How to cut frame mat

If you don’t own a mat cutter, you can cut your mat window with an x-acto knife, but you won’t achieve a good clean bevel. Typically, if you cut 2-3 of your own mats, your tools will pay for themselves!

Step One: Place the mat board on top of the back of your frame backing and trace around it with a pencil. After tracing, cut out the section of mat board using your X-Acto knife or other sharp blade. Step Two: Place your artwork in the center of the mat to measure the location of the opening.

Grasp the edges of two opposing corners of the mat, taking care to touch the mat only, and flip the mat and artwork over, face up. Carefully lift the mat from all sides to open it and reveal the artwork below. Try not to touch the artwork itself. Once you‘ve removed the artwork from the frame, take lots of photos.

But did you know that you can get a mat cut… any size and any layout in any of the mat materials available…at Michaels? (And probably other framing stores like JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby…. And they can probably do it while you wait (depending on how busy they are and if they have your preferred mat in stock).

Matting with Cardboard and Wrapping Paper. For large projects where the frame is too thin for foamcore, you can use a sheet of cardboard and solid colored rolled wrapping paper. Using a craft knife, cut the outer edges so the cardboard will fit the frame.

In the picture framing industry, a mat (or matte, or mount in British English) is a thin, flat piece of paper-based material included within a picture frame, which serves as additional decoration and to perform several other, more practical functions, such as separating the art from the glass.

For example, an 11×14 (which refers to the inside perimeter of the frame) used to frame an 8×10 image could be referred to as both an 8×10 frame or an 11×14, assuming the complete frame package contains the appropriate mat board. If you are including mat board, the frame size will be larger than the artwork size.

And for important documents and press clippings, we recommend a mat. A custom-cut mat and our White Gallery Frame are all it takes to make your finest press clippings to shine. Framing a photograph? A mat can really make your photo pop and complement the flat nature of the medium.

Follow These Steps to Get the Right Dimensions

Artwork Size : measure the visual area of the artwork you want to mat. For example 11×14″. Opening Size : subtract 1/2″ from the artwork size. For example, (11-1/2) x (14-1/2), 10 1/2″ x 13 1/2″ for the opening size.

Black and white mats are the most commonly used mat boards. They provide a simple, professional finish for your artwork. If you are planning to sell your artwork, black, white, or variations of black and white are the way to go (most of the time).

As to whether the frames should match the art or your decor, it depends. It’s OK to buy already framed art if you just want the frame! Keeping it simple is a good strategy, and remember each frame in your collection doesn’t need to look the same. It’s fun to mix and match shapes and sizes of similar colored frames.

Selecting Mat Board Thickness and Ply

In general, 4-ply (1/16-inch thick) and 8-ply (1/8-inch thick) are the most common, but 6-ply is also available. Thicker mat boards provide a sturdier surface, preventing it from warping and damaging the artwork, and more depth for greater visual appeal.

Tips for choosing a frame

Tip 1: Don’t overemphasize matching specific colors in your photo to the frame color. Instead, consider the overall tone of the image when selecting a frame. Tip 2: Select a lighter frame for casual or simple art—and choose a darker frame for more elegant or formal pieces.

However, there’s a general rule of thumb to keep in mind when planning out your asymmetrical gallery: choose at least one larger framed piece. If the frames are all too small or about the same size, the gallery wall will look chaotic and have no focal point.

The 2.5 mm thickness is standard for most framing glass, including coated glass that protects your artwork from fading, such as conservation and museum glass.

Often times the standard rule is to select a frame that is an inch wider and taller than the print, or poster. The frame shouldn’t be any bigger than the standard as it will make the picture or print look odd.

According to Mark Klostermeyer, a member of the Professional Picture Frames Association, it’s the sheer amount of mattings, moldings, glazings, and frames a shop provides that drives up prices. The fewer options a business offers, the more able they are to order in bulk, therefore cutting down costs.