| By :
Autumn Lockwood
For most viewers of art, wider mats provide 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 are now favored for all sorts of framed art. The correct choice of mat borders is primarily personal preference, which may change with time. It's a great idea, when trying to determine your choice, to observe framed art in magazines, in museums, in other people's homes, or really anywhere art can be found. In addition to the width of your mat border, variations have developed with time, some of which came about to suit variations of art along with different decor. Create the mood of the art which you display with different forms of mats borders. Single Mat, Equivalent Borders The most basic standard mat has equal widths all around and provides an effective presentation for virtually any kind of art. The color and texture of the mat board's surface can supply the overall character of your artwork. Multiple Opening Mats With 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 can be all the same shape and size, or possibly a number of sizes and shapes. This type of mat may also be used to show off collections, like trading cards or stamps. When you're 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 Matst The double mat is really two mats which are on top of one another. Anywhere from around a half of an inch to an eighth of an inch of the bottom mat is revealed within the opening in the top mat. Usually the mats are two different colors, but this isn't necessary. This kind of mat creates both physical and visual depth. If the artwork utilizes a double mat, it's thought to be a more finished and professional looking piece. Weighted Bottom A slightly extended, or wider, bottom border is exactly what a weighted bottom mat is all about. Some people think that it suits a person's eye given it gives the feel of a solid base. This style is extremely popular for a variety of types of art framing. Museum Mat Type This type of mat has significant borders at the top and sides and also a distinctly wider lower border. This sort of mat is normally used by art museums whenever they display engravings, watercolor paintings, and drawings, which is where the name is derived. Museums normally prefer using neutral mats like white, gray, and off-white, however, for use in decor in your home, some prefer more density in the color of their matting. The Oriental Mat This style of mat has two narrow opposite sides, plus the remaining borders are significantly wider, which is intended to mimic the proportions of the art that's located on scrolls. The narrow sides are usually one fourth to 1 / 3 the width of the other two sides. This type of mat is commonly seen with Asian paintings and art, though it also works well with elongated art. The Arched Mat If you are searching to get a traditional, romantic, or classical feel, select a curved arch mat. This form of mat makes artwork feel antique, and it's a wonderful choice for vintage photographs. It's also a wise decision for romantic photos like from a wedding or anniversary. A Print Mat This mat gives your art an up to date character and is helpful for prints which might be on oversized sheets of paper, plus the mat has a narrow bottom and top and wider sides. The Oval Mat A mat which has an oval opening imparts both a romantic as well as an traditional feel. This type of mat works best for a centered image, as the corners of the art that you're framing will be hidden. You'll see oval mats used often to frame vintage photos, wedding photos and silhouette portraits. Fabric Covered Mats You can easily add depth and dimension using the texture of a fabric mat. Frequently these are found covered with linen, silk, suede, and velvet. French Mats The opening of the French mat is flanked by ink lines, with panels of watercolor washes between the lines. This can have a number of color panels and lines, or simply two lines with one wash of color. The Embellished Mat It can be fun to apply decoration including stickers on the surface of your mat, like a small decorative design on each of the four corners or a simple monogram in just one corner. The sort of embellishment that you choose can make your artwork anywhere from playful to formal and chic. Now that you have learned about a few of the numerous types of mat that you can choose, have fun framing your pictures. Help make your picture or artwork look its best with the type of mat that you choose.
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