How I cut a mat.
I spend a great deal of my expendable income on artwork and to allow myself to save money to eventually buy more, I mat and frame it myself. So, in case you find yourself in similar shoes, cutting your own mats is easy as pie.
You can buy a handheld mat cutter for about $20 to $30 and I find it works great for me. (A tabletop one would be nice but I’m saving clams recall.) A mat cutter is what cuts in the 45 degree angle. I’ve used several in the past, all work fine, most recently I’ve bought a Logan Deluxe Style Mat Cutter cause it was at my local store.Â
Step One: Gather materials.
You will need a piece of matboard. Matboard is generally available in 32″ x 40″ pieces. It will run around $10 depending on whether you choose acid-free or 100% rag content. (Don’t get the super cheap stuff, acid content is too high and it will discolor your piece.) Grab your frame, a pencil, your matboard, box cutter and a straight edge (a more substantial metal ruler will be easier to use) and a clear ruler is nice but not absolutely necessary.
Step two: Cut out the size mat you will need.
Depending on your frame size, cut out the chunk of mat you need from your larger piece with the box cutter. If you bought a pre-fab frame, the paper insert is a nice guide to use when cutting. Alnd from here on out, always work from the back of your matboard so you don’t mark up the front of it.
Step three: Calculate the size of your borders
This might be the trickiest part because it involves math but even this step isn’t too complicated. According to me, borders are the same on the top and left + right. The bottom border can be larger to give the piece visual weight at the bottom, I determine this on a case-by-case basis. Generally, according to me, mats need to be at least 2″ and I would go even wider for larger work.
Since the left + right border need to be the same dimension, start by working out the width of these two. The mat is 8″ in width, the artwork is 4.25″ wide.Â
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You need to leave some space for the mat to overlap onto the top of the artwork, and in case because its a small piece I’m going with a super small overlap of 1/8″ on both sides.
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This means that the window size needs to not be 4.25″ but actually just 4″ wide. Subtract the artwork width from the total mat width to see how much mat you have to work with. In our case, 8″ of mat, less 4″ of artwork, leaves us 4″ of mat to work with. Divide that by two, since we need a border on the left and right and you get 2″. So, we will now have a 2″ border on the left, right and top (since those all need to be the same) and just leave what’s left at the bottom. Wow, see now the worst part is over.
Step Four: Mark the window on the mat
Again, from the backside of the mat, draw out the borders for your mat window. Using a clear ruler is easier at this step.
You’ll want to see the corners clearly, so extend the lines longer than necessary. This way you will clearly see where the borders cross. You will need to see this when you begin cutting your mat.
It doesn’t need to be pretty, it’s the back. And now with all the lines drawn, doublecheck it’s the correct size but place your artwork on the back and making sure the artwork is slightly wider than the mat on both sides.
Step Five: Cut out the window
Finally, ready to get down to business. First, line up your mat cutter on your guidelines you just marked.  Your mat cutter will have a couple of guidelines on it so just line up the blade to just above the corner. You need to overcut each corner about 1/4″ inch to account for the bevelled edge, this ensure a good clean crisp corner on each side. Also, position the mat cutter so the angled blade of the mat cutter is pointing toward the center of the artwork. Your cutter should make it clear which edge faces your ruler, but just doublecheck the angle.
Use your metal ruler as a guide to push against when you are cutting your mat. Also, remember to turn the mat in the same direction all the way around so the bevel remains at the right angle. Finally, just push hard enough to make sure your blade is cutting through to the front of the mat. It goes without saying, but a good sharp blade is mandatory.
Step Six: Remove the window
After you’ve cut all four sides, your window should just slip right out. Proceed with caution and do not yank it out or else you will rip the mat and it will seem as though some animal gnawed out the window with their dull incisors.Â
Insert artwork and voila! (More on various ways to mount the work another day.)
Entry Filed under: step-by-step
45 Comments Add your own
1. sarah | May 3rd, 2006 at 7:15 am
how do you know so much sarah? :)
2. hannah | May 3rd, 2006 at 7:45 am
love it. i have been itching to do this, but not sure how much of an investment it would be. $20? i can handle that math. what is your opinion of buying your frame in components and putting them together yourself? thanks for this step by step!
3. lisa | May 3rd, 2006 at 7:48 am
beautiful. you have made me realize i need to invest in a mat cutter. thank you so much.
4. laura r. | May 3rd, 2006 at 7:55 am
O a good mat cutter makes all the difference!!!!
i love your little bear & honeypot.
thank you.
5. vegasandvenice | May 3rd, 2006 at 8:54 am
What a wonderful tutorial! When I was in school the last person to use the mat cutter didnt screw the blade in all the way and well I sliced the side of my finger almost off. It healed thank goodness but now I am really afraid of mat cutting.
You are one brave brave girl! I must live vicariously through you!
6. midwest-transplant | May 3rd, 2006 at 11:08 am
thanks for the awesome tutorial. matting always seemed to me to be a very mysterious process that happened over whispers in back rooms of art shops; i’m so glad that’s not really the case!
