The Photographers Secret Weapon – Picture Frame Mats

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Picture frame mats are a wonderful way to make your framed photos look amazing. If you’ve never used a mat and you’re looking for a simple way to make your photos look even better, then you should definitely consider using mats. Picture frame mats add depth to your photo and can help accent specific colors to really showcase your artwork beautifully.

Mats are very versatile and make a big difference in the look of your framed piece of artwork.

What will a mat do for your picture? Here are three simple ways matting can make a difference with your photo:

• Mats can help in framing pictures or artwork in odd sizes
• Mats offer unique and different ways to show off your creativity
• Mats can help your photograph stand out

If you want to avoid the expense of a custom frame but have a picture or piece of artwork in a non-standard size, picture frame mats can solve your problem. A picture frame mat goes inside your frame, between the photo and the glass, and surrounds the photo like an inner frame giving it a professional finished look. The benefit of mats is that you can have them fit any size of artwork and fit any picture frame size. Picture frame mats can display a non-standard photo or piece of artwork and make it fit nicely in any ready made standard sized frame without the big expense of a custom made frame. Mats can be cut to fit any size frame or picture no matter if it’s a ready made frame or a custom frame, they’re a perfect way to enhance your photos or artwork.

Mats are also popular for displaying more photos in a smaller space like collage frames or other multiple opening frames like double or triple picture frames.

Personalization is another great benefit of picture frame mats. Picture frame mats can be used to personalize your frame, from special messages to whimsical notes, signatures or drawings. You can use mats for personalizing picture frames when displaying wedding photos, graduations, anniversary parties, vacations and just about any type of photo display.

Using picture frame mats can also help you better express your creativity. Mats can be cut many different ways and are available in a wide variety of colors so you can create a truly stunning photo display. A mat will help set off frames in just about any color from white picture frames to black, blue or even red picture frames.

Mats can serve another purpose besides adding to the eye appeal and personalization of your picture. Mats will help prevent your photos from touching the picture frame glass. This is very important because moisture exposure over time can cause your photo to stick to the glass and damage your photo. If you really want to save your picture and protect it for a long time, consider using conservation techniques by using archival mats and paper for framing. These types of archival products do not contain chemicals that would otherwise degrade your pictures over time.

With so many benefits, the only downside of picture frame mats is that it costs a little extra time and money to buy the mat. But even that is small as there are machine precut mats for common picture frame sizes that make mats very affordable and easy to find. A non-standard mat for a unique size, on the other hand, has to be cut by hand and costs more but is almost always well worth it.

One thing to be aware of when using multiple picture mats is to avoid non-glare glass (also known as anti-reflective (AR) glass). Using 2 or more mats with non-glare glass may make your picture appear fuzzy. The extra thickness of using multiple mats creates an extra distance between the non-glare glass and the photo causing the photo to look diffused.

So just remember these two tips- never use non-glare glass when using multiple mats and buy pre-cut mats if you want to save a little money.

Once you try your first picture frame mat, you’ll be sure to love the look a mat can add to your favorite photo. No wonder picture frame mats are so popular by professional photographers -they really add a finished look to any picture. Hopefully this article has helped you see the benefit of mats and will help to encourage you to try one with your next picture frame.