How to Size a Mat for a Picture

Matted frame consists of a border around the picture.

Photos or artwork within frames can add creativity and make a home feel more inviting. Make pictures within frames look clean with picture mats. These mats can be used for large and small pictures. Picture mats can be useful if you have larger frames but not large pictures. They can add a finishing touch on your home decor by adding clean lines to your picture collections. Buy pre-cut mats if you have standard size pictures and frames or make custom mats with mat board.

Things You'll Need

• Mat board
• Picture frame
• Pre-cut mat
• Picture
• Ruler
• X-Acto knife
• Pen or pencil
• Cutting mat

Instructions

Pre-Cut

1. Look for a picture that you want to place inside a frame. The picture must be smaller than the frame to include a mat in the frame as well.

2. Measure the picture and the frame. If your picture frame is 8 inches by 10 inches and your picture is 4 inches by 6 inches, you need an 8-inch-by-10-inch mat with an opening for a 4-inch-by-6-inch picture. This gives you about 2 inches of mat on each side of the picture. The mat opening will be about 1/8 of an inch on each side smaller than the actual picture. This gives the mat and picture allowance to fit into the frame seamlessly.

3. Place the picture in the frame with the mat to be sure it fits correctly.

Custom

1. Create a custom mat by purchasing a piece of mat board. These boards can be found at some craft retailers and online.

2. Measure your frame and picture. As an example, use the measurements from Step 2 in Section 1. The picture is 4 inches by 6 inches and the frame is 8 inches by 10 inches. Measure out 8 inches by 10 inches on the mat board. Cut this out with a sharp X-Acto knife on a cutting mat.

3. Mark a border that measures 2 1/8 inches in on each side. This will create a window opening of 3 7/8 inches by 5 7/8 inches for your 4-inch-by-6-inch picture.

4. Cut the border on the cutting mat with a sharp X-Acto knife. Assemble the frame with the mat and picture.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful with the X-Acto knife and always use a cutting mat to prevent surface damage.

References

• Picture Frames 101: Choosing a Picture Mat
• Mat Designers: Mat Openings
• Framing 4 Yourself: How to Determine Frame Size