7. melissa f. | May 3rd, 2006 at 1:07 pm
I’m off to the art supply store! Jacquard paint, mat cutter, rag board, stamp pads… Yikes.
Tulip Patch Trudy arrived safe and sound and makes me pretty darn happy. The stamps are cuter in person. How is this possible?
8. daria | May 3rd, 2006 at 1:34 pm
oh! I am very happy to read this tutorial. my languishing stack of Tiny Showcase prints & I thank you!!
9. briana | May 3rd, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Are you psychic? I was just contemplating this minor dilema (oh, the dilema of an ever expanding art collection and the cost of framing, toujours!).
Lovely tute, ma’am. Thanks!
Oh, and don’t you just love the word “incisors”?
10. Caitlin O'Connor | May 4th, 2006 at 4:29 am
Thank you ever so for this tutorial - I will keep an eye out for a mat cutter now with confidence!
11. Elliot | May 4th, 2006 at 9:48 am
I’ve been cutting mats for a while, and there is definately a lot to be said for getting a good cutter. The first time I set out to do it, I just figured, “eh, all it does is hold a blade at 45 degrees” and I got the cheapest one I could find. Big mistake. After about 6 months of having to cut everything I did twice from messing up, I went out and bought a nice cutter (the same one used here, a Logan 4000 I believe). It made all the difference. It’s a precision tool, and it’s important to get a good one (and even good handheld cutters are cheap, about the most expensive one you could find is 40 bucks). Also, some cutters (Logan for example) have expandable systems, meaning that you can later buy a ruler that your cutter connects to, making it one step away from a table cutter (which start at about $100).
12. christine | May 4th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
man, this is the greatest! I’ve been promising t. I’d teach him how to cut mats, and now you’ve done it for me! mad kudos to the small object. as usual.
13. tisi | May 4th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
What a darling idea! I’ve looked in the hobby stores and thought about it, but figured I never could. Now i’m ready to go for it.
14. judy | May 4th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
i love your tutorial….i could never understand why oh why they charge so much to frame a picture…now i understand even less…..i have been wondering what the secret of matting is…now i am ready to go for it!!
i do watercolors, but can never afford to get them framed and matted….i will be forever grateful if this works for me. thanks so much!
15. Erika | May 25th, 2006 at 11:53 am
if only it were that easy….. I’ve tried and tried…. can somebody PLEASE hold the ruler for me? For some reason I cannot push the mat cutter and hold the ruler steady at the same time. Ambidexterous I am not.
16. gary | June 5th, 2006 at 8:44 am
When matting custom sized prints, I find it easier to use a metric ruler/mm. Subtracting 120mm from 203mm is a lot easier than subtracting numbers ending in 7/8″, 3/16″, 5/32″, etc. I didn’t like doing that math in elementary school. And I don’t like it today.
17. alicia | September 3rd, 2006 at 7:00 am
Thanks that was so helpful I caught you off a link from DIY Photogarphy. :)
18. zach | October 4th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
now I can afford to finally frame all the prints I have that’ve been sitting in tubes for years. thank you!
19. Mike Carroll | October 9th, 2006 at 7:35 am
Let me reiterate: always use a sharp blade in the mat cutter! A dull blade makes it harder to pull (using Sarah’s cutter) or push (using other cutters) through the mat, which means you have to use more force, which means you run the risk of running past your guidelines. And a dull blade is more likely to tear the mat.
Also, make sure you have something under the mat when you cut it! Either a cutting mat (like the photos show) or a scrap piece of mat. Your significant other isn’t going to like the gouges in the table top…
20. Laurie | March 5th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Thanks so much for this incredibly helpful tutorial! It’s so wonderful that you put this valuable info on the web. Thank you again!
21. random | August 14th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
hi, what kind of cutting mat are you using to cut the matboards on, thanks
22. Hype-Jersey | August 31st, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Thanks for this. I had no idea a such thing as a matte cutter even existed. I like original art, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $100 or more having someone else frame a $50 piece for me.
23. Glyn Hubbard | October 25th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Thanks for that. I’m off to get a Logan 4000!
24. julieann | November 6th, 2007 at 9:35 am
how hard would it be to cut a mat for 6 pictures in one long frame.
25. Jen Ballantyne | November 10th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Thank you so very much for sharing this invaluable tutorial. You are a generous soul. I will be getting started immediately. Thanks again!
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28. Sharon O | February 2nd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Thanks so much for the info. i will definately try to find a matte cutter,and matting board, any helpful hints on where one would look for it.
Thanks again ever so helpful
Sharon
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31. Dianne Vest | March 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I’ve had an old window and decided to cut mats for my grandchildren’s school pictures. They were going to charge me 14.95 (almost $90.00) for each frame at Michael’s store. The girl told me to buy a huge mat and cut it myself. Thanks for the info on cutting them. Hope it works for me.
32. steve | May 8th, 2008 at 9:51 am
try using a Tsquare when cutting, this way it will be staight!
