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Decorating with Framed Art
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Matting Guidelines

The function of the mat is to prevent fine paper art from touching the glass. Condensation inside the glass will harm the print if it touches the glass. Glass also can affect some art surfaces, destrying colors irreparably. In some cases, the glass and the print can become irreparably fused.

Wider mats over 4" deep really lend importance to nearly any piece of artwork. Customers hoping to save money may be tempted to go with a narrow mat, but that can de-emphasize the piece and make it look smaller. Small art prints and photography benefits greatly from a bigger mat area.

Never trim the artwork's border to fit a mat. Even if the center image is unaffected, any trimming diminishes the value of an art piece. When calculating mat sizes for limited edition prints, monotypes or any valuable work on paper, it is important to remember that the outer dimensions of the mat must be large enough to accommodate the paper without trimming.

Shown at left: Olive Grove, Chianti by Craig,
Stock # CAP2785

More About Mat Sizing

The mat must be slightly larger than the paper size in order to hold the print firmly. There once were exact rules about the proportions of mats. They were supposed to be deeper along the bottom edge. In the past, pictures were hung much higher on the wall than they are today. Styles have changed since then and now pictures are hung at eye level, and the extra bottom margin of matting is no longer needed to make the artwork look perfectly centered.

Floating

Sometimes a picture is "floated", attached at the top corners and allowed to hang free, with no mat to enclose it. Even if a mat is used, it clears the edges so they show. Fillets (little wedges of extra thick mat board) are used as spacers to keep the art and the glass apart. Floating can produce a lovely "3D" effect behind artwork and really lends itself to paintings on thick boards and stretched canvases alike. Also, floating is a must for fine art papers with deckled and hand-torn edges to display the edge detail.

Mat Colors

A mat color should be chosen to match the warmth of the print. It need not match exactly. Mat color should be chosen wisely. All photographs, whether black and white, color or somewhere in-between have a tone - a degree of warmth. When picking a mat color for photographic art, consider white in variations of warmth from bright white to creamy-warm. Many prints are double and triple matted for color enhancement.

Bevel-cut matting is used to hold the print in place underneath the frame. This can also cover the white edges of the print if desired. Importantly, the mat also separates the print from the glass. Without this detail, in time the glass could stick to the print and ruin it.

Mat colors and textures are used to further enhance your print. Generally, the outer mat is close to the same width as the width of the outside frame, and the inner mats will be about a quarter of this width. Mat colors should never overwhelm the art but should set it apart from the frame. It is generally a good idea to have the mat selection reflect the same color base as the art being framed.

Drymounting

This is great way to display inexpensive, replacable framed items. The process permanently mounts prints to a board to prevent rippling later when framed. The item is usually mounted onto 3/16 thick Styrofoam board or foam core. Drymounted items can warp if not ultimately framed, due to the foam center.

As this is a permanent non-reversible process, it is not recommended for irreplaceable artwork, photos, diplomas, letters, or prints of either monetary or sentimental value. Use drymounting for inexpensive fine art prints, posters, signs, maps and blueprints.