You can have both the top and liner mat both the same size. But the advantage of the liner being smaller is that you can then very easily apply the liner to the back of the top mat without having to carefully line up the edges and with the liner being smaller, that insures you will have enough room to drive points into the rabbet of the frame after assembly.
Make sure the blade depth on your cutter is set to barely score the slip sheet under the mat you are cutting and it is imperative that you leave the window from the top mat in place before you apply and cut the liner mat on the back. Without the window in place, there is an air space under the liner mat allowing it to bow downward and cause problems like not cutting all the way through.
I have a picture I want to double mount. So, I Google 'picture mounting' and watched at least 10 different video's. The one you did made it so simple but I was so scared I would mess. I have watched this video many times over a 5 day period and will make the second cut tonight...I'll let you know...thanks so much for your demonstration
The tape is called ATG tape. Which is a backless adhesive that comes off a roll and is available in a few different thicknesses. This type of tape works well to apply double mats together like in the video. You can either use the tape manually as shown in the video or use it with a ATG tape dispensing gun. You can find ATG tape for sale at pretty much any art supply or craft store.
Exactly. After the double mat is done, replace the two drop out windows that are taped together back into the back of the double mat. Adhere a slightly downsized liner face down onto the back of this, mark out a third set of borders, cut them and the three drop outs will fall out taped together and you will now have a triple mat.
I tried mine the first time today. The top mat turned out fine. The second mat I had trouble cutting the corners. I lined it up with the line. But, had to go over it several times. I still had to cut 3 of them a little with the blade by hand to get it out. ended up with two ragged corners.
Yes for a triple mat, you again lay the mat face down on your work space with the drop out window in place, apply adhesive to all four borders and some in the middle of the window and then apply a second liner blank to the back of this color side down. Cut a third set of borders from the back and it becomes a triple mat.
Very helpful. . .but when I tried it, bringing the cutter right to the pencil line, it didn't quite cut the corner. I guess I have to go a little beyond to ensure the other side of the blade has gone far enough, but then I risk going too far. Any advice? Thanks, and thanks for posting this video.
I have an older 650 unit, and tried this technique, and it worked fine, however I had two issues, perhaps you could address? 1. I would mark the lines, as in the video, but when I actually cut with the blade, the cut was not exactly on the line. It was more towards the outer border, sometimes as much as 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch? 2. It also appears my cutter blade must be bending? The final cut was slightly curved in the center (bowed toward the outside edge). Not enough that I would care for personal stuff, but not good enough if I were cutting for a paying customer.
How to you cut multiple cuts due to multiple different size photos, anyway to trace around the photos and then reverse the paper somehow to make the perfect cuts?
Hello. My suggestion is to take a piece of paper and map out all the openings as they will appear to create a guide for yourself. Write down each opening size vertically and horizontally and make sure to calculate the spaces in between each opening and the borders around the openings. Write all of this up on the paper you create your layout on as then use that as a guide when actually cutting the mat. When your math all adds up accurately to the full dimensions of the mat you are cutting, then you are ready to start marking out the actual openings on the back of the pre-sized mat blank. With multiple opening mats, you may not be able to use the mat guide on a board mounted mat cutter. Instead remove the mat guide and slide the mat blank around as needed to cut the openings. Make sure you are using a scrap mat board slip sheet underneath while bevel cutting and see you are always cutting on the correct sides of the border lines for each opening. You should always mark and cut from the back of the mat and see the cutting head is riding inside the lines of each opening. Or inside each of the boxes you marked out. If you cut from the wrong sides of the lines, you will get a reverse bevel and have to start over. Each opening you mark out should be approximately 1/2" smaller than the image that will be mounted in it so the image does not fall through the opening. Example a 5x7 images needs a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" opening. Thanks and good luck.
Hi, Sizing the liner mat slightly smaller makes it much easier to apply it to the back of the top mat without having to carefully line up two pieces that are the same size. It also can make it easier to drive points into the rabbet of the frame to secure the glazing and mounted artwork by not stacking too much material into the rabbet of the frame. Thanks, hope that helps.
Make sure you are keeping consistent pressure during the entire cut. Do not let your thumb relax on the blade holder and make sure you are using a scrap mat board slip sheet underneath. Also change the blade often.
Honestly its not very tough at all. Follow this simple procedure in the order it's shown and the margin from top mat to liner mat are forced to come out perfectly even every time. Never try cutting mats separately and try to glue them together as that rarely works. Thanks.
