Mat Board and Custom Cutting Service

**Michael Kadillak** · 25-Aug-2006, 08:16

After a long process of comparing prices for custom cut high quality mat boards from various service providers, I came across what I believe is THE best price for over mat and custom cut mat board. Let me give you an example of the pricing for you to compare;

13x15" mount board with a 13x15" Over mat custom cut to 8 3/8" to 10 1/4" (for 8x10 prints) with both mount board AND over mat Bainbridge 100% cotton rag PH balanced 4 ply priced out at $3.26/set (mat and over mat) when you purchase 100 sets. You could do 50 horizontal and 50 verticle when 100 total are ordered. Shipping to Colorado for me was $43 - not bad for such a large heavy package. If anyone can fine a cheaper price for this good a mat board in 4 ply, please let me know. These are cut with a computer and my first order was incredible. Packaging and customer service as well as the turn around was very quick - within a week. I am going to order a bunch more I was so pleased. If you have a particular board that you want to have him quote, let him know. He purchases in quantity to get the best pricing so keep that in mind.

Contact John Schofield at Schofield and Vose Framing in Hamden, CT. at (203) 230 2019. Just a hard working great guy trying to develop a client base and succeed.

I want to make it perfectly clear that I have no interest in this company. Just passing along a positive experience for my comrades in LF.

Cheers!

**robert** · 25-Aug-2006, 09:01

Those are great prices as long as your window in the overmat is always the same size.

**Michael Kadillak** · 25-Aug-2006, 09:52

Originally Posted by robert

Those are great prices as long as your window in the overmat is always the same size.

Point well made Robert. You need to be able to print to a consistent size to make this work. I contact print 8x10, 11x14 and 8x20 so it works for me. Plus, even though I have a 48" C&H mat cutter at these prices for perfect cuts from a computer on top drawer materials the time savings allow me to focus on making photographs and working in the darkroom. As a result, the matt cutter will not be used any longer.

**alec4444** · 27-Aug-2006, 09:50

If you plan to take a lot of photos and do a lot of mounting, a better deal is to get you're own Logan mat cutter. I got a Logan Simplex Studio (I think that's what it's called) which cuts mats up to 16x20". It's compact and makes impressive beveled edges. I've cut enough mats that I think it's already paid for itself. Really easy to learn too!

This Christmas I'm asking for my own framing tools. Time to get to the next step! I think the amount of cash one can save by doing their own framing is even more than the mats.

--A

**Ted Harris** · 27-Aug-2006, 10:26

Alec, note that Michael said he already owns a C+H 48" mat cutter. The C+H cutters are professional machines that are in another league entirely than the Logan you referenced. The Logan is ok for starterers but after you have used a C+H you won't want to go back to the Logan.

**Ralph Barker** · 27-Aug-2006, 10:49

This looks like an excellent resource, Michael. Does he have a Web site for online ordering yet?

**robert** · 27-Aug-2006, 16:28

Originally Posted by Ralph Barker

This looks like an excellent resource, Michael. Does he have a Web site for online ordering yet?

Michael, What is he charging for your 8x20 boards? The size I use is 16x28. I don't think I've seen Bainbridge board. How does it compare to say, Alpharag or Westminster boards? As far as cutting with the logan mat cutters I've probably made close to a couple of thousand cuts without an over-cut. I don't find it that time consuming. I matted and framed my entire show in one afternoon. But it appears at these prices it would be cheaper than the board itself to have them done. I also contact print with 8x20 in pt/pd. With rubylith you can crop any negative you want when contact printing. I seldom do but there is always that one image that needs a slight crop here and there to improve it. Or if I want to show brush marks the window size may vary as compared to a sharp masked edge. Thanks.......Oh by the way if you want to get rid of that C&H cutter let me know.

**Michael Kadillak** · 27-Aug-2006, 20:00

Originally Posted by Ralph Barker

This looks like an excellent resource, Michael. Does he have a Web site for online ordering yet?

Unfortunately Ralph, he does not have a web site. The reason that he can offer such a great price is because he has little overhead (his computerized cutter) and purchases his mat board at the time of the order and purposefully avoids carry over inventory to keep things simple.

A simple phone call and he can price things up for you with what your specific needs are. Nice guy.