Found a simple trick to make my art prints look way better

I've been framing my digital prints for a local craft fair and couldn't figure out why they looked so flat. After about 10 tries, I decided to add a thin white border around the image in Photoshop before printing. The result was night and day, the prints now pop against the mat board. Anyone else try this or have a better method for getting prints to stand out?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly9684d agoRising Star

wait so you're telling me a basic design thing like adding a border is a game changer? i mean yeah borders help separate the image from the mat but calling it a trick feels like a stretch. it's just standard print prep. if you're printing digital art and not accounting for bleed or white space you're basically just slapping it on paper and hoping for the best. maybe try a different paper finish or a heavier weight stock instead of relying on a border to make up for flatness. have you played around with contrast levels before printing?

robert_roberts3d ago

That 8x10 print I tried last week came out totally flat even with a border, so I get what you're saying about paper weight making more difference than just a white edge. @kelly968, have you messed with giclee prints on cotton rag paper, or is that too bougie for most home setups?