Photography User Digital Camera Deals And Basic Photography Information

Why You Should Use Mats in Your Picture Frames

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 super versatile and make a noticeable difference in your finished framing project.

What will a picture frame mat do for your photo? 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 basically inserts into the frame, between the picture and the glass, and surrounds the picture like an inner frame giving it a beautiful finished look. The benefit of mats is that they can be cut to fit the size of any picture or piece of artwork. 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.

Personalizing your picture frames is another great benefit of 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.

Picture frame mats also allow you to express your creativity. Mats are available in many colors and can be artistically cut to best show off your picture. 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 protect your photos from touching the glass of the picture frame. This is important because over time moisture exposure can damage your photo by causing your photo to stick to the glass. 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 products do not contain chemicals that would degrade your photos 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 since you can use precut mats for standard picture frame sizes that are easy to find and affordable. A non-standard mat for a unique size, however, will require a little additional cost because it has to be hand cut but is almost always well worth it.

One thing to be careful of when using multiple mats in a frame is to avoid non-glare or anti-reflective (AR) glass. If you use two or more mats with non-glare glass your photo may very well appear fuzzy or out of focus. 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 professional photographers and picture enthusiasts have made picture frame mats so popular. 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.