Mat Board Cutter

Dexter mat cutter and Logan mat board cutters – If you frame your own artwork or build custom frames, you’ll need one of these picture framing tools.

If you have a piece of artwork that won’t fit into a standard-sized frame, you can still use an inexpensive frame one size larger and cut a custom mat for the artwork if you own a cutter that will give you that professional bevel cut. This makes the piece really stand out, while keeping the cost of custom framing at a minimum.

Anyone who builds the frames from scratch will also want a mat board cutter, because the frames can be made to fit any piece of artwork, no matter what the size. Pre-cut mats only come in standard sizes and a limited color range, but a mat cutter allows you to use any of the hundreds of colors and styles of mat board available to professional framers.

The price for mat cutters runs from $25 for the Dexter® hand-held mat cutter, to around $700 for a Logan® Platinum Edge 850, a tool used by professional framers.

Dexter Mat Cutter

If you only cut a few mats each year, this hand-held mat cutter may be all you need. Similar tools are also made under the Logan brand. These tools consist of a blade holder that keeps the blade at a perfect angle for 45° bevel cut. To use one of these tools, you’ll need a straight edge to guide the cutter, and you’ll need to carefully mark the back of your mat in order to get perfectly square corners.

Logan also makes a hand-held device that lets you cut freestyle V-grooves in mat boards.

Logan Mat Board Cutters

If you cut many mats each year, either for your own DIY picture frames or to mat your own artwork for sale, you’ll want a mat cutter that includes a blade holder attached to a solid guide rail. Logan makes several different models, beginning with their Team system, which has a blade holder and guide, running under $40. This system is a step up from the hand-held model, but still requires a lot of measuring and a very steady hand.

A better solution for anyone cutting a lot of mats is a mat board cutter that comes with a guide rail attached to a particle board or composite board base. More expensive models cover the board with a laminate surface. The guides will hold the blade parallel to the edge of your board, resulting in an absolutely square cut every time, and some models include production stops to control overcuts, which eliminate the need for measuring and marking.

It takes practice to learn how to make perfect cuts, every time. It also takes a nice, sharp blade, so be sure to change your blades often. Paper and cardboard are notorious for dulling blades.