Making and Cutting Your Own Picture Mats

(I will make pictures available for this article as soon as possible.)

It is possible for a home owner to cut their own mats for their own pictures with out the use of a mat cutting machine. It can be done using just a few simple tools locally available. In fact it was not that long ago when all mats were cut by hand this way. This is the purpose of this article, to show you how to cut mats by hand. But first, lets see if we can learn something along the way.

Professional picture framers consider mat making to be one of the most challenging and pleasing aspects of putting a picture together for their customers. The mats may have more impact on the finished piece of art then any other component. Choosing the colors and the various cuts made in the mats requires lots of care and considerations to make the finished job look great.
There are simply thousands of ways to cut mats, cut the corners, and cut v-groves, and decorate the corners and the mats. There are whole books wrote on just this subject. Some professionals even use computers to cut the mats and add fancy designs.

There are schools and books where you can spend weeks learning how to cut fancy mats and designs. I have seen mats designed that took hours to cut and cost hundreds of dollars. That's right, just for the mat!

But you know what? In most professional shops, most people that come in to have a picture framed just want a plain and simple mat that shows off their artwork or picture without the mat being over kill and taking away from the art or picture. There is lot's to be said for just choosing plain cut mats for the art. I have seen some mats so well done with fancy designs that you spend your time looking at the mat and not the art that was supposed to be the focal point of the picture. Ninety percent of the customers at our shop just want nice looking regular cut mats. You too, can cut these mats!

Tools You Will Need

You will need some tools to make mats. A ruler, a steel tape, a large square, a straight edge, a utility knife and blades, a razor blade, mat saver files, and a sharp pencil.

The use of a mat cutter like the Alto Mat cutter makes cutting mats simple and you can repeat your job over and over very easily. Mat cutters are designed to make it easy to cut mats over and over with different sizes of borders and they do this job very well. They are highly recommended if you are planning to cut a quite a few mats. These cutters come with complete instructions and books. You certainly wouldn't need to read this article to learn about cutting mats using one of these mat cutters. The purpose of this article is to show you how you can cut one or more mats for your own pictures. I am going to show you how to cut these mats with out using nothing more than just a few common tools and materials.

Mat Board Materials

Well, you need mats for sure. Mats are made of either cardboard or rag board. Cardboard is a wood product and at one time was the most common mat board used in matting pictures. But wood contains acids that will in time leave permanent discoloration where it touches the art. This is called acid burning and eventually ruins the art. Take a look at any picture that has been framed for six months using cardboard mats and if you look closely at the cut edges of the mat board you may see that the edge of the mat has already started to turn a brownish color. This acid will eventually leak into the art.

Mat boards are also made of 100 % cotton fibers and is called rag mat, or museum board. These mat boards are now made in many colors and are in use by most professional shops. These boards never turn color, the cut edges always stay pure white and never turn brown, nor do the boards leak acid into the art. These rag mats are 100% archival and should be used on any art that is worth anything to you. These mats are usually about double the price of regular cardboard mat boards and some are five times the price.

The price of rag mats is one of the reasons why frame it quick shops and other low priced shops found in malls and cheap places use regular mat boards. They also use cheap mounting, and glazing, but that is another story. You pay for what you get in this life.
One look at the cut edges of a mat can tell any experienced picture framer which type of mat has been used, even on freshly cut mats. There is a difference in the way they look.

There is a place for regular mat board to be used though. For example, maybe you just want to frame a piece of children's art, (your neighbors children's art) or a newspaper article. Things you don't care if it lasts more than twenty years or so. Why pay the price of rag mats on such framing? The only person who can answer that question is you. If on the other hand you were framing a limited edition print or a picture of your grandfather, you would really want to use rag mats. More can be learned about mats in my article about mats.

There are other things you can use for mats. For example at one time glass mats were real common. The glass was cut into mats and the inside edges of the glass was sometimes, dyed, stained, smoked, or painted. I have seen all kinds of things done to glass mats. You almost never see them anymore. For children's art you might just want to make a mat out of construction paper, cardboard covered with cloth, there are many things that could be used for home projects. A home picture framer can keep a smart sharp eye on lots of things he might see in some of the larger department stores and art supply shops! I a have seen some incredible framing jobs that have been done by home owners that the pro's could never do due to time constraints.

