Matting Prints

Notes by Mike Thomas

Printing Services

Paper

Mats

Ideally you would crop and mat your images for the best composition. Some club members cut their own mats, but I don’t. I buy standard sized mats that fit 11×14 window in a 16×20 mat and crop and fit my photos into those mats. I used to buy my mats, tape, and back boards from Mat Cutter and Dick Blick but they have gotten expensive. So recently I have been getting them from Amazon. Golden State Art, Pack of 10, 11×14 for 8×10 Color Picture Photo Mat -White-core, Acid-Free – Great for Frames, Artwork, Prints, Pictures, White Alternatively, you could print 8×10 and mat 11×14. Golden State Art, Pack of 10 White Pre-Cut 16×20 Picture Mat for 11×14 Photo with White Core Bevel Cut Mattes Sets. Includes 10 High Premier Acid Free Mats & 10 Backing Board & 10 Clear Bags

Matting the Photo

I use Self-Adhesive Linen Hinging Tape to attach the backing board to the mat and the photo to the backing board. You can get the tape from DickBlick.com or Amazon.

I use a long strip of tape to hinge the front mat to the back board. Then it opens closes like a book.

I use three small strips of tape on the back of photo overlapping. Then three more to attach photo to the back board. No tape touches the front of photo.

You could also tape the photo to the front inside of the mat.

Your image should fill the Matt whole completely.

I use removable sticky dots on the corners of the mat to close mat like these Removable Glue Dots from Walmart or Amazon.

Mat Color

I use an off white or ivory mat. Some judges don’t like colored mats. Bright white can also be distracting. Occasionally black mats work with some photos.

Tutorial

Here is a good video Tutorial – How to Mat a Photographic Print. The only part I disagree with is the white part around the photo. I like my photos to fill the opening.