Matting your pictures is not as hard as it looks!

You really do not need a lot to mat your own watercolors, prints or pastels.  You just need to know the trade secrets.  I usually buy certain size mats in bulk and “paint” to fit the opening.  However, I did actually cut a very nice mat with an inexpensive cutting blade and a metal ruler at my favorite arts and crafts store.  I did not use it for a long time and when I painted something larger than the opening of my stock mats I asked my best guy to cut it for me.  One day I painted something smaller and thought I will take a stab at this myself and believe it or not it is not hard.  I just needed practice and a steady hand.  The steady hand bit is a bit much for a 72 year old stroke survivor.  So if I can do it so can you. Should you plan to cut more than just the occasional mat, it might be wise to invest in an artist style mat cutter and they are steadier than the small hand ones, but slightly more expensive.

Simply put you need a cutter, a cutting edge, a base on which to cut and that’s it.  Select a mat width; insert your mat and start.

Step one.  Matting starts with one simple measurement:  the size of the image.  Easy does it because it is simply easy.  Should you be framing a borderless photo, print or watercolor and the photo, print or water color measures 8” x 10”, that is the beginning point. 

Step two.  Remember if you cut the opening in the mat to 8” x 10”, the photo will fall right through so you need to leave 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.

Step Three. Once your 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.   

 I like to use a scrap of matting to function as what is called a “slip” sheet, which is important because it provides a cushion under the mat, avoiding scrapes or scratches to the colored surface.  Also 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).  Plus a slip sheet prevents damage to the surface of the cutter base. I learned that the hard way.

With your 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. 

Step four.  Make 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. 

Step five.  Now 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 and you will now have just cut your first mat.

Should the window not fall out then you have to start earlier and/or continue the cut further on the next mat you cut and should you have over-cuts which are cuts in the mat outside the window then you need to start cutting later and end cutting sooner. 

Should the edge of your mat be ragged then your blade is dull or 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.

Sometimes the window did not fall out but is very close to falling away.  Just use a spare blade held at the same angle as the bevel and cut through the corner.  This happened to me a couple of times and I had to do this cutting from each direction and at more than one corner.  With more practice it will get easier.

Pre-cut mats are a blessing. You may want to consider ordering some in bulk in the size you usually print your photos or paint your pictures the size to fit the openings as I often do.  It is a big savings.  

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