Many people use mats to frame their favorite pictures or posters. Images framed by matboard look neater and visually seem to sit comfortably in a defined area. Because mats come in so many textures and varieties of color and shape, they have the ability to blend with any type of decor. For instance, colored mats highlight pictures by picking up similar tones, while double-matting creates depth. Also, a beveled mat draws the viewer’s eye smoothly down into the artwork or picture.

Pre-cut mat frames are available as are uncut matboard sheets. If you choose to make your own, there’s a world of mat cutting borders and techniques to explore. For example, you can cut two mats in different colors with slightly different dimensions, and double-mat your picture. Some mat cutters can be used to create different corner shapes to further enhance your picture matting.

A Few Words About Matboards
The composition of the type of matboard you use is of concern if the art you are matting is original or valuable. For these types of matting jobs, you will want to invest in quality board made of 100% cotton rag fibers or purified lignin-free wood pulp treated with an alkaline buffer to absorb atmospheric acidity. These materials are usually called “museum-quality” or “acid-free.” Where longevity is concerned, colored paper-covered pasteboard typically found in the general store will not hold up. These boards are of low quality and deteriorate rapidly, and their failure can damage the artwork. These boards can be distinguished from the high-quality matboards by looking at the core of the material. It is usually white or cream-colored, contrasting with the paper covering.

 

Matting a Picture:  A View from Behind

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Back of the matted picture

Back of matted picture in frame

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Mat Cutters
Two types of mat cutters are available–hand-held and tabletop. Hand-held cutters are convenient and less expensive, but do not have a built in straightedge. This means you must use your own straightedge, most likely a ruler, and coordinate yourself to keep the matboard firmly held in place while cutting to prevent slippage and damage to your matboard. This method makes it slightly more difficult to create accurate sharp cuts. Table-top cutters have straightedges along with enough weight to help hold the board in place. When using mat cutters, keep in mind that the blades easily dull and must be changed frequently or else they create scraggly edges. In fact, some people who frame their own artwork often replace their blades each time they cut a new board.