ensuring that the entire artwork is visible.
Best For:
- Artists and photographers who want to offer prints that are easy to frame or customers who prefer a simple, mat-free framing solution.
Protection for the Artwork
Borders add a layer of protection to the artwork by creating a buffer zone around the image. This can be particularly beneficial when handling, framing, or mounting the print.
Key Benefits:
- Reduces Fingerprints: When framing or handling the print, borders provide a space where fingers can grip without touching the artwork directly, reducing the risk of smudges or fingerprints.
- Prevents Image Cropping: The border prevents the frame or mat from covering important parts of the image, preserving the artwork’s full composition.
- Acts as a Safety Buffer: For prints being shipped or stored, a border protects the edges of the artwork from potential damage, such as bending or scuffing.
Best For:
- Print sellers and artists looking to protect the integrity of their artwork during handling and shipping.
Adds Flexibility in Display Options
Borders provide flexibility when displaying prints, allowing them to be presented with or without frames. They also offer options for creative displays, such as pinning or mounting directly on walls.
Key Benefits:
- Frameless Display: With a border, a print can be displayed without a frame, giving a minimalist, modern look. This is ideal for buyers who want to showcase artwork with a casual or temporary setup.
- Direct Mounting: Borders allow for alternative mounting options, such as attaching prints to foam boards or mounting directly on walls using clips or pins, without compromising the artwork itself.
- Multiple Border Styles: You can experiment with different border styles, such as white, black, or even colored borders, to complement the artwork’s color scheme and style.
Best For:
- Artists and photographers looking to provide flexible display options for their prints, appealing to customers with varied display preferences.
Enhances the Value of the Print
A border can give the impression of a limited-edition or premium product, adding to the perceived value of the artwork. Many art collectors and customers appreciate the clean, finished look that borders provide.
Key Benefits:
- Increased Perceived Value: The addition of a border creates a sense of craftsmanship, making the print feel more valuable and collectible.
- Professional Appeal: Borders are commonly used in gallery and museum presentations, and including a border can give your print that professional, high-quality look.
- Limited-Edition Feel: Adding a border with an artist’s signature, edition number, or date can increase the artwork’s uniqueness, especially for limited-edition prints.
Best For:
- Artists and photographers who want to elevate their prints to a premium level, appealing to collectors and art enthusiasts.
Space for Artist Signatures and Details
Borders provide a perfect space for artists to add signatures, titles, edition numbers, or other personal details without interfering with the main image. This is a valuable feature for limited-edition prints.
Key Benefits:
- Signature Placement: An artist’s signature on the border gives each print a personal touch, adding authenticity and appeal to collectors.
- Edition Numbers: For limited-edition prints, borders offer space to add edition numbers and other identifiers, making each piece unique.
- Artwork Titles or Notes: Including the title or a short description on the border adds context to the artwork, making it more meaningful to the viewer.
Best For:
- Artists creating limited-edition or collectible prints that benefit from unique identifiers and personal touches.
Improves Visual Harmony in Collage or Gallery Walls
Borders help unify a collection of prints when displayed together, especially on gallery walls. The consistent border around each print creates a cohesive look, even if the prints vary in style or color.
Key Benefits:
- Consistent Framing Style: Borders give each piece a similar structure, creating visual harmony across different styles and colors, making them work well together in a collage.
- Balanced Negative Space: The border adds a visual margin, balancing the negative space between each print and creating a more organized, gallery-like presentation.
- Adds Continuity: When displaying multiple prints, a border helps tie the pieces together, making the display look intentional and professional.
Best For:
- Artists and photographers offering sets of prints or customers creating gallery walls in their homes or offices.
Contact Us
Our address is: 3816 Pioneer Trail Ste #3, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Email: Info@gicleefineprints.com
FAQs
Border sizes depend on personal preference and the print size. A border of 0.5 to 2 inches is common for smaller prints, while larger prints may benefit from wider borders, 2 to 4 inches or more.
It’s best to add borders during the printing process. Adding a mat within the frame can simulate a border but requires re-framing.
Yes, borders can enhance various types of artwork, from photography to digital art. They add balance and give a polished look to most styles.
