After working in several shops, and inbetween those jobs, I learned a lot about selecting quality materials for not very much money. I hope this information helps you. I am going to be frank with you.
Some mats are made out of paper, or have paper backing (made out of wood). When I started framing in 1986, sometimes chunks of wood would literally fall out of a bevel. Really, chunks.
You've probably noticed if you have matting that's over 10 years old that it's turned yellow, mustard or orange. I'd recommend getting those pieces re-matted. I've seen prints burned by the acid in these older mats. The same thing could happen to needlework.
But now, mats are a lot better. The number of colors of acid-free mats has mushroomed, and paper mats have become much more safe to use, in that they don't have nearly as much acid.
Still, when framing something you spent a lot of time on, it's best to select acid-free matting. Just ask your framer or art supplier for mats that are acid-free. Know, though, that just because a mat is expensive doesn't mean it's acid-free. Some mats with fancy paper on the front (marbles, metallics, other designs) have plain paper cores, and may look pretty, but may be harmful.
Acid-free matting will cost a little more, but in my opinion, it's worth the extra cost. Sometimes I use paper mats when it's just a little project or a poster. This decision is up to you.
As far as color, I usually go with lighter shades on the outside of a double mat, with darker colors underneath. This will lighten your piece, make it appear bigger, and will draw your eye inward. Dark mats on top will make your piece look smaller, and may tend to "crowd" your piece. It's perfectly OK to use one mat, or three, or four.
Taupe, cream, ecru, white and various shades of them are good colors for top mats because they never go out of style. If you go with really trendy colors when you frame, you may be sorry in 10 years when those colors look horribly out-of-style. A darker shade within your piece makes a good accent mat when double- or triple-matting.
Mat width is another thing to think about. Generally, and this is my opinion, mats less than 1 1/2 inches look skimpy. Sometimes this isn't the case. Adding an inch to your mat will make a little difference in the price of your project, but usually not too much. You don't want to crowd your piece. Sometimes it's fun to try really wide mats on small pieces. They look interesting, almost museum-style. The width of your mat depends on how big your piece is. Ask your framer for help.
Special cut mats (special corners, ovals, circles) can be a fun, inexpensive way to make your piece look great. These additions are usually small to the bill, but big to the overall look of your finished project. Again, ask your framer for suggestions.
Sometimes, there's no way around a custom job. If you've done a long skinny band sampler, you're almost stuck with getting a frame custom cut and built.
If you'd like to avoid the high prices consider the following:
Some frames look nice, but they aren't. Make sure corners are tight and sturdy. Really look at the wood. Some frames look like wood, but they're just a laminate (paper with a wood design glued onto cheap wood or plastic).
You'll never be sorry you bought a plain quality frame as opposed to a fancy, trendy one (especially metals, which I think can look tacky, and may look tacky to us all in 10 more years.) Oak, maple, walnut, cherry. Your framer should be able to tell you what kind of wood your frame is made out of.
If you have any questions about selecting mats or frames, let me know.
A reader's comments: "As a cross stitch shop owner married to a custom framer, I was curious as to why your article simply referred to acid free mats. All mats are acid free. It is the lignin that causes the yellowing and damage. My customers are quite pleased with this bit of information as they are able to look at mat samples and see the lignin free printing and know they are getting quality framing. I was totally clueless about this aspect until I married the framer a year ago and moved to Idaho and opened the cross stitch part of the store. I am finding that the more I read about conservation framing, the more I realize just how much information is simply not available to the consumer. I think your article is well done and certainly provides the proper caution. I just thought you might want to include the lignin part as mat samples are printing that. We have a framer in town who charges extra for acid free framing making the customers think they are getting conservation framing. We have actually reframed over 100 pieces in the last 6 months from this framer." -- Lynda, Forever Stitching, Idaho Falls, ID
© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com