Marcus Chen
In the picture framing industry, a mat, matte, or mount is a thin, flat piece of paper-based material included within a picture frame. It is used as additional decoration to help draw the eye towards the centre of the display. It also serves several other practical functions, such as separating the art from the glass. The French term, occasionally used in English, is passe-partout. A picture is placed beneath it, with the cutout framing it. The passe-partout serves two purposes: to prevent the image from touching the glass and to frame the image and enhance its visual appeal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To separate the art from the glass, provide a visual resting spot between the art and its surroundings, and enhance its visual appeal |
| Materials | Paper-based material, fabric, gold leaf, ink, paint, metallic inks, etc. |
| Styles | Single mat, double mat, triple mat, bottom-weighted mat, elongated mat, print mat, museum mat, oriental mat |
| Considerations | Mat burn, colour, thickness, border size, window opening size, signature/edition number visibility, artwork size, acid-free mats for long-term preservation |
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Double mats and triple mats
A mat border that surrounds a painting is called a "mat". Mats are usually 8-ply, but can be up to 24-ply or even double or triple mats.
Double mats are made from two layers of matboard, which can be the same colour or different colours. The top mat has a slightly larger opening than the bottom mat, allowing a small border of the bottom mat to be visible around the image. The offset dimension determines how much of the bottom mat will be shown, with 1/4 inch being the most common. The opening in the top mat will equal the exact opening in the bottom mat, plus the offset on both sides. For example, if the opening on the bottom mat is 5 3/4 x 3 3/4 and a 1/4 inch offset is selected, the opening on the top mat will be 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches.
Triple mats consist of three mats layered on top of each other, with the opening of the bottom mat being just large enough to show the image, and the middle and top mats having larger openings to reveal portions of the middle and bottom mats. The offset specified for the top mat determines how much of the middle mat is visible.
The choice between a single, double, or triple mat depends on personal taste and style, as well as the artwork being framed. Some prefer the look of a single mat with the right colour over a double mat with a poor colour choice. However, others prefer the look of a double mat 9 out of 10 times.
The borders around an art print can serve a similar role as matting, creating white space around the image that draws the eye towards the centre. This can be achieved by framing the print without any matting, with the inside edges of the frame overlapping the paper by 1/4". Alternatively, matting can be added to enhance the effect, providing flexibility in mat colour and adding depth and sophistication with bevelled edges.
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Bottom-weighted mats
The mat border surrounding a painting or photo is called a "mat", and the process is called "matting". Mats are traditionally placed inside a frame, with the artwork sitting in the middle. They are used to enhance and draw focus to the artwork or photo being framed.
The size of the bottom-weighted mat border can vary. Some framers opt for a subtle difference in border widths, with the bottom border being anywhere from 1/4" to 1" bigger than the top and sides. Others take bottom-weighting to the extreme, adding several inches of extra matting beneath the artwork. This can be seen in the Weighted Triptych gallery wall layout, where 14" of matting is added below each 14" x 10" photo.
When determining the size of a bottom-weighted mat, one can use the golden ratio, or golden mean, which is expressed as 1.618. By multiplying the length and width of the artwork by 1.618, one can determine the size of the mat board. To find the bottom width of the mat, one must then find the optical centre. This can be done by placing the artwork in the top-left corner of the temporary mat board and measuring the vertical and horizontal middle of the remaining board.
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Museum mats
A mat border, also known as matting, is a layer of material that surrounds prints, photos, certificates, and paintings. It is used to provide a visual resting spot between the art and its surroundings, making it easier to view. This border is often white and can be made from two layers of matboard, also known as a double mat. The purpose of this double mat is to create a nice double matting effect and extra visual elements around the artwork. The thickness of mats can vary, with 8-ply being standard, but mats can be up to 24-ply or even double mats with a narrow reveal of the second layer.
When creating a mat border, the mat window, or mat opening, is the hole cut into the mat to ensure the artwork is visible. The size of the mat window is crucial, as it should be slightly smaller than the artwork to ensure the mat overlaps the image without any gaps. The amount of overlap can vary, but a common practice is to have a 1/4" border, which can be achieved by adding 1/2" to the width and height dimensions of the artwork.
There are various types of mats and mat borders, such as the elongated mat, where the borders above and below the art are wider than the side borders, and the bottom-weighted mat, where only the bottom border is wider. The choice of mat style depends on the artwork and the desired aesthetic.
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Oriental mats
A mat border surrounding a painting is called a "mat" or "matting". Mats are used to surround many prints, photos, certificates, etc. and they provide a visual resting spot between the art and everything around it, making it easier to view the art. Mats can also be used to cover up uneven borders or to display information in the margins, such as an artist's signature, a title, or a print number.
When it comes to framing artwork with a border, there are a few options. One option is to frame the print without any matting, allowing the inside edges of the frame to overlap the paper while still preserving the border. Another option is to add matting to the frame, which provides flexibility in mat colour and adds depth and sophistication to the overall presentation. When adding matting, it is important to consider the desired border size and the resulting mat window opening, especially if accommodating a signature, edition number, or other information in the border.
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Print mats
A mat border surrounding a painting is called a "mat". Mats are used to surround many prints, photos, certificates, etc. and provide a visual resting spot between the art and everything around it, making it easier to view the art.
Mats are also used to protect the artwork from damage. For example, mats can prevent water damage, mould, or sticking to the glass. They can also prevent discolouration and fading, known as "mat burn", which occurs when a compound in the paper breaks down and burns the art.
There are different types of mats, such as bottom-weighted mats, elongated mats, double mats, and fabric mats. When choosing a mat, it is important to consider the size and colour. The mat should be a few inches bigger than the print, and the colour should complement the art.
It is possible to cut your own mats at home, but pre-cut mats are also available for purchase.
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Frequently asked questions
In the picture framing industry, a mat (or matte, or mount in British English) is a thin, flat piece of paper-based material included within a picture frame. The French term, occasionally used in English, is "passe-partout".
Mats are used as additional decoration to help draw the eye in towards the centre of the display. They also serve several practical functions, such as separating the art from the glass, preventing condensation from developing on the inside of the glass and reaching the artwork.
There are several types of mat borders, including single mats, double mats, bottom-weighted mats, museum mats, and print mats. A single mat is the most common style, with all four borders surrounding the window opening being the same width. A double mat consists of two mat boards stacked together, with the bottom mat having a smaller window than the top mat, allowing a small border of the bottom mat to be shown. Bottom-weighted mats have a wider bottom border than the top and sides, drawing the eye to the physical centre of the image. Museum mats have a wide top and side border, as well as a significantly wider bottom border, and are often used by museums for displaying artwork. Print mats have wide side borders and much narrower top and bottom borders.
