ANSWERS: 1
  • <h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: Use a Large Mat

    Don't worry about the cost of matting and place a large mat around your picture, especially if you are framing a small photograph, lithograph, silkscreen or woodcut. Don't be afraid to place your picture dead center and allow all four sides of the mat to be equidistant. Finally, realize that you can choose a stark white mat or 8-ply mat board to create a nice large space between the glass and the picture.

    On the Other: Mat Board Is Expensive

    Matboard is expensive, so keep your mat borders at 3 inches or less. Also, avoid pure white or brightly colored mats in favor of off-white and cream colors. Eight-ply mat board is too expensive. Don't forget that you can place the image a little off-center, so the bottom border is slightly higher than the top border. Be aware that the sides can be narrower than the top or bottom.

    Bottom Line

    There are many ways to make a picture look nice in a mat; it just depends on what kind of picture you have and what you want to do with it. Works on paper headed for the museum can take a wide mat and will look good with a white or 8-ply mat. Then again, you might consider a colored or double mat (or both) for that vintage poster or commercial reproduction that is going above your yellow sofa. And don't forget that you can float a picture against a mat background without cutting any mat board for a window.

    Source:

    Flax Art and Frame: Mat Cutting

    Metro Frame: Mat Calculations

    Joe Miller Fine Art Photography: Matting Prints

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