Any tips/links on matting your pics?

[d2creative]

Especially prints that are mounted on board like styrene or masonite. How do you deal with the weight of those materials?

Also, who can recommend a mat cutter? Are there size limitations?

[adirty1]

Chronomat comes with everything that you have to pay extra for from the other big names.
great smaller company and sometimes will cut you deal...

i got mine for a great price talk to wayne if he is still there tell him adam sent you. he might remember me he might not.

Info Email [info@phaedraframing.com]
http://www.phaedraframing.com/

i am thinking of going to this to brush up and learn something new at the same time.
http://www.framing4yourself.com/classes/index.htm

[d2creative]

Interesting.
About how much do those run? I didn't see any pricing at that link.

[adirty1]

the cutters run 800-1200
the class was 75

[d2creative]

Holy smokes!
No wonder the price wasn't listed. lol

[adirty1]

Originally Posted by d2creative

Holy smokes!
No wonder the price wasn't listed. lol

yeah it's a pro cutter... you can get cheaper but it's not as good

[huxley]

if your going to buy a cutter invest in a good pro one. cheap ones will do the job in most cases but their uhh cheap so you might not get the quality you are looking for as long. (break mess up) i have a fletcher 2200 series. its nice and heavy and will handle a full sized matt board. as far as handling peices on masonite that you want to matt i cant help. never thought of matting masonite in that way. usually just put the whole thing in a frame without it. but i would think that you would have to mount (glued?) the masonite on another bigger masonite and place the matt on top.

[d2creative]

Thanks.
I'm used to printing flush mounted on board and framing with no mat. Then a client wanted some pics enlarged so i did the same thing. I'm handing the mounted prints off to him but forgot that he needs them MATTED and framed. So I was wondering if his framer is going to have a problem dealing with the prints pre-mounted and flush like that.

My mat cutter question was just for my personal use. I can't justify the really nice ones since i don't cut mats often.

[adirty1]

you cut 16 mats and you have paid for your mat cutter.

Chronomat is by far a pro cutter. all metal and much easier to use than other cutters. I was like you and couldnt justify paying the price for a pro cutter than i did the math. I need custom mats cut and the frame shop charges almost 50 dollars to cut one mat and I dont get the scrap of the board left over.

if your framing your mounted prints your not going to have to worry about the backing board you all ready have it on the print. you are going to have to make sure your frame is deep enough to hold the glass, mat, and whatever backing the print is mounted to. you are now limited in the size of frame. say you have a 8x10 print flush mounted and you want to cut a mat. normaly you put that in a 11x14 frame but your print is on a board that is 8x10. the frame is going to have to use another backing board and hinge tape or glue your print to the backing bard so you can a couple inches of mat around the 8x10.

normaly if you frame a print you dont mount it. that way you can use what ever sized frame you like and then cut your mat with the opening you like.

[d2creative]

Originally Posted by adirty1

you cut 16 mats and you have paid for your mat cutter.

Chronomat is by far a pro cutter. all metal and much easier to use than other cutters. I was like you and couldnt justify paying the price for a pro cutter than i did the math. I need custom mats cut and the frame shop charges almost 50 dollars to cut one mat and I dont get the scrap of the board left over.

I have no doubt you are correct. And that's great advice. I just can't justify a lump sum of $1000 when i have yet to even use a mat. I just started framing some prints and so far have not used mats, just the frames. This is just for personal use. If anything I think I'd rather spend around $200 on a Logan or something until I knew that I would get enough use out of something better and then sell the old one. Sure, a few bucks more in the long run. I wouldn't want to spend $50 for a mat cut by someone else, either.... hence my original question. But now I know why it costs that much!

And thanks, i actually just called a local framer to ask if the mounted print will be an issue to mat and frame and he said not at all. But ya, next time I probably won't mount it if I know it needs to be matted. Dumb on my part.

[jeffkohn]

you cut 16 mats and you have paid for your mat cutter.

Chronomat is by far a pro cutter. all metal and much easier to use than other cutters. I was like you and couldnt justify paying the price for a pro cutter than i did the math. I need custom mats cut and the frame shop charges almost 50 dollars to cut one mat and I dont get the scrap of the board left over.

$50 for a cut mat? OMG that's highway robbery. Check out the mat prices at Frame Destination or some of the other online shops and it's nowhere near that. I think for my last 12x18 print matted to 18x24 I paid about $15 bucks for 8-ply museum-grade alpharag, the 4-ply was even less. And yes these places will do custom mat sizes for you. I'm sure there are also local places that will do it for far less than $50.

I don't doubt that a mat cutter can pay for itself in the long run if you do enough of them, but it's going to take a lot more than 16 to break even by my account.

[adirty1]

50 into a 800 is 16 any day of the week.
One would think it would cost 50 dollars to cut a mat but OH hell no not in austin.
I have found some places that would do it a little cheaper but still it was 35 and again i didnt get to keep the scrap.

After doing a couple shows I have more than paid for my cutter. It only takes the sale of two or three images to recoop the price.

nothing wrong with a cheep logan or a dexter and a straight edge either. I used to cut mounts for 4x5 chromes with a dexter for years and years.

now for the price fo 15-20 dollars for the sheet of 32x40 8x board i get 4 16x20's

[HotHolly]

I used to have to cut mats by hand for art shows (for pastels and such). I used a Dexter Mat cutter. It might be a weird choice for a photog, but I started in art, so that's why I use it.

When I bought it 10 years ago it was $20. Its probably around $30 now. You can get one at an art supply store. Its a silver pear-shaped thing that holds a razor blade that is specially made for it, at a 45 degree angle to get the beveled edge. To cut straight lines, y ou use a T-Square or thick ruler and push down with one hand while you drag the Dexter with the other. Then nip the corners with a reg. exacto-knife and pop out the center. Its not hard and after a little practice, it looks prefab or better.

I'm sure that was as clear as mud...but it works good and unless you are doing bulk - it works well. IF you are doing bulk and dont want to buy a big thing - go to Michaels. In the matting department they will cut any mat you need for about $10.

[KJ Smith]

I use thishttp://www.lightimpressionsdirect.co...38600&IID=2303

and thishttp://www.lightimpressionsdirect.co...:239000:239100

[RGWeber]

I have used the Logan 650 for the last four years and cut hundreds of mats with no problems. Just make sure you have a sharp blade by replacing often. You can find Logan 650 for about $500.

Rick