Do More with Mats-Texture and Weight Are Color’s Forgotten Cousins.
Did you know that, besides color, mats also differ in visual “texture”? Using visually textured mats to layer a framing treatment can add depth and interest to your artwork.
Texture is often created with the luster of the finished surface. For example, because Alpharag Artcare mats are 100% rag with a consistent color throughout, their hues are softer and their surface takes on a matte finish. To contrast this, check out our Crescent Select and Crescent Berkshire lines for mats that have a shiny surface, such as CS9851 Gold Nugget , CS9856 Sun, CS9852 Gold and CS9855 Spanish Gold. These will give you a metallic look.
Some Crescent Select and Crescent Berkshire mats offer the look of fabric. For example, when the dominant solid color is flecked with a complimentary or contrasting color, the mat takes on the look of flannel, seen in White Lie (CS9504-white with flecks of grey), Froth (CS9510-crème with grey) and Seafoam (CB146 green with grey flannel). Our Bruxelles mat (CS9853), with its tone on tone beige weave, recalls tweed while our White Ripple mat (CS9803) brings to mind crepe de Chine and Crème Linen (CBW407) resembles vintage cotton.
When you use multiple mats, another way to add depth and interest is by layering mats with different thicknesses (e.g. a 6-ply mat with a 4-ply mat) and by varying the border widths. You can reveal a one-inch border for the bottom mat and three inches for the top. Also, vary the mat’s border width from the frame profile’s width.
Remember, we’ll send five color sample chips for free prior to placing an order and with each additional order. Complete mat board sample sets can be purchased for a nominal price and is recommended for frequent framers.
Our Free Berkshire Mat with Every Frame Offer ends March 31, 2010.
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