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Thread: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

  1. #11
    8x10, 5x7, 4x5, et al Leigh's Avatar
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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Quote Originally Posted by Corran View Post
    But a computerized rail and carriage system with custom software and manual resetting for each edge seems plausible for a competent software engineer to build.
    This is a trivially simple effort, if a tolerance of +/- 0.001" is OK.

    Quote Originally Posted by Corran View Post
    I can imagine how it would work but I don't know anything about software design.
    I actually know quite a bit about designing such systems, both hardware and software.

    Is there any significant market for such an item, and at what price point? Thanks.

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  2. #12
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    I am not surprised that it would be an easy thing to do, if you have the right skills.

    Since such a device would have broad appeal to not only LF photographers but all photographers (who are matting prints), other artists who mat work, small frame shops w/o sufficient funds to buy a full-blown computerized system, schools, etc., I would bet the market would be quite large, given an appropriate price-point. I have no idea what that would be. I personally would be very interested at a sub-$1k price point, especially if such a system was built to be vertical. Considering large vertical mat cutters seem to cost several thousands dollars maybe that's not a workable price, I don't know. I'm not sure why those mat cutters cost that much.

    It could even work as a peripheral to a phone app wirelessly, if one wanted to go down that route. I have a friend who has coded phone apps...hmm...
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  3. #13

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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Maybe 45 years ago I bought a dexter hand mat cutter. I still use it. If I do all the handwork for the print, finishing it off with an extra 10 minutes to cut a mat is not too much to do, at least for me. Now, if I did shows and needed quantity it would be a different situation.

  4. #14

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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Personally, I've always preferred the look of mats which are cut knowledgeably and skillfully by hand (with a manual machine, like my C+H) versus those cut by an automated machine.

  5. #15
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Why John? I only have one big print with a computer cut 8-ply mat. All of my other mats are cut by me on a manual machine. The computer cut mat is perfect, to my eye at least.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
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  6. #16

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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Having compared a number of results from two different computerized machines, operated by the same person (from a span of about six to ten years ago) to skillfully executed manual machine cuts...the straightness/sharpness of inside corners from the two automated machines seemed to suffer somewhat, at least when viewed closely, as compared to those from manual machine cuts.

    A biased sample perhaps - my observations based only on four ply mats? Computerized machines not dialed in correctly? Single practitioner not well-versed? Perhaps more recent machines give better performance? At any rate - just my own observations at that time...and to be fair, maybe I should amend my use of "always" and check in again?

  7. #17
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    No worries, John. I was just curious. My big mat was cut by Frame Destinations. Maybe I was fortunate.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

  8. #18

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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Quote Originally Posted by John Layton View Post
    Having compared a number of results from two different computerized machines, operated by the same person (from a span of about six to ten years ago) to skillfully executed manual machine cuts...the straightness/sharpness of inside corners from the two automated machines seemed to suffer somewhat, at least when viewed closely, as compared to those from manual machine cuts.

    A biased sample perhaps - my observations based only on four ply mats? Computerized machines not dialed in correctly? Single practitioner not well-versed? Perhaps more recent machines give better performance? At any rate - just my own observations at that time...and to be fair, maybe I should amend my use of "always" and check in again?
    John, as someone who cut mats on a Fletcher 2100 for 25 years and also having had mats cut on a computerized mat cutting system, there should be absolutely no difference, if, and this is a big if, the blades are changed at a regular interval. That is the biggest detriment to computerized mat cutting. Matter of fact, a computerized mat cutter eliminates the the tendency for hooked corners because many people cutting with a regular mat cutter have a tendncy to not pull straight back with the blade, but use their wrist and that tends to hook the corners.

  9. #19
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    The only poorly-cut mats I've ever had were the ones I cut
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  10. #20
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: Computerized Matte Board Cutters

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becia View Post
    John, as someone who cut mats on a Fletcher 2100 for 25 years and also having had mats cut on a computerized mat cutting system, there should be absolutely no difference, if, and this is a big if, the blades are changed at a regular interval. That is the biggest detriment to computerized mat cutting. Matter of fact, a computerized mat cutter eliminates the the tendency for hooked corners because many people cutting with a regular mat cutter have a tendncy to not pull straight back with the blade, but use their wrist and that tends to hook the corners.
    What Jim Says, I have done both, the changing of the blades is most important.

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