Measuring and Marking Theory

To make mats you are going to have to be very accurate with a ruler. You need to make sure you understand all the markings on the ruler. You need to know what 1/16 is, 1/8 is, and ¼ is. All these are found on every ruler.

The best sizes of mat for the beginner to work on are mats that measure 16 by 20 inches or less in size. To make larger mats without a mat cutter gets to be much more difficult but it can certainly be done.

We need to have a starting place. So lets say you have an 8 x 10 picture you want to mat and frame. It could be any size, but in order to have a frame of reference for this article, we will talk about and use this 8 x 10 photo.

In almost all cases, you want the mat to cover the edges of your picture. You cannot just cut an 8 x 10 hole in a mat board and expect that to work because the picture would fall though it. You should always have the picture covered all around the edges by ¼ inch of mat board. (There can many reasons for doing otherwise, as any professional knows, but this article is for the home picture framer). So if we take the 8 x 10 picture and deduct ¼ inch all the way around, what you then need is a mat with a 7 ½ by 9-½ inch hole cut in it. So in other words, no matter what you are framing, you need to deduct ½ inch from the horizontal measurement and the vertical measurement to get the hole size required. It is simple; your 12 x 14 picture needs to have a hole cut in the mat 11 ½ by 13 ½ for example. You can figure out any picture quite simply this way.

Once you know the size of the hole in the mat board you require you are pretty much all set. Forget the true size from now on and work with only the hole size. So if our 7 ½ x 9 ½ hole had two inches added all around it we find out that we need a piece of mat board with a total height and width of 11 ½ x 13 ½ inches.

It don't matter what the ending glass size is because you are building a picture frame ordered from this web site and we will cut the frame to the exact dimensions you require. This is the exact process used by professional frame shops. They find the size of the cut out, add to that how much mat they want and then order picture frame chops to fit.

Let's study this just a bit more. Lets say you want that 8 x 10, or more exact the 7 ½ x 9 ½ picture to fit into an 11 x 14 frame you have kicking around. To do this would require the 11 x 14 mat to have 1-¾ inches of mat on the sides, and the top and bottom would have to be 2 ¼ inches. Do you notice that the sides and tops are not equal? This is one reason why professional picture framers always have so much nicer looking pictures. They usually make the sides equal all the way around. You just can't do this with store brought picture frames. And it is so much easier for you to make the equal sides and order the frame chops to fit like the pros do.

But, I know you still want to use that old 11 x 14 frame you have kicking around. To do that, you need to do a little more figuring to find the size of the mat borders required. There are some standard size openings for standard size mats. I give you those standard sizes here to help you determine what you need.

Now, if you really want the professional look though, you will add a nice even space all around the cut out hole, then order a picture frame chop "to fit". In the example above you would order a 13 ½ x 15-½ chop. This is what professional frame shops do. We can sell you the picture frame chops here. And of course, we like selling picture frame chops. That's our business.

Measuring and Marking

Once you know the hole size, and have added the mat size all the way around, you now know the total size mat you need. In the example above you need a mat 13 ½ by 15 ½ inches. Then you need to use a carpenter's square to mark this measurement out on a piece of mat board. Make sure the marks are true and square by measuring across all four corners, then cut this piece of mat board out using a straight edge and a utility knife. Make sure your mat is lying on top of a piece of cardboard so as to protect the top of whatever table you are using.

You should always make your pencil marks on the backside of the mat board, never on the front side. This method has many advantages. Don't even think about marking the front side. I am not going to explain any further about why, so I can keep this article down to less than book size!

Now that you have your 13 ½ x 15 ½ piece of mat board cut out, you need to lay it face down on a piece of cardboard. Using a straight edge and your rulers, mark out the 3 inch borders all the way around (or what ever size border you are using). You should end up with a mat board with a hole marked out on the back. Take your ruler and measure this cut out. It should measure exactly 7 ½ x 10 ½ inches for your 8 x 10 picture. Always measure the cut out before you actually cut the mat to be sure the hole will be the correct size when you are finished. It stands to reason that the better you are at measuring your pictures and mats the easier and better your finished products become. Like anything else, once you have done a few, the process becomes much simpler.

