Different Picture Frame Mat Styles
For most viewers of art, wider mats provide a visual breathing space between the art and the picture frame that is more comfortable. Once used mainly by museums and art collectors for highly valued pieces, wide mat borders are now popular for all types of framed art.
The right choice of mat borders is mostly personal preference which may change over time. It is a good 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 can be found.
Besides the width of the mat border, there are different styles that have developed over the years, some to suit different styles of art as well as decor. Create the mood of the art that you display with different styles of mats borders.
Single Mat, Equal Borders
The most common, basic mat has equal widths all around and looks great with any type of art. The overall character of the artwork can be enhanced by the color and texture of the matboard.
Mats With Multiple Openings
This type of mat is generally used for photos, and multiple openings are cut in the matboard so each picture has its own window. The openings can be a variety of shapes and sizes, or all the same shape and size. This type of mat can also be used to display collections, like trading cards or stamps. When including many items in one frame, usually it is better to choose simple frames, such as plain silver plated picture frames or other wood natural picture frames.
Double Layered Mats
A double mat is really just two mats on top of each other. The top mat has an opening, usually an eighth of an inch to a half inch, where the bottom mat peeks through. Most often the two mats are different colors, but they don’t have to be. Visual depth and physical depth are created with this type of mat. People tend to thind of artwork that utilizes a double mat as being more finished and professional looking.
A Weighted Bottom
A weighted bottom mat has a wider or slightly extended bottom border. Some say it gives the feel of a solid base and suits the eye. This is a very popular style for many types art framing.
Museum Mats
The museum mat has good sized borders at the sides and top and an obviously wider lower border. The name comes from the fact that this type of mat is usually chosen by art museums to display watercolor paintings, drawings, and engravings. Museums usually choose neutral mats such as off-white, white, or grey, but when picking mats for home decor, more vivid colors can be a great choice.
Oriental Mat
Meant to mimic the proportions of art on scrolls, this type of mat has two narrow opposite sides, with much wider borders on the two remaining sides. Typically, the narrow sides are one third to one fourth the width of the other sides. This type of mat works well with elongated art, but is typically seen with Asian art prints and paintings.
Arched Mats
If you want a traditional, classical, or romantic feel, choose a curved arch mat. This type of mat gives artwork a feeling of antiquity and would be great for vintage photographs. It’s also a good choice for romantic photos such as from a wedding or anniversary.
Print Mats
This style of mat has wider sides and a narrow top and bottom, and it gives the art a contemporary feel; it is also a good choice for prints on oversized pieces of paper.
Oval Mats
If you want an old fashioned or romantic feel, a good choice is a mat with an oval opening. Due to the fact that the corners of the art being framed will be hidden, this type of mat works best when your image is centered. Oval mats are often used to frame wedding pictures, silhouette portraits, and vintage photos.
Fabric-covered mat
You can easily add depth and dimension with the texture of a fabric mat. Most often these are found covered with linen, silk, suede, and velvet.
French Mat
The French mat has ink lines surrounding the opening and panels of watercolor washes between the lines. They can have a series of color panels and lines, or they might have just one wash of color with two lines.
Embellished Mat
The surface of a mat can be decorated with a variety of artwork, such as stickers or a monogram. Make your artwork playful or even elegant and formal, depending on what kind of embellishment you choose to do.
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