Guest artist Linda Watson imparts certain cost-effective tips for matting pictures at home. For example, she says she double-matted six baby pictures herself, that would have cost more than $200 if they had been professionally commissioned. For that amount of money, she was able to purchase the Matmate Fletcher Mat Cutting System and do the job herself. Future matting costs are now less than $10 per picture.
Another cost-saving measure is to purchase a sheet of matting large enough to mat fifteen 8" x 10" pictures. Most art stores have a section in which all textures, colors, and sizes of mat boards are housed.
Linda also brought along a picture that had been professionally matted, and Carol cut open the back to show how it was done. Between the matting and the back of the frame, there were simply two layers of cardboard, and then the backing was taped on. While examining the construction, Linda emphasizes that corrugated cardboard and masking tape should never be used when working with photographs because the acidity from these materials can cause damage to the pictures.
Additional advice from Linda:
- On the back of the mat, mark where you want to cut, making sure your lines cross at the corners.
- Cut the mat by aligning the blade, pushing it down into the mat and pulling it along the predetermined lines.
Extend the cuts slightly beyond the corners to ensure that they have been beveled with a sharp, clean edge. - If you have cut the mat properly, the piece you cut should easily fall out when you lift the mat from the cutter.
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