What Is A Mat On A Picture

Personal photographs or smaller scale pics seem to transcend from casual snapshots to the realm of fine art with the addition of a mat.

What is a mat on a picture.

In the picture framing industry a mat or matte or mount in british english is a thin flat piece of paper based material included within a picture frame which serves as additional decoration and to perform several other more practical functions such as separating the art from the glass putting mats in a frame is called matting a term which can also usually be used interchangeably with mat. Mats create space between your picture and the acrylic or glass front for air to circulate which prevents condensation from building up that can cause mildew or buckling over time. In picture framing it can be used to determine a visually pleasing mat to photo ratio. The addition of a sleek well cut mat can greatly enhance the look of any framed picture but having a mat cut and frame made commercially can sometimes cost more than the picture itself.

Carol duvall host of hgtv s the carol duvall show shares her discoveries about matting and framing artwork. Traditional correct mat sizes differ slightly from the golden ratio calculations. Choose one of our acid free pre cut mats or customize an uncut matboard. Beginning with a turquoise mat add 1 2 foam board on top and end with the addition of a white mat on top of the foam board.

A well cut mat can make a huge difference in how a picture looks taking it from a simple snapshot to a framed piece of art. Mats make your pictures shine for greatest impact but they also serve a protective purpose. They are applied by some framers while others opt for freer choices. Here the image is cut apart each section mounted on 1 4 foam.

Custom picture frame mats liners. Mats are used in framing photographs and artwork to center the focus of the picture and give it a sense of spatial depth.