Picture Definition??? If you have to submit a picture to enter a photo contest and it has to be...?

Question

either mounted or matted but NOT in a frame. What does that mean?

Answer 1

Mounted means that the photographic paper is glued to a backing of some kind: fiberboard, masonite, etc.

Matted means that it has a thin fiberboard layer surrounding the image. Mattes are often used inside of frames to give a border effect.