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Using a mat to border your artwork in a custom picture frame is often a simple aesthetic addition. However, mats are beneficial to the conservation and overall presentation of your framed artwork. When choosing a mat, the two most important factors to consider are the material make-up of a mat and then the design. Here are some useful tips to help you choose the perfect mat to frame your artwork: First, consider the value of the piece your are custom framing. If you are framing a unique, one-of-a kind painting, or a vintage photograph, you will want to use an archival or acid-free mat. Regular decorative matboards are essentially made of cardboard or paper made from wood pulp where acid is naturally present. A high acidic-grade board is likely to yellow over time and may even stain the piece under it. Therefore, an acid-free or 100% cotton ragmat board is the better choice for a highly valuable framed piece. In fact, cotton ragmat is often called museum board as was introduced specifically for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and is a popular choice of mat for most museums and libraries. Additionally, adding a mat to your custom picture frame allows air to flow and avoids the possibility of moisture damaging your artwork. Also the extra buffer is beneficial as some mediums like photography and pastel are likely to rub off when in direct contact with the glass or plexi-glass. Design-wise, the inclusion of a border around your artwork can alter the perception of your final custom framing job. Choosing the right decorative mat for your custom picture frame can enhance your art piece by drawing out a color you'd like to highlight in your artwork or even neutralizing a painting so that it may match the color-scheme and decor of your home. A small black and white photograph will appear larger and more dramatic when framed with a wide white mat. A dark painting may be lightened up or highlighted, and a child's drawing can be elevated into a gallery worthy art piece with a textured matboard and elegant picture frame moulding. An important factor to consider when choosing your mat is the size, or width of the border you'd like to include around your picture. Mat width is dependent on the sizes of the image, frame, and of the focal point in the image. A standard mat width or a small to medium sized picture is about two inches. Wider mats make a more dramatic impression and add weight to the piece which may enhance the overall look of your custom picture frame. On smaller art pieces, a large width can create the idea of importance. On large pieces, the inclusion of a matboard helps maintain balance and proportion. A current trend in frame and mat design, is to have the mat twice as big as the frame, which is popular, but not always the best choice for all pieces. It is important to your personal judgment and taste, but do avoid repeating the same width of mat and moudling as it creates the illusion of striping and more often than not will not enhance your artwork. When choosing a double mat (or layering on border over another), the only relevant width is the top mat. The bottom mat should only be slightly revealed, and the width should be a fraction of the top. The bottom mat should be thought of as an additional detail and not command much attention. Another trend in framing, is opting for an unbalanced or asymmetrical look. For example, you may choose to add a wider border to the bottom of your picture which will add more weight to that side and in turn become the focal point of your whole custom picture frame. When executed well, this is a great choice for mat with the appropriate photograph or artwork. Last but not least, there are a wide variety of mat colors to choose from. The most popular mat colors are obviously white or black, but even those two choices come in a variety of shades ranging from stark eggshell white to a creamy vanilla hue. The color of the matboard can dramatically alter the overall look of your custom picture frame, so choose wisely. Take inspiration from the artwork itself and keep in consideration the room it will be placed in. When you choose the color of the matboard within your custom picture frame, remember that your art piece is the main focal point, so any borders around it should not compete with it. If you must decide whether to your custom frame and to the artwork or the room, it is best to match choose the artwork. When in doubt, neutrals work great with every custom picture frame and are a safe choice. For black and white photographs, choose the shade that is least prominent in the photo- white for a dark photo and black for a light one. The key, though, is to have fun when choosing. These are guidelines, not rules. There are no rules to creativity! I encourage trying new things and combining colors in unexpected ways. You may be surprised when an unconventional mat looks best with your artwork and custom picture frame and mat design, so try out several options before you make your final decision.
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