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Our mats come in different colors, textures, and styles.
Matting
Plain Mats
We have plain colored mats, ranging from white to black to pretty much any color you can think of. The mats we carry are acid free. We also carry rag mats which are 100% acid free cotton rag mats. They are the best if you plan on conserving something for a long time.
Linen & Silk Mats
Linen and silk mats are a great way to make a piece stand out. The mat is made of a top layer of either silk fabric or linen. Silk mats are softer and more delicate where linen mats tend to be more coarse and have more distinct patterns. Silks come in many different colors. Linens tend to be more cream or brown. Linen and silk mats cost more than plain mats.
Suede Mats
Suede mats are great for shadowboxes, although they work good on pictures as well. They have a textured, two tone look which helps to pull out different tones in the picture. Suede mats come in many different colors. They do cost more than plain mats because they are made of suede.
Textured Mats
Textured mats come in many different colors and textures. They range from very subtle patterns like swirls and dots to very bold patterns like mats that look like golfballs or basketballs. They are really great for specialty pieces. They are also perfect when it's hard to find a color that looks good. They range in price.
Color Core
Metallic Mats
Color core mats are mats where the bevel is colored instead of the usual white. The bevel is created from cutting the mat, but it also helps to draw the eye into the picture. Color core mats are a great way to add extra color without an extra mat. They come in black cores, colors ranging from blue to pink, and even mats where the core is the same color as the surface of the mat. The same color bevel helps create a more subtle softer look which looks great on antique or faded pieces.
Metallic mats are usually gold or silver, but they come in many different tones. They are often used on diplomas or other documents that have seals or stamps. We have used them on pictures though, especially when there is gold leafing or metallic accents. They usually work best as a bottom mat with another mat on top to soften it.
Fillets
Choose Your Fabric
Fillets are small wooden pieces that can go inside a mat or a frame. They often times have frames that match them but not always. In the example above you can see the fillet touching the picture, the mat, and then the frame. It's a great way to bring another accent into the piece.
If there is a certain pattern that your are looking for you are welcome to bring your own fabric in. We mount the fabric onto matboard and can cut it like a normal mat. We have done this for multiple customers, especially in camo fabric. Thick fabrics like fleece do not work.
Conture Matboard
Conture matboard is the highest quality of matboard that we carry. It is also the most expensive. It is 100% rag and 8ply thick. Conture matboard integrates woven metals, thick linens, leather, and even gold and silver foil mats onto the surface of the board. We do not use these often because they cost much more than a normal mat, but on the right piece they can do wonders. Please tell us if you are interested in seeing the samples.
Matting can help make a picture stand out and helps to draw your eye into the artwork. We have many different types of mats for you to choose from, and there are also many different things you can do with mats to make your picture look great. Here are just a few of the options. If you see something you are interested in just mention it to us when you stop in, and we'll explain and show it to you.