Matting

Matting for Beginners

Often the articles we read about how to mat and frame are pretty advanced.  It may be time to examine matting from the ground up, so we’ll look at the basics of materials, equipment, and techniques.

You might wonder what you need to cut mats for your drawings and watercolors.  Well, you don’t need a lot.  You can actually cut a very nice mat with an inexpensive cutting blade and a metal ruler.  But, if you plan to cut more than just the occasional mat, it might be wise to invest in an artist style mat cutter.  Alto’s is one manufacturer of mat cutters that is available almost anyplace art materials are sold.

Now this might sound complicated, but it really isn’t.  Every part of a system needs a name, but when you put all the parts together there is actually a cutter, a cutting edge, a base on which to cut and that’s it.  Select a mat width, insert your mat and the fun begins.

But maybe you don’t know the first thing about cutting a mat.  Well, that is a good place to begin.  Everything in matting starts with one simple measurement:  the size of the image.  It sounds easy…and it is.   For instance, if you are framing a borderless photo and the photo measures 8” x 10”, that is the beginning point.  However, if you cut the opening in the mat to 8” x 10”, the photo will fall right through.  Take a tip from professionals:  Use a simple technique to measure that is easy to call your own.  The pros measure just inside the image area, thus leaving a small margin to hold the photo behind the mat window.  So, with an 8” x 10” borderless print, the window should be 7¾” x 9¾”.  The 1/8” all around will hold the photo properly once it is attached behind the mat.

After the image area is calculated, add the widths of matting you want.  If, for instance, you want 3” of matting all around your photo, add 6” to the width and 6” to the height of the image.  So adding 6 inches to our measurement above, you see that the outside of the mat blank (the solid sheet before you cut your window) should be 13¾” x 15¾”.  Cut your blank and you are ready to cut your window.  How hard is that?

You should always use a scrap of matting to function as what is called a “slip” sheet, which is important for several reasons.  First, it provides a cushion under the mat, avoiding scrapes or scratches to the colored surface.  Second, the blade cuts through the mat and into the slip sheet, rather than into the hard surface of the cutter (which will cause a very ragged cut).  Third, a slip sheet prevents damage to the surface of the cutter base. 

With the slip sheet in the cutter, set the width on the mat cutter to 3 inches.  Slip in your mat wrong side up.  You always cut from the back side of the mat.  That allows for any notes or measurement reminders and cuts the mat with the beveled window.  Mark a pencil line down the cutting side of the cutting guide.  Repeat on all 4 sides.  With one hand grasping the pistol grip of the cutting head, align the head where it will pierce the mat very slightly outside the top pencil line.  Draw the cutter towards you with the blade fully engaged into the mat.  Continue the cut until just past the bottom line.  Repeat this procedure on the other sides.  Voila!  You have just cut your first mat.

Troubleshooting:  If the window does not fall out, start earlier and/or continue the cut further on your next attempt.  If you have over-cuts (cuts in the mat outside the window), start cutting later and end cutting sooner.  If the edge of the mat is ragged, your blade is dull, you do not have a slip sheet in place or the slip sheet has been cut in the same place too many times and does not provide proper support for the blade.

If the window did not fall out but is very close to falling away, use a spare blade held at the same angle as the bevel and cut through the corner.  You may have to do this cutting from each direction and at more than one corner.  With a bit of experience, you will no longer have undercuts but will cut perfect mats every time.

Fabric covered mats like suede and linen are slightly thicker than regular paper-surfaced mats.  They might require a bit of technique tweaking, but they are cut with the same technique as any other.  Just allow for the slightly thicker material and you will have no problem at all.

To recap:  You can cut mats with a simple stencil knife and a metal straight edge or you can spring for a cost effective mat cutter like Alto’s E-Z System.  Others are also available, with costs ranging from around $50 to several hundred.  If you plan to cut mats on a regular basis, the purchase price may be less than professional fees to do them.  There is also great satisfaction in doing it yourself.  Imagine the pride you will feel when you look at one of your originals, personally matted by you!

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 17 No. 9 — July 2007