Print Is A Design Exercise
Thoughts on elevating your photography through design
Every time we make a print for display, even a single image, it is an exercise in design. This becomes more apparent as you make decisions on how to present that print on the wall, in a portfolio of related prints, in a book, or in an exhibition. All of those things are related. I propose that recognizing this fact and paying attention to design has a massive impact on elevating your work, or it should.
Think about it from the ground up, even with that single print…
What size
The specific paper selected
Placement of the image on the paper
How much white space will there be
How much of the paper base will be revealed when mounted
Mat design and reveal
Color and tone of the matting
Frame color and width
Glazing or no glazing (glass)
Aspect ratio of the final mounted print
All of these things have an impact on the final result and in any collection of more than one photograph become even more important. There are occasions when producing printed photographs the design exercise is centered around one-off prints but that’s rarely the case. In most cases the design exercise applies to related groups of photographs. Because this is the usual case no matter if it is a small group of related images you choose to hang in your home or office or a full-blown exhibition I suggest that you give the overall design careful consideration.
Consider this newsletter installment the introduction of an on-going series that will be taking a look at design considerations of print presentation in all of its related forms, books, portfolios, and exhibitions. In a lot of cases all three are closely related and go hand in hand. I realize that not everyone is a graphic designer. You don’t need to be but you shouldn’t ignore it. I’ll start off with a few tips and “secrets” to start thinking about design more carefully in your own work. Later on I’ll do a few studies on our own output as well as others from various photographic masters.
