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How to Do Photo Matting

Matting is the process of making a colored or decorative border between the edge of a photo and the edge of a frame. Matting gives any photo a professional took. You can pay someone to mat a photo for you, but you could do it yourself and save some money. Materials needed to mat a photo are available at any craft shop. Mats can range from one layer to several layers. You can get a more professional look if you use several layers of mat.

Things You'll Need

  • 4-by-6 Photo
  • 8-by-12 Photo frame
  • Three pieces of mat material 8-by-12 inches in complementing colors or patterns
  • Craft knife
  • Straight edge
  • Craft glue
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Instructions

    • 1

      Using the straight edge and craft knife, cut a rectangle 3 3/4 inches by 5 3/4 inches from the middle of the mat that will frame your photo. Cut from the front side of the mat to make a cleaner cut. This will be called mat 1.

    • 2

      Using the straight edge and craft knife, cut a rectangle 4 inches by 6 inches from the middle of the mat that will frame the mat in step 1. This will be called mat 2.

    • 3

      Using the straight edge and craft knife, cut a rectangle 4 1/4 inches by 6 1/4 inches for the top mat. This will be called mat 3.

    • 4

      Glue mat 2 onto mat 1 leaving a 1/4-inch overlap on mat 1.

    • 5

      Glue mat 3 onto mat 2 leaving a 1/4-inch overlap on mat 2.

    • 6

      Glue or tape the three-layer mat onto your photo.

    • 7

      Place the finished product onto the original back of the photo frame. Place the mat and photo into your photo frame.

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