Matting 101: how to pick a mat for your art

A mat is the fastest upgrade in framing. Take the same photo, the same frame, and add a mat. The photo suddenly looks like it came from a gallery. Here is how matting works and how to pick one.

What a mat actually does

Two jobs. First, looks. The blank border gives your art breathing room, so the eye lands on the photo instead of the wall.

Second, protection. A mat lifts the art off the acrylic. Photos pressed against glazing can stick to it over time, especially in humid rooms. Once a photo bonds to glazing, it rarely comes off clean.

How mat sizes work

Every mat has two sizes. The outside size matches your frame. The window size is the opening your art shows through. An 11x14 mat with an 8x10 window goes in an 11x14 frame and displays an 8x10 photo.

One detail people miss: the window is cut a little smaller than the art, usually about a half inch total. That overlap holds the art in place behind the mat. So an "8x10 window" shows about 7.5x9.5 of your photo. Keep that in mind if something important sits near the edge.

How wide should the border be?

Border width is the part nobody tells you. Too thin looks like an accident. Here is what we use:

• Small art, 5x7 and under: borders of 1.5 to 2 inches.
• Standard photos, 8x10 to 11x14: 1.5 to 3 inches. The classic 8x10 photo in an 11x14 mat gives borders of 1.5 to 2 inches.
• Large art, 16x20 and up: 3 to 4 inches. Big pieces need big breathing room.

Here is an old framer's trick called bottom weighting. Cut the bottom border about a half inch wider than the top. A perfectly centered mat reads as slightly low to the eye, and the wider bottom fixes it. Precut mats use even borders, which still look fine. But if you ever order a custom cut, ask for it.

White or color?

White is the default for a reason. It works with everything, and it lets the art lead. Our white mats have a bright white bevel core, so the window edge shows a clean line.

Color mats are where the fun is. Pick a color that already lives inside the art. A soft blue mat under a beach photo. Sage under a botanical print. Aged oak under an old family portrait. The mat should echo the art, not shout over it. Browse the colors in our mat collection.

Black mats are the exception worth naming. Under a bold black and white photo, a black mat with a white core looks sharp and modern.

Match the mat to the frame, not just the art

The mat also has to get along with the frame. A few pairings that never miss:

• Black frame, white mat: the gallery standard. Works for photos, prints, and diplomas.
• Natural wood frame, cream or antique white mat: warm and calm. Great for family photos.
• White frame, white mat: bright and airy. Let a colorful print do the talking.
• Dark frame, dark mat with a white core: moody and bold. The white bevel line keeps the window from disappearing.

When in doubt, put the contrast between the mat and the art, not between the mat and the frame.

Circle windows and other shapes

Windows don't have to be rectangles. A circle window turns a square photo into something that feels finished, like a portrait from an old parlor wall. We cut circle mats in square sizes, like a 13x13 mat with a 10x10 round opening. They suit wedding photos, baby photos, and pressed flowers.

What about double mats?

A double mat stacks two boards, with the inner one peeking out about a quarter inch around the window. That thin inner line adds depth and picks up a color from the art.

White on top with a colored inner mat is the safest combo. Diploma and certificate framing leans on this look, and it reads as custom shop work because it usually is.

One caution: keep it to two boards. Three or more stack up thick, and the art starts to sit too deep in the frame.

Why acid free matters

Cheap mat board is made with wood pulp that turns acidic as it ages. It yellows, and it can burn a faint brown line into your art over the years. You have seen this on old framed photos from the 70s. That tan halo around the picture is acid burn.

Our mats are acid free 4-ply board with a white core. The 4-ply thickness (about 1/16 inch) is the standard pro framers use. It holds a crisp bevel and keeps your art safe.

Putting it together

Pick the mat first, then order the frame to the mat's outside size. If you have an 8x10 photo, that's an 11x14 mat and an 11x14 frame. Then:

1. Lay the mat face down on a clean table.
2. Center the photo behind the window. Flip it over once to check the front.
3. Tape along the photo's top edge only. Paper needs to hang free so it can expand with the seasons without buckling.
4. Set the matted photo in the frame, add the backing, and fold the points down.

The whole job takes five minutes, and the photo looks like you paid a shop to do it. Our 11x14 precut mats for 8x10 photos come in packs, which makes matting a whole gallery wall cheap and quick.

Questions we hear a lot

Do I need a mat for every picture?

No. Canvas and thick posters usually hang without one. Photos and paper prints almost always look better matted, and the mat keeps them off the acrylic.

What color mat is safest?

White or off white. It suits every frame color and every kind of art. When in doubt, white.

Can I cut my own mats?

You can, with a bevel mat cutter and some practice. Most people find precut mats cost less than the tools, and the bevel comes out clean every time.

Matting questions come up more than anything else we get asked. If yours isn't covered here, our framing guide and FAQ page go deeper.