Picture frame mats are a wonderful way to make your framed photos look amazing. If you’ve never used a mat and you’re looking for a simple way to make your photos look even better, then you should definitely consider using mats. Picture frame mats add a dimension to your finished picture frame that will help to showcase your photos beautifully.

Mats are very versatile and make a big difference in the look of your framed piece of artwork.

What will a mat do for your picture? Here are three simple ways matting can make a difference with your photo:

• Mats can help in framing pictures or artwork in odd sizes

• Mats offer unique and different ways to show off your creativity

• Mats can help your photograph stand out

If you want to avoid the expense of a custom frame but have a picture or piece of artwork in a non-standard size, picture frame mats can solve your problem. A picture frame mat goes inside your frame, between the photo and the glass, and surrounds the photo like an inner frame giving it a professional finished look. The benefit of mats is that you can have them fit any size of artwork and fit any picture frame size. Picture frame mats can take any non-standard size picture and make it fit into a ready made standard sized frame, saving you the expense of a custom frame. Mats can be cut to fit any size frame or picture no matter if it's a ready made frame or a custom frame, they're a perfect way to enhance your photos or artwork.

Mats are also popular for displaying more photos in a smaller space like collage frames or other multiple opening frames like double or triple picture frames.

Personalization is another great benefit of picture frame mats. Mats are great for personalizing your picture frame with special messages, whimsical notes, drawings or even signatures. You can use mats for personalizing picture frames when displaying wedding photos, graduations, anniversary parties, vacations and just about any type of photo display.

Using picture frame mats can also help you better express your creativity. Mats can be cut many different ways and are available in a wide variety of colors so you can create a truly stunning photo display. A mat will help set off frames in just about any color from white picture frames to black, blue or even red picture frames.

Mats can serve another purpose besides adding to the eye appeal and personalization of your picture. Mats will help prevent your photos from touching the picture frame glass. This is important because over time moisture exposure can damage your photo by causing your photo to stick to the glass. If you really want to protect your photos or artwork long term, you should consider using conservation techniques and archival products for all your framing. These types of archival products do not contain chemicals that would otherwise degrade your pictures over time.

Picture frame mats have so many benefits the only real downside is that it costs a little extra time and money to buy the mat. But even that is small since you can use pre-cut mats for standard picture frame sizes that are easy to find and affordable. A non-standard mat for a unique size, however, will require a little additional cost because it has to be hand cut but is almost always well worth it.

One thing to be aware of when using multiple picture mats is to avoid non-glare glass (also known as anti-reflective (AR) glass). Using 2 or more mats with non-glare glass may make your picture appear fuzzy. The extra thickness of using multiple mats creates an extra distance between the non-glare glass and the photo causing the photo to look diffused.

So, remember these two helpful hints - use pre-cut mats to save money and never use non-glare glass when using more than one mat.

Once you try your first picture frame mat, you’ll be sure to love the look a mat can add to your favorite photo. No wonder professional photographers and picture enthusiasts have made picture frame mats so popular. Hopefully this article has helped you see the benefit of picture frame mats and will encourage you to try using a mat with your next picture frame.