Window Mats Peace Meal

[dancqu]

What is a window mat? Two verticals and two
horizontals. Why not assemble a window mat
using the four components mentioned rather
than cut rectangular holes in expensive
card board?

Are there any who do assemble their
window mats? Dan

[DWThomas]

I don't, but I have seen at least one painter who did that. I tell myself the window cut-outs can mat smaller pieces, but I admit it doesn't often happen here.

[David Brown]

If you don't mind the seams ...

[Vaughn]

Yes very unseemly to see seams...

Sometimes it takes a little more care and work to make something look as simple as possible. Seams are a visual complication.

I try to buy my matboard 25 32x40 sheets at a time. I feel secure knowing I have almost unlimited matboard. Out of the 32x40 I cut one 24x28 (for 16x20 prints), one 16x20 (for 8x10 prints) and one 12x16 (for 5x7 and 4x10 prints). That leaves me with a 4x24 extra piece.

The hole I cut for my 16x20 prints out of the 24x28 is actually slightly bigger than that, so the hole becomes another 16x20. The hole for the 8x10 prints are also a little larger, so I get an extra 8x10.

So out of a 32x40 I get:
(1) 24x28
(2) 16x20
(1) 12x16
(1) 8x10

Fairly efficient usage.

[bowzart]

Tweech izzown.

I guess you could put them together with Duck tape.

For me, one of the main reasons to matte at all is to provide an isolation from distracting elements. I think the seams, even if done carefully, would add back the distraction I'm trying to get rid of. If I puttied the seams, it would take more time and trouble than cutting them the regular way to begin with.

[phaedrus]

Wouldn't work well with the beveled cuts windows mats have.

[fdi]

The reason for use of “expensive cardboard” is two fold. Quality conservation materials that are acid free are more expensive. The other reason for the cost is chemcals and process for the color of the mat board.

As far as the method of achieving the window, for anyone setup for production mat cutting it will be much more labor intensive to assemble the four pieces than to cut the window. Especially since you have to cut the 4 pieces you are going to assemble before you start taking time to assemble them.

If you are concerned about conservation then you also to have to worry about making sure the adhesive used to assemble your mat will not cause the image to degrade.

Cheers,
Mark

What is a window mat? Two verticals and two
horizontals. Why not assemble a window mat
using the four components mentioned rather
than cut rectangular holes in expensive
card board?

Are there any who do assemble their
window mats? Dan