Mats versus Mounts

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Mon 18 Jun, 2007 10:34 pm

Over here, when we cut a hole in a piece of board, we call it a 'mount'.

When we put it over a piece of artwork, we say we have 'mounted' it - with said mount.

When we hinge artwork, to what we call an 'undermount' (which windows does not like without a hyphen!) we ALSO say we have 'mounted' it.

I think the US terms are better - a 'Mat' is the bit with the hole in and a 'Mount' is the thing behind it, which the artwork is mounted on.

Or you could say 'window mount' for the bit with the hole and 'mount' for the bit artwork is attached to.

Discuss!

Not your average framer · Mon 18 Jun, 2007 11:09 pm

I may be wrong, but I think the French call it a Passe-Partout (Just to confuse matters further), but we better not say too much or the E.U. might decide it needs a regulation about what it is called.

Post by **prospero** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 12:18 am

And the whole thing fits under a rabbet.

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 7:24 am

I have a mat on the floor. Some people may even call that a rug.

Post by **John** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 7:27 am

Having already embraced many Americanisms, I think it is just great that, finally, someone has got off their fanny to address this issue!

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 8:08 am

Most people down here in the colonies call them "mats". Just makes more sense that using "mounts". In my mind, (which is quite tiny) Mounts are things that "attach" something.

When saying that something is "mounted" does "mounted" mean "matted" or "attached"??? No-one ever knows exactly what this means when discussing this by phone or email or forum! If you say something is "matted", it is pretty clear what this means.

Post by **prospero** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 10:41 am

There seems to be a great variation in terminology among UK framers as well, particually on the subject of 'slips'.

To me, a slip is a flat moulding designed to fit inside an outer moulding.

A liner is a slip with a rebate.

A fillet is a slip with a lip on the upper surface.

A slip/liner that is wider than the outer moulding it becomes a panel

That's just my convention.

One of my (trade) customers habitually refered to slips as 'stretchers'.

And then there are swept frames. People tend to label any frame that has ornaments on the corners as a swept frame. But strictly speaking the term refers to the profile of the moulding, it being 'swept' back like a wave. So you could have a swept frame with no ornaments.

Or am I just resorting to pedanticism? (or should that be pedantry

)

Bill Henry · Post by **Bill Henry** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 8:30 pm

When I first joined this forum, I was a little confused by the term “mount”. It took me several readings of a post to see how it was used in context before I could figure it out.

John introduce the word, “flumb” to the American Grumble. As you know, a flumb is a speck of dirt or dust which comes in two forms: light colored dust which shows up on dark colored mats (or mounts); and dark colored dust which shows up on light colored mats. Dust only become a “flumb”, though, after the frame package is sealed.

Some time ago, there was an argument about how the word, “fillet” should be pronounced. It seemed to be equally divided into the “fill-IT” and the “fil-LAY” camps. I suggested that to eliminate the confusion that we refer to them as “wreltneys”. It hasn’t caught on.

Some other Americanisms that I have not seen here:

Wood that crumbles when you chop it – snotwood.

Mild adhesives used in magazines which allow you to remove a supplement easily – Goober Glue.

Can you think of any other odd terms used in the picture framing industry?

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 9:29 pm

Years ago in either Art Busines Today (probably) or maybe The Picture Business, there was a letter, or maybe it was in an article - a poem someone had written about flumbs. As I remember it was written by a customer who had returned a frame with a foreign body inside it and the framer started swearing at it, basically, and the customer christened these things 'Flumbs' - probably to ryhme with something.

I only remember one line "makes you unglue your glued up thing" but it was very good.

If anyone has kept all their issues of ABT/TPB and can find this poem I'd be very grateful.

We're talking beer - Harveys Sussex best bitter (UK deliveries only!!!)

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Tue 19 Jun, 2007 10:18 pm

Bill Henry wrote:
Can you think of any other odd terms used in the picture framing industry?

Well there's 'Evergreen slugs' which on TFG are movie posters - I know who christened them that, but I've no idea why.

I think 'snotwood' has been mildly used here - probably by me - but I also like 'weetabix moulding'. Is the breakfast cereal 'weetabix' available in The States? - it's a very apt description - down to Kev I think.

Pete Bingham (where is he?) described a certain mountcutter as a 'Maxi Slasher' once, and that's now what I call my 60" keencut excalibur.

Evo stick I call 'Evil Stink' - don't use it of course but have seen plenty of stuff mounted with it! Bloody contact adhesive for heavens sake!

A term I dislike 'Cotton Museum' - a place where you can see the history and examples of cotton making?

Non reflective mirror glass (I made that one up but have, on occasion, asked customers if they want non reflective glass in their mirror - most laugh, or roll their eyes, but one said it was OK - it was going in a hall with no windows! - I spared them embarrasment and just said "Oh - OK then"!)