| By :
Autumn Lockwood
For many viewers of art, wider mats supply a visual breathing space between the art and the picture frame that's more comfortable. Wide mat borders were once mainly used by art collectors and museums for their highly valued pieces, but they are now favored for a lot of sorts of framed art. The correct choice of mat borders is mainly personal preference which might change as time passes. It is a great idea, when trying to decide your preference, to look at framed art in magazines, in museums, in other people's homes, or really anywhere art is found. In addition to the width of the mat border, you will find different styles which have developed over time, some to accommodate variations of art as well as decor. You can create the mood of the art that you're desiring to showcase using a variety of styles of mat borders. Identical Borders, Single Mat The most basic standard mat has equal widths all around and offers a simple presentation for virtually any type of art. The texture and color of the surface of this mat board can create the overall character of your artwork. Mats with Multiple Openings This type of mat is normally utilized for photographs, a single mat board has multiple openings cut in it that allows someone to display more than one picture. The openings can be all the same configuration, or possibly a number of sizes and shapes. This sort of mat could also be used to showcase collections, like trading cards or stamps. When framing multiple items within one frame, it's usually better to select simple frames, like plain silver plated picture frames or other solid colored wood picture frames. The Double Mat A double mat is really just two mats over each other. Anywhere from around a half of an inch to 1/8 of an inch of the bottom mat is revealed inside the opening of the top mat. Most of the time the mats are two different colors, but this isn't necessary. This kind of map creates visual and physical depth. If the artwork has a double mat, it can be considered to be a more finished and professional looking piece. Weighted Bottom A weighted bottom mat is one that includes a wider or slightly extended bottom border. Some say it gives the feel of a solid base and suits the eye. It's a extremely popular style for several forms of art framing. The Museum Mat This sort of mat has significant borders on the top and sides and a distinctly wider lower border. Art museums usually make use of this kind of mat to showcase drawings, engravings, and watercolor paintings, which is where the name originates from. Museums normally prefer using neutral mats such as white, gray, and off-white, but for use within home decor, some prefer more density in the color of their matting. The Oriental Mat Meant to mimic the proportions of art on scrolls, this kind of mat has two narrow opposite sides, with significantly wider borders on the two remaining sides. The narrow sides are generally one fourth to one third the width of the other two sides. This sort of mat is commonly seen with Asian paintings and art, but it also works for elongated art. Arched Mats If you are searching to get a traditional, romantic, or classical feel, pick a curved arch mat. This type of mat gives artwork a sense of antiquity and can be great for vintage photographs. It's also a good choice for romantic photos like from a wedding or anniversary. A Print Mat With wider sides along with a narrow bottom and top, this mat gives a piece of artwork an up to date character which is just the thing for prints on oversized pieces of paper. Oval Mats An oval opening within a mat has got an traditional feel, as well as romantic. Because of the fact that the corners of the art being framed are going to be hidden, this type of mat is best suited for if your image is centered. You'll see oval mats used frequently to frame vintage pictures, wedding pictures and silhouette portraits. Fabric-covered Mats It is possible to add depth and dimension using the texture of a fabric mat. Usually these are found covered with linen, silk, suede, and velvet. French Mats The opening of the French mat is surrounded by ink lines, with panels of watercolor washes between the lines. These can have just two lines with one wash of color, or they could have a number of lines and color panels. Embellished Mats You are able to apply stickers or some other decoration on the surface of your mat, such as a simple monogram in a corner or a tiny decorative design on each of the corners. Make the artwork playful or even elegant and formal, based on what type of embellishment you decide to do. Since you now see what type of mat styles you can choose from, have some fun when you frame your pictures. You'll be able to really enhance your pictures aided by the kind of mat which you use.
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