33. Sarah | July 19th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Thank you! I matted and framed 2 large prints today and they finally have a home on my walls. The handheld Logan cutter worked great for me, the only other investment I made was in a nice metal ruler. I did grab some sand paper from DH, cut it into long strips, folded it in half so the rough was on both sides and placed it under my straight edge, it helped me to avoid slipping. I’m excited to do more!
34. Lizy | August 12th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Thanks… I’ve done them many time, but have a hard time doing double mats.. Any special secrets to those? I’ve got about twenty to do for a show…
35. Shannon | August 20th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
What a great tutorial - thank you! I had some tiny showcase prints [including one that has been impatiently waiting to be framed for three years!] that needed framing. I bought the Logan 4000 and it worked like a charm.
36. adrienne | September 26th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
how do I cut a 11×14 mat board for 4 photos and have them evenly spaced
37. Unphazed | December 31st, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Do the math. Take your photo sizes, subtract the total length and width from your overall mat size. Then take into account how big you want your margins to be - subtract those. Then begin marking, and line it up.
One thing we used to do in High school to cheat at these was take scraps of mat board, make squares in 1″, 1 1/2″, 3″, etc. and then punch holes into them. Put ‘em on a string and you have them in one little handy set. Then, come mounting time, set them in the corner, mark the inner horizontal and vertical edges, and there is your cut vertice. Line two of them along your mat cutter, press firmly, cut, repeat. You just saved a few minutes on measuring, and since all four are done w/ the same piece, it SHOULD be perfect. Every now and then you’ll have to replace them do to wear, of course…
38. Juddie | January 7th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have piles of artwork waiting to be framed, but as they’re not standard sizes for off-the-shelf frames I’ve been putting it off. Now you’ve given me the confidence to give mat-cutting a try …. Yay!
39. Susan | February 8th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I just cut over 80 photo mats for an office redecorating project. Before I began I had never cut a mat in my life! I read this very good tutorial before I began. Thanks, Sarah, especially for the pictures!
Here are some tips I learned from my experiences:
1. I used a Logan 4000 pull-style mat cutter similar to yours. I strongly recommend buying the Logan Adapt-A-Rule as well. The cutter has legs that fit perfectly into a groove in the ruler so that there is no way for the cutter to wobble away from the straight edge. It also eliminates the need to press tightly against the ruler. When I felt I had to press against the ruler to make straight cuts, the ruler would slip to the left and I would make crooked cuts. I bought both of these items on days when my major chain hobby and art store had a 50 percent off coupon which meant I got both for about the same price as the mat cutter alone. The ruler also has a non-slip bottom surface which further reduced slippage. I highly recommend purchasing the Adapt-A-Rule (if you don’t want to buy the expensive systems with fixed rulers)! It REALLY improved my cuts!
2. Whenever I inserted a new blade into the cutter I pulled it back out just a bit so that it would make a slightly deeper cut. When you do this you may need to start and stop cutting the mat at a different place than the guideline on the side of the mat cutter. A little practice will tell you what works. I ruined far fewer mats when the blade was set to cut deeper.
3. I found the green self-healing cutting surface that I use for quilting and other crafts was too hard and would break the tips off the ends of the blades. I was having trouble cutting all the way through all the layers of the photo mat and I ruined many. I talked with my son who was a professional framer while in college. He said the trick was to put a scrap of mat board underneath your mat before you cut. Then your blade can cut entirely through your mat and into the softer mat scrap. I used some strips of foam core board underneath my cuts and it worked well.
4. Changing your blades quite often is essential! They stop making clean cuts very quickly! My son told me the rule in the matting shop was to change the blade after every two mats. I used that rule after cutting two large mats, but found I could cut an extra mat or two before changing blades if they were smaller ones.
Hope these tips help someone else!
40. Susan | February 11th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Another tip my son just gave me — too late for me, but maybe not for someone else! When cleaning glass, paper towels often leave little white lint dots behind. Getting totally clean glass takes a lot of time. Framing shops use coffee filters to clean glass because they are made to not come apart in water. They do a much more lint-free job of getting the glass clean.
41. richard | April 19th, 2009 at 2:40 am
forgot to put my web gallery address in the lasr post.
here it is’
www.caradocsphotos.ifp3.com
42. George | April 26th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Some folks may be confused by the photo showing the mat cutter blade facing AWAY from the center of the mat…
The point of the cutter MUST face the centre of the cut!
Great article… now to figure out how not to get those little cut marks in the corner of the window…
43. Karen Conine | July 5th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Thank you very much for such an easy explantion of how to do. I did one, my husband had a map of his home town from when the Indian’s lived there. It was framed but getting old. We just redid our home and I used your advice and it turned out beautiful. In fact I used two colors (using the instructions) to match the room colors.
44. Tanya | August 11th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Thank you for sharing this step-by-step tutorial. Last year I discovered photography as a hobby and have several photos that I would like to display. I’m also a teacher and would like to mat and frame my classroom posters. Since I have done some quilting, I have many of the materials. I just need to buy the mat cutter, then I can get started. Again, thank you for sharing.
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