the framing library | frameworks northwest

When most people think about custom framing, they tend to focus on the frame.

• What color should it be?
• Wood or metal?
• Traditional or contemporary?

Professional framers often begin somewhere else.

We look at the space around the artwork.

That space—the mat—may seem like a simple border, but it plays an important role in how artwork is presented, protected, and experienced. A well-designed mat can create breathing room, direct attention, add depth, create visual containment, and help tell the story of a piece.

In many cases, the mat is doing far more than most people realize.

A mat serves several purposes at once.

First, it creates visual separation between the artwork and the frame. This allows the eye to focus on the artwork itself rather than feeling crowded by the surrounding frame.

Second, it provides physical separation between the artwork and the glass. This is especially important for photographs, documents, watercolors, and other paper-based items. Direct contact with glass can lead to sticking, moisture issues, and long-term damage.

Third, it helps establish visual hierarchy. A mat can influence how important, refined, dramatic, or approachable a piece feels.

But perhaps most importantly, a mat helps guide the viewer's experience.

The best mats don't draw attention to themselves. They help the artwork speak more clearly.

One of the biggest misconceptions about matting is that there is a formula that works for every piece.

There isn't.

• Every artwork presents its own challenges and opportunities.
• One piece may need breathing room.
• Another may need visual containment.
• Another may need depth and presence.
• Another may need help directing the viewer's eye.
• And sometimes the best solution is no mat at all.

This is where custom framing differs from simply placing artwork into a standard-sized frame. The goal is not to follow a rule. The goal is to understand what the artwork needs.

A mat is not simply decoration.

It is one of the tools used to help artwork tell its story.

Many pieces benefit from matting.

Artwork on paper often benefits from the protection a mat provides. Photographs, watercolors, prints, drawings, historical documents, certificates, and family photographs are common examples.

But preservation is only part of the story.

Sometimes a mat creates breathing room around a visually busy piece.

Sometimes it provides a pause between the artwork and the frame.

Sometimes it helps separate the artwork from its surroundings and allows it to command more attention.

A thoughtfully chosen mat can transform a simple photograph into a focal point and elevate a meaningful keepsake into something worthy of display.

Not every piece needs one.

Some artwork is stronger without a mat.

Gallery-wrapped canvases, certain contemporary works, graphic posters, edge-to-edge photography, and pieces with significant deckled or irregular edges may benefit from a different approach.

One of the most important design decisions a framer can make is knowing when not to add something.

Custom framing is not about adding layers simply because you can.

Sometimes the most intelligent design decision is restraint.

When artwork is already speaking clearly, the frame may simply need to provide it with a place to live.

Mat width has a tremendous influence on how artwork is perceived.

A narrow can seam contemporary and clean.

On the right piece, a wider mat can create a sense of importance and sophistication.

Very wide mats can create drama and encourage viewers to focus more carefully on the artwork.

But there is a balance.

Too little space can make a piece feel crowded and confined.

Too much space can disconnect the viewer from the artwork.

The most successful designs often create what designers sometimes think of as breathing room—enough space for the artwork to exist comfortably without feeling isolated.

In most situations, a mat should feel balanced all the way around the artwork. Whether it is a single mat, a double mat, a 4-ply mat, or an 8-ply mat, equal borders often create a calm, stable presentation that simply feels right.

A weighted mat is different.

When a mat is weighted, the bottom border is intentionally made larger than the top and sides.

This should never feel accidental. If the difference is too subtle, it can look like a measuring mistake rather than an intentional design choice.

Proper weighting is deliberate.

The purpose is not simply to correct an optical illusion. A weighted mat can add drama, create presence, and help guide the viewer's eye back toward the artwork.

Not every piece should be weighted.

The decision depends on the artwork, its proportions, the way the image sits on the paper, and the feeling the finished presentation should create.

Like many aspects of custom framing, this is where professional judgment matters.

Not all matboard is the same.

White-core mats create a crisp, clean edge that works well for many applications.

Solid-core mats provide a more uniform appearance because the color extends throughout the board.

Conservation-grade matboards are designed for long-term preservation and are often recommended for valuable artwork, family photographs, and historical documents.

Thickness also matters.

Standard mats are typically 4-ply.

Premium mats are often 8-ply.

An 8-ply mat creates a deeper bevel, more shadow, and a stronger sense of depth and presence. Museums and professional galleries frequently use thicker mats because they add visual importance without distracting from the artwork itself.

Matting can become even more sophisticated.

Professional framers may use fabric-covered mats, raised mats, float mounting, reverse bevels, and other specialty techniques to solve unique presentation challenges.

These tools are not necessary for every project.

But they illustrate an important point:

• Custom framing is as much art as it is craft.
• Every design decision should serve the artwork rather than compete with it.

A mat is more than a border.

• It creates space for artwork to be seen.
• It protects fragile materials from damage.
• It guides the viewer's eye.
• It creates depth, presence, and visual balance.
• Most importantly, it helps tell the story of the piece.
• Every mat is solving a different problem.
• Sometimes it creates breathing room.
• Sometimes it creates drama.
• Sometimes it creates depth.
• Sometimes it helps contain visual complexity.
• Sometimes it disappears completely so the artwork can speak for itself.
• And sometimes the best mat is no mat at all.
• The goal is never to follow a formula.
• The goal is to understand what the artwork needs.

At Frameworks Northwest, we believe custom framing is the art of visual storytelling. Frames, mats, and glass are simply tools used to help meaningful things tell their stories.