Cutting Your Own Picture Mats

The addition of a sleek well cut mat can greatly enhance the look of any framed picture but having a mat cut and frame made commercially can sometimes cost more than the picture itself.

Cutting your own picture mats. Of course you also need art or photos you ll put in the frame and the tape is for taping the art inside the frame if you don t have another way to hold. This frame is 24 36 which is large. Here s how to cut your own picture mats. Cutter i used is listed at 79.

Some of these materials you might already have on hand at home. Here s how to cut your own picture mats to save you lots of money. I saved over 50 per mat. Another reason to do your own mat cutting is that for the first time a truly professional type of cutter is available for under 100.

Like i just said i saved over 50 per mat. A cheaper solution is to learn to cut your own mat frames using a handful of basic materials that allow you to fully customize the look of your framed picture. If you were going 11 14 s or under you could probably find affordable mat. The cost of this product has increased to 109 95 since this segment first aired.

Picture frames mat board ruler cutting mat exacto knife pencil tape or hardware for holding the art in the frame. The logan mat cutter i use runs about 50 for the guide and cutting handle. Custom picture frame mats liners. The savings here comes from the size of the frame that i was needing a custom mat for.

The materials needed to frame artwork with your own mat board include. 2 if you already have the artwork you re going to use write down a quick description on each cut out sheet of paper so that you make sure you don t have too much of one thing too close together. Measure the reveal area you want around. 1 cut out some sheets of wrapping paper to the size of each of your frames or use the sheets from within the frames if you have them.

It has a 32 cutting capacity perfect for even the largest art i currently have in my home i ll be using its sturdy fixed guide rail for all kinds of consistent cuts but it s perfect for cutting mat board. Its guides allow for mat frames as narrow as 3 4 or as wide as 4 1 4 hurray for accommodating both the subtle and the chunky. Typically if you cut 2 3 of your own mats your tools will pay for themselves. The supplies you ll need are.

Mats create space between your picture and the acrylic or glass front for air to circulate which prevents condensation from building up that can cause mildew or buckling over time. An uncut mat board in your choice of color and texture. Measuring and cutting your own mat board doesn t necessarily mean you will need to break the bank when purchasing all of the materials needed. This do it yourself video explains all the steps of cutting a professional looking mat for your artwork.

Mats make your pictures shine for greatest impact but they also serve a protective purpose.