Hand-held mat cutters come in a variety of styles for freestyle, push, pull and 8-ply mat cutting. Freestyle cutters allow users to design and cut individual shapes in mat board and offer right or left hand cutting. Push style cutters are designed for cutting mats with a pushing motion and pull style cutters using a pulling motion; selecting a push- or pull-style cutter is strictly a matter of user preference as both can produce precision cuts. The 8-ply cutters are designed to allow for the extra blade depth needed when cutting 8-ply mat board and can adjust for 4-ply board. Cutters come in designs intended for straight cuts, beveled cuts or adjustable for straight and beveled cuts. The majority of cutters offer the ability to retract the blade for safety when the cutter is not in use.
Precision mat cutting requires using specially designed straightedges with the proper weight and thickness needed for making a cut. Select straightedge tools include metric and U.S. rules printed on the top for use when marking mat board and making cuts. Straightedges have rubberized bases to prevent slippage when cutting and come in sizes from 24 to 60 inches.
Each mat cutter requires an individualized blade. Best results require changing blades often--after cutting one to three mats. Blades come in a variety of package quantities, from 5 to 100 per package.
Cutting mats are positioned under mat board to provide a surface for the cutting process. Cutting blades go through mat board and into cutting mats when making a cut. Cutting mats offer nonslip surfaces and provide clean, precise cuts. Self-healing vinyl mats leave the surface smooth after each cut. Select cutting mats also include vertical and horizontal printed rules for measuring and precision cutting.
Mat cutting systems typically include a straightedge and T-square mounted on an aluminum base or board with an attached mat cutter. The heavy-duty design of mat cutting systems provides precision cuts and combines several mat cutting tools in one. Select mat cutting systems can cut mat board up to 8-ply or foam board up to 1/2-inch thick. Typical mat cutting systems range in size from 48 to 60 inches.