How to Cut Mat Board
When creating art, presentation can be an important part of making a sale. There is a great difference between merely showing a photograph pinned to a wall and one which is carefully placed with a mat in a frame. Buying cut mat board can easily drive up the price of making your artwork. While reliable frame shops often do a great job, an artist on a budget can very well cut the mat herself to save money with the help of a razor blade and a ruler or T-square.
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Instructions
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1
Decide on the size of your mat board. If you have an 8-by-10 photo, you may choose to have an 11-by-14 or 16-by-20 mat. Make sure the mat still fills a standard frame size.
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2
Measure out and mark the mat board using the T-square or ruler.
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3
Place the razor blade along the T-square and trim along the edges you've marked.
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Measure out equal margins all around your piece. For example, if you have an 11-by-14 mat with an 8-by-10 picture, you may want a 2 3/4 inch margin all around.
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Make sure to leave 1/4 of an inch all around the picture to tape your picture to.
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Mark these margins along your T-square.
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Cut along the markings using the razor blade, making sure to turn carefully at each corner and leave a sharp point.
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Pull the center part out.
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Tape the picture, face down, on all four sides to the mat.
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Place the picture in a frame.
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Tips & Warnings
Mat board can be a little expensive. Instead of throwing it out, the center of the cut mat board can be used for smaller pictures. For example, use the 8-by-10 center part of the frame for a 5-by-7 photo. Sometimes, for a more elegant look, you can also use a 16-by-20 mat for an 8-by-10 frame. This will give a lot more space around the picture.