Mat Cutting

The sheer linear perfection and clean-cut corners of a well-cut mat beveled window is your reward for all the work and care you have put into this project. With practice, you can do a really nice job. Remember, years ago all mats were cut by hand. Practice on scrap materials until you are satisfied with your results.

Make sure your knife has a new blade in it. Some professionals use a new blade on every mat they cut! New blades make the cut edges of the mat crisp and clean. You will soon note the difference between a sharp clean cut with a new blade and the look of a cut done with a dull blade.

When cutting mats keep the cutting tool moving at a steady pace. When you come to a corner learn to not slow down, but to make your cuts smooth and steady and learn to "stop quickly at the corners." This process makes your corners look much nicer. It takes time to develop this practice. It is the process used by professionals. It is the process you want to learn, whether you are using a hand held cutting knife or a mat cutting machine.

The homeowner will be using a utility knife to cut their mats. To cut the bevel opening you will have to learn to tip the utility knife over about 30 to 45 degrees. This can be learned and will become easier with practice. Try to always cut your mats with the same degree of bevel and soon you will be doing it automatically.

You will need a good straight edge. Hold this next to the line you have made on the backside of your mat board with one hand, while holding the utility knife with the other hand to make your cuts. This becomes easier with practice. The pictures show how this is done. It will take your cutting 15 to twenty mats to become proficient at doing this. Maybe more depending on how worried you are at doing this. It helps to learn to cut your mats with confidence right from the beginning. Pretend you have been doing this for years and just go ahead and make nice quick clean cuts. It's like cutting glass, if you try to hard it becomes much more difficult to almost impossible.

Why make beveled cuts? First off, the bevel edge looks so much nicer and leads your eye into the picture. Also, if the cuts were just straight cuts with no bevel, the straight edges always end up casting shadows into the picture.

After cutting all four of your cuts on the backside of the mat board. Put you utility knife aside and gently pick up your mat board and turn it over. I will assume that you will find your corners to not be cut all the way off cleanly, because you didn't want to over cut your corners. So be gentle when picking up and turning over your mat board. If the corners of the cut edges are still holding, you do not want the cut window to just go dropping out by it's weight and causing the corners to be torn loose. Next I will show you how to finish clean cutting the corners and using mat saver files.

(If the paragraph above is unclear - just go ahead and cut a mat board. When you turn it over, the paragraph above will be instantly made clear)

A corner-cutting hint. Try to cut your corners cleanly and all the way off the first time. To do this you will need to learn to tip the blade of the utility knife down, as well as side ways so that the tip of the blade matches the bevel of the opposite side line you are cutting into. Only cutting a few mats makes this statement clear enough to be learned.

Looking at the picture you will see I have cut a mat and one or more corners is still holding. Try not to let these tear loose, by holding the window drop out in place with one hand. Using a mat cutting blade, not your utility knife, use your other hand to come up from the back side of the mat and finish cutting the corner with the mat cutting blade. Usually all you have to do is make that one little cut to finish the job. The picture shows how this is done.

Mat saver files.

When you have your mat window all cut out, check it the edges of your cut mat for any defects you have done. Don't expect perfection at first! You will notice that dull blades leave a ragged cut along the edges of the cut edges, and maybe your corners need a little touching up. Don't use a knife or mat cutting blade to do this. You will invariably make it worse. Instead use a mat saver file to file off the raggies and fix small errors.

These files work great, but I will state right here, that if you can get to the point where you don't need to use them, or barely use them, your mats will be so much better. Mat saver files have a purpose. Trying to save a real poorly cut mat is not one of them.

