Picture Matting

1. Decide on the final style of matt you will be cutting: will the mat overlap the edges of the artwork, or will it be a frame around the art work?
   
2. Measure your art work, write down the measurements, and set the artwork aside in a safe place.
   
3. Choose the colors of matt board you like. You will need at least two pieces: one to go behind the art, the other to be cut as a frame for the art.
   
   • Matt board comes in many different thicknesses. The thicker the board you choose for the cut board the wider or deeper the "white line" created by the chamfer will be in the finished piece.
     
   
   

1. Pay no attention to the indicated frame size.
   
2. Remove just one side of the frame.
   
3. Pull out the frame glass (or plastic) and the backing board.
   
4. Carefully measure these materials as closely as you can.
   
5. Cut your mat board to the width of these materials.
   

1. A straight cut is the easiest cut to make.
   
2. Turn your mat over on the hard cutting surface so that the colored side is facing down.
   
3. Choose one side of the mat board that you are going to use as your straight side. It doesn't matter what side it is.
   
4. Mark the straight side with pencil so you do not forget.
   
5. Using your t-square rest an edge exactly against this edge.
   
6. Place a ruler along your T-square and measure off the amount you wish to remove. In our example this was 4.72 inches.
   
7. Make only a small mark for the distance using your pencil.
   
8. Repeat the above process every five to six inches or so measuring each time from your straight edge. You will end up with a widely spaced dotted line.
   
9. Use your ruler and place it on the mat so that the ruler intersects each of your dots.
   
10. Draw a line through all the dots across the entire mat.
    
11. Line your heavy rule or T-Square along this line.
    
12. Use your straight cutter.
    
13. Hold your mat, your ruler and anything under the mat very still.
    
14. Line your cutter up with the line visually and adjust your ruler again if needed.
    
15. Press the straight cutter - a razor blade or other cutter- straight down through the mat, next to the ruler.
    
16. Pressing hard, and holding your cutter vertically, cut straight across the mat board.
    
17. Repeat the process on the other edge to finish cutting the back mat to fit the frame.
    

• The most important tip for any kind of measuring and cutting tasks from framing to carpentry is the old adage "Measure Twice; Cut Once". If you even have the slightest doubt your measurement is wrong, re-measure.
  
• Check your ruler alignments against your clade by looking straight down vertically.
  
• Press very hard when cutting the matt. It is best to go all the way through on the first pass, but if that is not possible then make several lighter cuts.
  
• Make sure you use the sharpest blades you can. Nothing ruins a good matt more than using a dull blade.
  
• To continue a cut that is partially complete, push down vertically with your blade until you go all the way through, adjust the angle of the blade, and begin to cut.
  
• To add extra depth to your matt, or as an alternative to the backing matt consider the use of foam board.
  
• Always, always use a real matt cutter. This cannot be done with a simple straight cutter.
  
• %u2211 If you get marks on the face side of your matt board remove them carefully with a bag eraser or another crumble style eraser, available in art stores.
  

• Matt cutting is harder than it looks. Patience and practice will get you there.
  

• A large table or cutting surface
  
• Matt Cutter
  
• Ruler with non-slip backing
  
• Heavy ruler or T-square
  
• Razor Blade, Xacto Knife or other trim cutters.
  
• Hard lead pencil or mechanical pencil
  
• Good light
  
• A calculator and scrap paper
  
• A Frame
  
• Some art
  

• How to Make a Photo Frame
  
• How to Make a Shell Frame
  
• How to Make a Popsicle Stick Picture Frame
  
• How to Add Lead to a Mechanical Pencil
  
• How to Sharpen a Pencil With a Knife
  

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