Custom Mats and Liners FAQ
Dec 12, 2023
Enhance the appeal of your artwork and protect it with a personalized frame mat or linen liner that perfectly complements your piece.
What is a picture frame mat?
With quality picture frame mats and the right know-how, you can mat any artwork or photos like an expert.
Learn how to start your custom mat project with these helpful hints and tips.
Choosing the right liner or mat for your frame
With quality picture frame mats and the right know-how, you can mat any artwork or photos like an expert.
Learn how to start your custom mat project with these helpful hints and tips.
1. Number of mats
Start by deciding on the quantity of mats you want to use. Is a classic single mat sufficient, or do you want to make a bolder statement with double or triple layers?
2. Mat type and material
Select the type of picture mats that work best for your piece. The material and texture of your mat matters, so choose from decorative and acid-free options as well as suede and metallic mats for your prints and photos, or pick linen liners for canvas art.
3. Mat color
Once you know how many and the type of mats you need, explore our range of mat color options to find the most complementary custom picture mats for your artwork.
4. Mat size
Measure the portion of the artwork or photo that you want visible through the window of the mat to get the inner dimensions. If you already have a picture frame in mind, the frame size will help you determine the outer dimensions of your mat. If you don’t have one yet, we’ve got many picture frames to choose from to accompany our custom mats for frames. You can pick a frame that accommodates your photo or artwork as well as the mat width you want.
Matting 101
With quality picture frame mats and the right know-how, you can mat any artwork or photos like an expert. Learn how to start your custom mat project with these helpful hints and tips.
Mat Width
Wider mats emphasize the art while creating a highly professional, gallery-quality presentation. We recommend a mat at least twice as wide as the width of the frame.
Bottom Weighted
Bottom-weighting means making the bottom mat width slightly wider than the top, left and right sides to compensate for an optical illusion that happens where your bottom mat width looks narrower.
Double/Triple Mats
Consider using white or a neutral color on top. The inner mat closest to your artwork, punch up the color by matching the mat to a dominant color in the artwork. This color contrast is a nice way to make your art pop.
Triple Mats
Triple mats have 3 layers of mats. Try two neutral outer mats with a pop of color on a third mat around your picture. It adds loads of dimension and draws the eye inwards to your art and photos!
Color Choice
It’s best to choose a mat that complements the artwork. Choose a mat no lighter than the lightest color within your art and no darker than the darkest color. These simple guidelines will help add to your art.
Mats in every size and color!
We offer decorative mats, acid-free rag mats, decorative suede mats, metallic mats, acid-free suede mats and oversize mats in colors from white to black, yellow to purple and everything in between.
Standard mat sizes go up to 32" x 40". Oversize mat sizes go up to 40" x 60".
Types of custom mats
We offer a range of custom picture mats such as decorative mats, acid-free mats, suede mats, metallic mats and oversize mats to get the look you want. Our color selection includes black and white, neutrals and rich colors perfect for layering mats and color matching with each piece of art.
What are linen liners?
For canvas art, you will need a custom linen liner instead of a custom mat for a frame. These liners can be paired with ¾ framed stretch canvases and linen liner-compatible frames so your canvas wall art looks just as refined as your framed photos and prints.
