Framing 101: Part 2: Matting and Design

Now that you know a little more about frame mouldings, let's talk about matting and design. Most framed items have more to them than just the picture and the frame; there is usually some type of matboard surrounding the picture to coordinate with the colors in the picture. Many pictures have more than one mat color showing. Framing mats come in thousands of different colors and textures; understandably, linen mats cost more to produce than paper, or wood pulp, mats. Customers choose what pleases them and coordinates best with the picture. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we naturally stock orange and purple mats because we frame quite a bit of Clemson memorabilia and more than a few Clemson diplomas. We don't have the room to stock mats in every color so we generally order mats as needed from the manufacturer. These come in large sheets that have to be cut to the specifications of the frame design. We design the mat layout in the computer and then a specialized machine cuts that design out of the matboard. No more having to cut mats by hand with a mat cutter! But again, there is a high degree of expertise and skill needed to correctly translate the design the customer wants into the finished cut mats. The framers here have many years of experience and the practiced eye of professionals to help you get the color mats and the design you want.