Choosing a Picture Frame Mat Style
For many viewers of art, wider mats provide a visual breathing space between your art and the picture frame which is more comfortable. Wide mat borders were once mainly used by art collectors and museums for their highly valued pieces, but they are now very popular for all kinds of framed art.
The correct choice of mat borders is mainly personal preference which might change over time. It is a great idea, when trying to determine your choice, to consider framed art in magazines, in museums, in other people's homes, or really anywhere art is found.
In addition to the width of your mat border, you can find variations which have developed throughout the years, some to match different styles of art along with decor. You may create the mood of the art that you are desiring to display using a selection of varieties of mat borders.
Single Mat, Equal Borders
The very simplest, standard mat is a mat which includes equal widths the whole way around and provides a simple presentation for virtually any sort of art. The color and texture of the mat board's surface can supply the overall character of the artwork.
Numerous Opening Mats
On this type, which is usually utilized for photographs, multiple openings are cut into one mat board to allow the display of more than one picture, each in its own individual window. The openings might be the same configuration, or perhaps a number of shapes and sizes. This style of mat is great for displaying collections, including stamps or trading cards. When you are displaying many items within one frame, usually it is advisable to pick simple frames, like solid colored wood picture frames or plain silver plated picture frames.
Double Mat
A double mat is actually just two mats on top of each other. A bit of the bottom mat is revealed within the top mats' opening, usually from an eighth of an inch up to half an inch. Usually the mats are two different colors, but this is not necessary. This sort of mat creates both physical and visual depth. If your artwork has a double mat, it can be regarded as a more finished and professional looking piece.
Weighted Bottom Mat
A rather extended, or wider, bottom border is what a weighted bottom mat is about. Some say it provides the feel of a solid base and suits a person's eye. This style is quite popular for a number of types of art framing.
Museum Mat Style
This style of mat has a distinctly wider lower border and significant borders along the sides and top. Art museums usually use this kind of mat to display drawings, engravings, and watercolor paintings, which is where the name originates from. Museums normally prefer using neutral mats including white, gray, and off-white, but for use within interior decor, some prefer more density within the color of their matting.
Oriental Mat
This kind of mat has two narrow opposite sides, and the remaining borders are significantly wider, which is intended to mimic the proportions of the art that is located on scrolls. Typically, the narrow sides are a third to a fourth the width of the other sides. This type of mat is commonly seen with Asian paintings and art, though it also works for elongated art.
Arched Mats
To get a classical, traditional, or even romantic feel, go for a curved arch mat. This kind of mat makes artwork feel antique, and it's a great choice for vintage photographs. It's also a wonderful choice when you have romantic photographs, like from an anniversary or even a wedding.
A Print Mat
This mat gives your art a contemporary character and can be useful for prints which are on oversized pieces of paper, plus the mat features a narrow bottom and top and wider sides.
Oval Mats
A mat which includes an oval opening imparts both a romantic and an old fashioned feel. This kind of mat works the best for a centered image, because the corners of the art that you will be framing will be hidden. Oval mats are often used to frame silhouette portraits, wedding pictures, and vintage photographs.
Using Fabric Covered Mats
The texture of a fabric mat adds both dimension as well as depth. Frequently these are found covered with linen, silk, suede, and velvet.
French Mat
The French mat has ink lines surrounding the opening and also panels of watercolor washes between the lines. This can have a series of color panels and lines, or simply two lines with one wash of color.
Embellished Mats
You are able to apply stickers or some other decoration to the surface of a mat, like a simple monogram in one corner or perhaps a tiny decorative design on each of the corners. The kind of embellishment that you choose will make your artwork anywhere from playful to formal and stylish.
Since you have discovered a few of the many different types of mat which you can choose, have a great time framing your pictures. You'll be able to really enhance your pictures with the style of mat that you use.
The correct choice of mat borders is mainly personal preference which might change over time. It is a great idea, when trying to determine your choice, to consider framed art in magazines, in museums, in other people's homes, or really anywhere art is found.
In addition to the width of your mat border, you can find variations which have developed throughout the years, some to match different styles of art along with decor. You may create the mood of the art that you are desiring to display using a selection of varieties of mat borders.
Single Mat, Equal Borders
The very simplest, standard mat is a mat which includes equal widths the whole way around and provides a simple presentation for virtually any sort of art. The color and texture of the mat board's surface can supply the overall character of the artwork.
Numerous Opening Mats
On this type, which is usually utilized for photographs, multiple openings are cut into one mat board to allow the display of more than one picture, each in its own individual window. The openings might be the same configuration, or perhaps a number of shapes and sizes. This style of mat is great for displaying collections, including stamps or trading cards. When you are displaying many items within one frame, usually it is advisable to pick simple frames, like solid colored wood picture frames or plain silver plated picture frames.
Double Mat
A double mat is actually just two mats on top of each other. A bit of the bottom mat is revealed within the top mats' opening, usually from an eighth of an inch up to half an inch. Usually the mats are two different colors, but this is not necessary. This sort of mat creates both physical and visual depth. If your artwork has a double mat, it can be regarded as a more finished and professional looking piece.
Weighted Bottom Mat
A rather extended, or wider, bottom border is what a weighted bottom mat is about. Some say it provides the feel of a solid base and suits a person's eye. This style is quite popular for a number of types of art framing.
Museum Mat Style
This style of mat has a distinctly wider lower border and significant borders along the sides and top. Art museums usually use this kind of mat to display drawings, engravings, and watercolor paintings, which is where the name originates from. Museums normally prefer using neutral mats including white, gray, and off-white, but for use within interior decor, some prefer more density within the color of their matting.
Oriental Mat
This kind of mat has two narrow opposite sides, and the remaining borders are significantly wider, which is intended to mimic the proportions of the art that is located on scrolls. Typically, the narrow sides are a third to a fourth the width of the other sides. This type of mat is commonly seen with Asian paintings and art, though it also works for elongated art.
Arched Mats
To get a classical, traditional, or even romantic feel, go for a curved arch mat. This kind of mat makes artwork feel antique, and it's a great choice for vintage photographs. It's also a wonderful choice when you have romantic photographs, like from an anniversary or even a wedding.
A Print Mat
This mat gives your art a contemporary character and can be useful for prints which are on oversized pieces of paper, plus the mat features a narrow bottom and top and wider sides.
Oval Mats
A mat which includes an oval opening imparts both a romantic and an old fashioned feel. This kind of mat works the best for a centered image, because the corners of the art that you will be framing will be hidden. Oval mats are often used to frame silhouette portraits, wedding pictures, and vintage photographs.
Using Fabric Covered Mats
The texture of a fabric mat adds both dimension as well as depth. Frequently these are found covered with linen, silk, suede, and velvet.
French Mat
The French mat has ink lines surrounding the opening and also panels of watercolor washes between the lines. This can have a series of color panels and lines, or simply two lines with one wash of color.
Embellished Mats
You are able to apply stickers or some other decoration to the surface of a mat, like a simple monogram in one corner or perhaps a tiny decorative design on each of the corners. The kind of embellishment that you choose will make your artwork anywhere from playful to formal and stylish.
Since you have discovered a few of the many different types of mat which you can choose, have a great time framing your pictures. You'll be able to really enhance your pictures with the style of mat that you use.
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