How to Picture Frame
A Nine Step Tutorial

 

Step Five:  Mat Cutting  

Figure 1	Figure 2

Mat Cutting is the process of cutting a window in a piece of matboard.  The window will have a beveled (sloped) edge.  All mat cutters are designed to cut a beveled edge; you don’t have to think about it.  But some mat cutters are easier to work with than others.  Generally, hand-held mat cutters, designed to be used against a hand-held straightedge, require a lot of practice and patience.  On the other hand, a mat cutter that comes with a cutting board, a fixed guide rail and a system for measuring can be mastered quickly with a little instruction.

Figure 3	Figure 4

With such mat cutters, you will use the mat guide to measure and mark out the window on the back of the mat (Figure 1).  The mat guide will also hold the mat in the proper position for cutting.  With the mat guide set, the system’s guide rail will line up along one of the marked lines. You will then attach the bevel cutting head (the tool that does the bevel cutting) to the guide rail.  When lowered, the blade of the bevel cutting head will cut very near the edge of the guide rail.  On the bevel cutting head there is a white line.  Align this white line with the intersecting pencil line nearest the top edge of the mat (with cutting heads that work by pulling toward you) (Figure 2) or nearest the bottom edge of the mat (with cutting heads that work by pushing away from you).  

Lower the blade by pushing down on the blade holder.  Maintain downward pressure as you cut through the mat.  Stop when the white line aligns with the opposite intersecting pencil line (Figure 3).  Lift the blade.  Repeat this procedure for the remaining three sides of the window.  Remove the drop-out piece (Figure 4).  Turn the mat over to admire your beveled window (Figure 5).  For more tips and techniques for mat cutting, select articles from the article vault or get the invaluable book Mat, Mount and Frame It Yourself by David Logan.  Another great way to learn is to attend one of our hands-on classes, a fun and enlightening experience. When you have finished cutting a window in your mat, you're ready to mount your artwork.

Figure 5