Matting Tips

Why Use a Mat?

The purpose of a mat is to lead the eye to the artwork. A mat creates a neutral zone between the visual interest of the frame and the artwork itself. At the same time, the mat's color can affect our experience of the art, either by drawing our attention to some particular color, or by isolating the art so that nothing intrudes on the artist's original intention.

Mats also protect the artwork by separating the art from the glass. In humid conditions, the small air space keeps any condensation on the inside surface of the glass from touching the print. This prevents mildew, paper buckling and color loss. Our museum-quality, acid-free mats will retain their color and protect your artwork for many, many years.

Mat Color

Mat colors strongly affect the appearance of your artwork, so be conservative when choosing mat colors. In most cases, mat color should be different from the frame color. However, similarly colored mats and frames can be quite dramatic if constructed with a particular effect in mind.

Neutral colors like white and cream create space and allow the art to showcase its own color scheme. Neutral colors are considered "non-invasive" and are used to good effect on almost every piece of art, but especially on museum classics. These simple colors don't draw attention to themselves. They provide enough space to highlight the art, and at the same time allow the frame stand out as a point of interest as well.

Strong colors extend the work of art. They connect the artwork to the frame so that art, mat and frame feels like a single unit. Colored mats are often used on contemporary prints and can produce a custom decorative effect.

Strong mat colors are recommended when the frame selected creates a formidable effect that counterbalances a print's own colors. But be careful, strong-colored mats can easily overwhelm the art or wash it out. Metallic gold is not recommended as the top mat because the large reflective surface can be too distracting.

Cream is the most popular and versatile color for mats, and there are many shades available. A very common use of cream colored mats is to choose two slightly different colored creams to form a double mat. While seeing the subtle variations of color may be difficult on a computer screen, we offer recommendations for many prints for two-tone cream combinations.

White is the most common mat color for black and white photography because the warmth of a cream mat would detract from the intentional monochrome effect of the print. Two plain white mats in can create a beautiful effect for black and white photos, adding both lightness and depth.

Choosing One or Two Mats

By using more than one mat, you can create special effects with color. The thin color border draws attention to the image, helps create a smooth transition between the frame and the art, and adds a touch of class to the whole piece.

Single mats are often used on abstract art, contemporary art, and posters. They give the artwork a sleek, clean, fashionable look. By far the most common colors for single mats are whites, creams and neutrals. Dark mats are used occasionally to very good effect, however their use is rare. Without the moderating effect of a light inner border, a dark single mat can easily overwhelm the image, making it feel crowded.

Double mats are used on nearly all art prints and can create a multitude of different effects for different types of art. They give the piece a more formal, finished look.

Fine art pieces look best with double mats. In traditional museum style matting, both mats are light, neutral tones. The bottom mat (showing a thin strip of color) can be the same color as the top mat, but is usually slightly lighter or darker. Gold is very often used as a bottom mat with museum pieces, especially if the frame is gold.

Using high-contrast colors gives a more stylized look. This will make a classic feel more at home in a contemporary setting.
For contemporary prints, double mats can create a dramatic decorator effect. Often, one or both mat colors will match or complement a color in the artwork. One attractive matting style is to use a dark bottom mat with a light top mat. The bottom mat can be chosen to match a particular color in the print that you want to emphasize in order to coordinate with your décor.

When Not to Use a Mat

Canvas: We don't offer mats for canvas images. Canvas images look better without mats because the texture of the canvas naturally complements the frame. In addition, since canvas images don't use plexi-glass covers, mats are unnecessary for protection and would be exposed to damage themselves.

Style Preference: Some images, like many vintage advertising images were originally designed as posters. Framing these images without a mat helps to evoke their original context. They can be displayed quite well with or without a mat.

Border Elements in Image: Some images already contain border elements that function like a mat. A good example of this would be motivational posters.

Smaller Size: In addition to personal preference, there are a few practical reasons for removing the mat in order to get a smaller finished piece. Removing the mat reduces the finished size of the piece. This reduces the amount of frame molding used, resulting in a lower final price. Also, some oversize images, if matted, would be too large to ship, so mats aren't even available.

The Final Word

By customizing mats to suit your style, your art choice becomes an even more personal statement. Feel free to experiment, or to use our recommended combinations. Either way, you can feel confident with your art choice.

We stock only hand-beveled cut, top quality mats. Our team of design experts coordinates the best marriage of mats for each print in our catalog. When you click a print's thumbnail on the preview page the recommended mats appear onscreen, in single, double, and triple combinations, next to the frame selections. Some images incorporate printed borders into their designs. These prints may or may not have mats suggested with the frame options.

All materials used in our custom framing process, including our prints and mats, are acid free.

Each piece of art on our site has recommended frames and mats selected for it by our in-house framing experts. Start with these suggestions and make changes to suit your own décor. For an added measure of confidence, you can call us to discuss your mat choices with our free Second Opinion Service. Call toll-free (888) 686-4254. Finally, if you aren't completely satisfied with your choice of art, frame or mat, return it to us for a full refund.