Do you cut your own mats or order precut mats?

[Steve Bell]

When I had a basic matt cutter I use to swear and moan when cutting matts, and wasted quite a few. I tried using precut matts, but it meant sacrificing the best crop of a good image to make it fit.

Now I use a cutter that clamps the board and uses preset stops for the cutter, you can't go wrong. As most prints are different sizes it's the only way to go. It's fast, accurate and stressless.

[Richard Schlesinger]

The inexpensive (about $75) Logan mat cutter has served me well. The Dexter requires more dexter(ity) than I was able to manage.

[darr]

I have been using a Valiani (Italian made) mat cutter for a few years. It is one of the nicest mat cutters I've used.

[James Walker]

I cut my own and use a frameco matmaster 660B mat cutter; works very well for me.

www.clubframeco.com/mat_cutters.html

[Michael Graves]

I've got a frameco as well. Don 't recall the exact model; but its a 12-something-or-the-other. I liked it when I first got it. I like it even better now that my wife has learned how to use it and actually ENJOYS cutting mats. She's better at it than I am anyway.

[paulr]

"now that my wife has learned how to use it and actually ENJOYS cutting mats. She's better at it than I am anyway."

wow, be sure not to let her get away.

[Mark Woods]

I've owned a Dexter matt cutter for over 30 years and it works great.

MW

[John Hennessy]

Evidently what I do is a compromise: I buy precut standard size boards such as 16x20, 20x24 and 22x28 and then cut matts from them with a Logan Compact mattt cutter that is about 20 years old. Buying uncut 32x40 sheets is by far the most economical way but it is hard (for me at least) without a large matt cutter to cut such big sheets down to size and keep the cuts square.

My images are often not a standard size but I like the outer demensions to be standard most of time so they hang together more cohesively.

You didn't ask, but ArtCare™ Mat Boards from http://www.superiorarchivalmats.com/ is a good choice.

[David Crossley]

Invest in a quality mat cutter. It's easily worth the learning curve in maintaining critical creative and continuous control throughout the fine art print process.

David Crossley/Crossley Photography....

[Brian Ellis]

I tried cutting my own for a while using a Logan mat cutter that cost about $150. After almost slitting my left wrist a couple times I decided the risk wasn't worth it, plus I found it very difficult to cut clean corners. Maybe a more expensive cutter or a more mechanically adept operator would have helped.