The whole discussion above is about the process of cutting a single mat. Cutting a double mat by hand, so that it looks good is almost impossible. It can be done, but it is much more difficult to get a perfect one because when finished there usually is a variation in the sizes of the cut edges and how they line up. I recommend you only cut single mats using the hand cutting method outlined above. To cut double mats, or a lot of mats I would recommend that you purchase a mat cutter made for the purpose, like the alto mat cutter. But anyone can learn to cut mats by hand as outlined above. It is up to you to decide if and when you want a mat cutter. With the picture framing tools, materials, and picture frame chops that we provide on this web site, you may just decide to do a lot of your own picture framing!

The Alto Mat Cutter

Cutting mats using an Alto Mat cutter is absolutely duck soup. Almost instantly you can learn to cut single and double mats that look and are professional in every way. The blade holder holds the cutting blade at the proper angle and the cutter helps you lay out the lines to be cut. It takes only a couple of hours to learn how to use this cutter to get professional results. The biggest difference between the beginner and the professional is that the professional will almost always use a new blade with every mat. Why? Because the customer is paying for the mat, the blades are cheap, and the new blade allows him to cut a beautiful mat every time and usually he never even has to use a mat saver file. He has also learned to cut his mats quickly and smoothly from the experience of cutting many mats.

There are many mat cutters out there for the homeowner to cut their own mats. I still say that the best of these is the Alto Mat Cutter. Especially the deluxe model that has brass parts on all the moving pieces. It will last a lifetime.

Most of the other mat cutters are limited to the size of the mat that they can cut. Many cannot cut a mat larger than 20 or 24 inches. I won't method names and make them famous. The alto mat cutter is unlike the rest. With the alto mat cutter you can cut a mat of any size. Even one that is 40 feet long if you could buy a mat that size. It accomplishes this feat because it is open ended.

In my shop, I have one of the best commercial mat cutters there is, it is about the biggest there is and is very expensive, but is still limited to cutting mats with a total length of 48 inches. When I need to cut a really large mat, what do you think I haul out, the simple little alto mat cutter of course. Don't over look this mat cutter; it is in use by many professional frame shops around the country. It gets the job done and you can cut any mat with it that your heart desires.

If and when the day comes you should ever decide to buy a mat cutter. Always purchase at least one roll of hand held ATG tape. You will need this tape to cut double mats. This tape is so good for so many projects; you should always have some around anyway. It is a must have.

Several other items you need are of course a few mat saver files, and our burnishing bone. Not just any burnishing tool, but the one we sell. I have seen lots of these made out of plastic that were worthless. The one I sell is the real thing and does wonderful job and works great. I am not trying to sell you anything here, but I have really had to hunt high and low to find this bone tool. With this tool you can lay down a piece of scotch tape and using the burnishing bone, smooth it down to perfection. This is necessary in putting some mats together such as when making v - grooves in your mats. Also the tip of the tool is useful in burnishing down a hangnail in the cut edge of a mat board. There are many uses for this tool. It is a must have tool by a picture framer.

Of course you will need mats. We sell half size sheets and smaller in any quantity. The problem with whole mats is the fact that you have to order 20 -25 mats at a time to make shipping viable. Most companies will not sell mats to homeowners for several reasons. One reason of course is that selling less than 20 sheets at a time is means a loss of money to the company. The biggest reason is that this 20-sheet package is heavy. The carriers drop the packages and the corners of the mats sometimes get damaged. Now your typical professional picture framer understands this problem and never complains. He takes it in stride and works around the problem by cutting the damaged areas off.

The average home picture framer that gets mats delivered to him with damaged corners complains bitterly almost every time. It turns into a mess with the company either sending more mat board out or refunding money. Either way the company always ends up losing. For this reason they won't send mats to anyone other than a professional shop. You really can't blame them either, you would do the same thing if you were in their shoes for just a little while.

Cardboard mats can sometimes be purchased at department stores or other craft and art shops. Some people find other things to make mats out of. For example, I have seen people take foam board and cover it with glue and then glue find looking fabric to the board and make fabric mats. You are only limited by your imagination! Good luck and try to have a happy time cutting a few mats for your pictures, you may or may not get a perfect professional looking mat but a great deal of satisfaction comes from looking at your finished picture on the wall and saying to yourself, "I did That !" On heck, tell your friends and brag a little…..

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		Making and Cutting Your Own Picture Mats by Reimond Grignon

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