Cutting a mat board with a mat cutter involves carefully measuring and marking the desired window opening on the board and then using the cutter to make precise, often bevelled, cuts along those lines. The process typically requires preparation, accurate measurement, and steady hands.
Understanding Mat Boards and Mat Cutters
Mat boards are heavy cardstock used for framing artwork or photographs. They serve both aesthetic purposes (enhancing the visual appeal and drawing the eye to the artwork) and protective functions (preventing the artwork from touching the glass). A mat cutter is a specialized tool designed to cut the precise inner window of a mat board, often creating a professional-looking bevelled edge.
Steps to Cut a Mat Board
While specific mat cutters may have slight variations in operation, the general process involves the following steps:
- Prepare Your Workspace: Ensure you have a clean, flat, and stable surface. You will need the mat board, the mat cutter, a ruler or measuring tape, a pencil, and potentially a cutting mat or underlay to protect your surface.
- Determine Window Size and Borders: Decide on the size of the inner window you need for your artwork and the width of the borders you want around it. Remember that the window should be slightly smaller than your artwork to provide an overlap for mounting.
- Mark Your Mat Board: Using a ruler and pencil, carefully mark the lines where you will cut the inner window. As demonstrated with a mat guide, you often use the tool to help mark dimensions. For example, if you need 4-inch borders on the top and bottom, you would move the mat guide to the 4-inch mark and make the necessary marks on the mat board to guide your cuts, repeating this for all four sides.
- Set Up the Mat Cutter: Position your mat board on the mat cutter's baseboard or cutting surface. Align the marked lines on your mat board with the guides or rulers on the mat cutter.
- Make the Cuts: Follow the specific instructions for your mat cutter model. This usually involves:
- Positioning the cutting head at the starting mark.
- Engaging the blade into the mat board.
- Guiding the cutter along the marked line, maintaining steady pressure.
- Lifting the blade at the ending mark.
- Repeat this for all four sides of the window.
- Remove the Window: Once all four cuts are complete, the inner section of the mat board (the window) should pop out or be easily removable.
- Clean Up: Erase any visible pencil marks from the mat board surface.
Accuracy in measurement and steady technique during cutting are key to achieving clean, professional results. Using a mat guide is a crucial step in ensuring your dimensions, such as the 4 inches for the top and bottom borders mentioned, are accurately transferred to the mat board for marking.
