Different Choices Of Picture Frame Mat Styles

Different Choices Of Picture Frame Mat Styles

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For most people that are viewing art, the wider mats aid to give a visual "breathing space" between your picture frame and the art that seems much more comfortable. Once used usually by museums and art collectors for highly valued pieces, wide mat borders are now popular for all varieties of framed art.

The best choice of mat borders is primarily personal preference, which may change as time passes. One great tip that will help you decide what you like would be to take a look at framed art in museums, magazines, friend's homes, and elsewhere that art is available.

Besides the width of your mat border, there are different styles that have developed over the years, some to match different styles of art along with decor. You can create the mood of the art that you are desiring to showcase using a selection of kinds of mat borders.

Single Mat, Equivalent Borders

The very simplest, standard mat is a mat which has equal widths the whole way around and offers an effective presentation for almost any kind of art. The color and texture of the mat board's surface will supply the general character of the artwork.

Mats with Numerous Openings

With this type, that's usually utilized for photographs, multiple openings are cut into one mat board to permit the display of more than one picture, each in its own individual window. The openings may be the same size and shape, or possibly a variety of sizes and shapes. This kind of mat may also be used to showcase collections, like trading cards or stamps. When you're displaying many items within one frame, usually it is better to select simple frames, like solid colored wood picture frames or plain silver plated picture frames.

The Double Mats

The double mat is actually two mats which are on top of one another. Anywhere from a 1 / 2 of an inch to 1/8 inch of the bottom mat is revealed in the opening of the top mat. Most of the time the mats are two different colors, but this is not necessary. This type of map creates visual and physical depth. Artwork employing a double mat is also considered to be a more finished, professional looking piece.

A Weighted Bottom

A slightly extended, or wider, bottom border is really what a weighted bottom mat depends upon. Some say it provides the feel of a solid base and suits the eye. This style is quite popular for a number of types of art framing.

Museum Mat Type

This type of mat has significant borders on the top and sides and also a distinctly wider lower border. Art museums usually use this sort of mat to display drawings, engravings, and watercolor paintings, which is where the name originates from. The standard color preference of museums is neutral mats in gray, off-white, and white, however when used for home decorating, many people like more density in the colors of their matting.

An Oriental Mat

Meant to mimic the proportions of art on scrolls, this sort of mat has two narrow opposite sides, with significantly wider borders around the two remaining sides. Typically, the narrow sides are a third to a fourth the width of the other sides. This kind of mat works well with elongated art, but is commonly seen with Asian art prints and paintings.

Arched Mats

To have a classical, traditional, or even romantic feel, go for a curved arch mat. This style of mat makes artwork feel antique, and is an ideal choice for vintage photographs. It's additionally a good choice for romantic photos such as from your wedding or anniversary.

The Print Mat

With wider sides and also a narrow bottom and top, this mat gives a piece of artwork an up to date character and it is just the thing for prints on oversized pieces of paper.

The Oval Mat

A mat which has an oval opening imparts both a romantic as well as an old-fashioned feel. Due to the fact that the corners of the art being framed will be hidden, this kind of mat works best when your image is centered. Oval mats can be used to frame silhouette portraits, wedding photos, and vintage photographs.

Fabric Covered Mats

The texture of the fabric mat adds both dimension and also depth. Frequently these are typically found covered with linen, silk, suede, and velvet.

French Mats

The opening in the French mat is surrounded by ink lines, with panels of watercolor washes between these lines. These may have just two lines with one wash of color, or they can possess a series of lines and color panels.

Embellished Mats

It might be fun to apply decoration such as stickers on the surface of the mat, such as a small decorative design on each of the four corners or perhaps a simple monogram in just one corner. Make your artwork playful or even elegant and formal, depending on what sort of embellishment you decide to do.

Now that you've discovered a few of the many different styles of mat that you can choose, have a great time framing your pictures. Make your picture or artwork look its best with the design of mat that you choose.


About the Author:
Take a look online at our huge selection of picture frames and mats in varying styles. Shop online and see our picture frames now or call 800-780-0699.



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