A mat cutter is a tool specifically designed for cutting the cardboard mat, or matting, used to mount art pieces. For artists, a mat cutter is a vital tool in the studio, allowing them to mount and frame work much more cheaply than a professional framing company.
How do you measure mat and frame size?
Follow These Steps to Get the Right Dimensions Artwork Size : measure the visual area of the artwork you want to mat. For example 11×14″. Opening Size : subtract 1/2″ from the artwork size. For example, (11-1/2) x (14-1/2), 10 1/2″ x 13 1/2″ for the opening size.
Can you cut mat board with an Exacto knife?
If you don’t own a mat cutter, you can cut your mat window with an x-acto knife, but you won’t achieve a good clean bevel. Typically, if you cut 2-3 of your own mats, your tools will pay for themselves!
What is double matting?
A double mat consists of two (2) mat boards stacked together, a top mat and a bottom mat. The window opening of the bottom mat surrounds the image. The top mat has a larger window, which allows a small border of the bottom mat, called the reveal, to be shown. … Double mats create physical and visual depth.What is reverse bevel?
A reverse bevel is simply a mat that has been cut in the opposite way, so that the bevel is facing the art and not visible in your design. On some artwork, the bevel can be a distraction, especially a white bevel on dark imagery, so choosing a reverse bevel can be a thoughtful choice.
Which knife should you use to cut matboard?
A pencil. A straight-edge ruler. A straight, sharp blade (a box cutter or “X-Acto” knife usually works best; you can find X-Acto knives at any office supply or craft store) A mat cutter.
Does Michaels cut mat board?
Did you know that you can get a mat cut…in any size and layout, from any of the matboard options…at Michaels? (And probably other framing stores like JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby…. but I haven’t checked their options personally.) Yep! Just the mat.
What surface do you use an exacto knife on?
To use your exacto knife properly, you will also need a surface to cut on and a straight edge or ruler. The best cutting surface is a self-healing cutting mat.
