How to Mount Art to a Mat Board

Mount your artwork to a mat board and frame it to display it in your home.

Getting a piece of art mounted can be pricey, so you might want to save money by doing it yourself. Whether you created the piece of artwork yourself or you purchased it, you will want to mat it to help preserve it and to give it a more professional look. Art or crafts store provide mat board in various sizes and colors, along with the specific tools you will need to properly mount and frame a piece of art.

Things You'll Need

• 2 pieces of mat board
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Matting knife
• Photograph corners
• Masking tape

Instructions

1. Lay the piece of artwork in the center of the back piece of matting, or the "mounting board." Use a ruler to measure each side to ensure that the piece of art is in the exact center and take not of these measurements. Make a mark on each corner, lightly with a pencil, to mark the right angles. Remove the piece of art from the mounting board.

2. Turn the front piece of the mat board over, so that the front is facing down. Measure from the edges to the center of the board, to the measurements that you noted in step one. Add 1/4 inch to these measurements on each side and trace a window in the mat board. This will be the front piece of mat board that will frame the piece of art.

3. Cut along the lines you traced for the "window," carefully, with a matting knife. Go slow so to avoid accidentally cutting past the lines, as these mistakes will be visible in the finished product.

4. Attach "photograph corners" on the corner marks you traced on the mounting board. Photograph corners are right-angled "pockets" used to hold photos in place without ruining the backs of the photos with tape or glue. These are ideal for holding your art in place without damaging it. Stick the photograph corners in place and insert the corners of the art into the photograph corners.

5. Place the top edge of the front mat board against the top of the mounting board, so that the front piece is laying face-down above the mount board and the edges are perfectly aligned. Tape the top edges of the two boards together with masking tape to create a hinge -- this will make it possible to open the matting and remove the piece of art in the future. Close the front piece over the mounting board and the piece of art. Now you can place the matted art in a frame.

References

• State Library and Florida Archives: How to Mat a Piece of Artwork
• Biddingtons: Advice on Framing, Matting and Mounting