Picture Mats

Picture Frame Mats

Mat board, also referred to as matting or simply mat, is a flat paper-based material that sits inside a picture frame surrounding the picture between it and the glass. Standard mat thickness is 1/16 of an inch in America. Matting can be done in two ways: the first way is by cutting it to surround the framed artwork, while the second is to place the artwork on top of the mat to create a floating mount. The floating mount is best used with durable prints, because the mat, while creating an interesting illusion in the frame, will not protect the art. The mat mounted over the artwork serves both as decoration and protection to the photograph, painting, drawing, or print in the frame.

Custom Picture Mats

Picture mats enhance the look of the piece they surround. Mat can be carefully matched to help draw the eye inward toward the picture as well as to highlight a particular element of the picture. Because picture mat is so thin, it can be stacked inside the frame to enhance the depth of the framed piece. Picture mat is also available in various colors, can have decorative features, cloth covering, like silk or linen or even leather.

Paper Picture Mats

Because picture mat is paper-based, it takes ink and paint well, allowing for it to be custom decorated. One such kind of decoration is called French line, a process by which a line is drawn around the mat in pencil or ink making a box. French panel is the similar, but instead of a single line around the mat, a thick line or panel is created out of watercolor or a substance like gold leaf. It is also heavy enough to support objects pinned or sewn into it.

Picture mat is also thick enough that it can be carved into letters or shapes to show the core of the mat. The core of picture mat is almost always white but it can be specially made to have a core of black and a limited number of other colors.

This decorative addition is also essential to the preservation of the piece it enhances. Photographs will actually pull away from their backings and stick instead to the glass if they become wet. Other mediums like pastels and chalk damage easily just by rubbing against other surfaces. Because matting separates the piece from the glass, it keeps condensation, and therefore water damage like mold, mildew and discoloration away from the art itself.