How To Double Mat A Picture

Here s how to cut your own picture mats.

How to double mat a picture.

The top mat has a slightly larger opening than the bottom mat to allow a small border of the bottom mat to show around the image. 1 4 inch is the most common. If you re new to the world of custom framing you may not have come across double matting before. The offset dimension is what determines how much of the bottom mat will be shown.

Double mat reveal. Position the picture in the middle of the mat board. The reveal determines how much of the bottom layer of matting shows. Choose one of our acid free pre cut mats or customize an uncut matboard.

Here the image is cut apart each section mounted on 1 4 foam board and individual mats cut around each section. Slip a photo corner over each corner of the picture remove the adhesive and press the corner down onto the mat board. Of course you also need art or photos you ll put in the frame and the tape is for taping the art inside the frame if you don t have another way to hold. The process for a double mat is the exact same except there is another dimension called the reveal to consider.

The supplies you ll need are. Beginning with a turquoise mat add 1 2 foam board on top and end with the addition of a white mat on top of the foam board. Double mat 2 mats one mat on top of the other. Picture frames mat board ruler cutting mat exacto knife pencil tape or hardware for holding the art in the frame.

Place the show mat color down and using double sided tape preferably acid free tape the accent mat color down on the back of the s how mat. Only tape the top of the two mats together. You can buy these at your local craft store. Don t worry if the mats aren t lined up perfectly you will measure the cut lines for the accent mat off of the edges of the show mat.