QA

Question: How To Cut A Mat

Can you cut mat board with scissors?

The cutting technology’s the same and it works well. For finer work and initial cuts in a large sheet I use plain scissors; the largest pair I own. You might want to experiment with some scrap pieces because you might not like the edge when it’s done. It tends to pinch the matboard.

How do you cut a beveled mat?

You want to do it the other way (mat cutter facing the outside of the mat) or else your bevel will be cut the wrong way. To cut the mat, you simply push down the thumb lever and slide the mat cutter up the line while applying pressure.

What is a mat cutter?

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.

Can you cut a mat 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.

Can Cricut cut mat board?

When equipped with the deep cut blade, the Cricut Explore machine can cut 50+ materials, including most materials up to 1.5 mm thickness. It can cut leather, craft foam, mat board, felt sheets, glitter cardstock, and more.

Do I need a mat cutter?

In order to cut mats you need a tool to cut the outer edges of the matboard, and a mat cutter to cut the beveled windows. The do it yourself method can get quite costly if you plan on ordering full matboard sheets of 32×40″ as you’ll need a large format mat cutter.

Will Michaels cut mat board?

But did you know that you can get a mat cut… any size and any layout in any of the mat materials available…at Michaels? (And probably other framing stores like JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby…. And they can probably do it while you wait (depending on how busy they are and if they have your preferred mat in stock).

What happens if I cut my Cricut mat?

Using a mat that has been cut through may affect the quality of later projects. Your machine may not cut your material properly in that area. Using a new mat will help prevent further frustration of blade cuts.

How do you mount a picture at home?

Place your photograph upside down and spray the adhesive on it. Be sure to overspray the sides, top, and bottom edges. Position the photograph on the mount board and smooth it down from the center to the edges using your hand or a brayer. Typically the spray adhesives are not as permanent as dry or wet mounting.

What is Mountboard?

Mount board is traditional used for dry mounting of artwork for framing but many of these boards are used for signage or model making. Chipboard is used by architects for building models. Coroplast, also known as Plasticor, is a corrugated plastic used for outdoor signs.

What is mat board made of?

Museum mat boards are made of 100% cotton. Cotton, unlike wood, contains no lignin at all. Combined with archival framing methods, your artwork will be preserved for hundreds of years. This is the option museums and collectors choose when framing photographs and artwork and is the most expensive option.

How do I use a jakar mount cutter?

The mount cutter is attached to a sturdy 40cm aluminium ruler. When you want to cut at a 45-degree angle, place the ruler on the outside of the aperture; for a 90-degree angle, place it on the inside of the aperture. You’ll find the Mount Cutter Kit useful for cutting cardboard, leather, paper or vinyl.

Why is mat board so expensive?

Simply put, the larger it gets, the more materials are used and of course, the price goes up. As size increases, larger and larger pieces of glass are needed and because of fragility, our actual costs per square inch go up as well. Mat boards come in basically two different sizes 32″ x 40″ and 40″ x 60″.

What size mat goes in 16×20 frame?

Standard Mat Board Sizes Artwork/Print Size Suggested Outer Size Mat Board Width (centered) 11×14 16×20 top/bottom: 2.5” right/left: 3” 11×17 18×24 top/bottom: 3.5” right/left: 3.5” 12×16 18×24 top/bottom: 3” right/left: 4” 13×19 18×24 top/bottom: 2.5” right/left: 2.5”.

Does Hobby Lobby do dry mounting?

The department at Hobby Lobby does custom framing, matting, dry mounting, shrink wrapping, glass cutting, needle arts, shadow boxes and much more. More information about the framing department may be obtained online at www.hobbylobby.com or by calling (931) 490-2192.

How big is a sheet of mat board?

Most matboards are available in the standard 32″ x 40″ size. But the actual size of the board will probably be a fraction larger to allow for changes in humidity during shipping and storage. A full sheet of matboard may be squared by trimming off the excess, creating a true 32″ x 40″ board.

How do you measure a picture for matting?

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.

What is hinge tape used for?

“Hinge mounting” is framer-speak for mounting artwork by suspending it with tabs of tape. When performed using tapes designed for the purpose, hinge mounting is considered a sound archival method and can be used with one-of-a-kind artwork, such as original art on paper or limited-edition prints.