Custom Picture Frame Mats
Why invest in custom mat board inserts?
It's an upscale giveaway.
When your client or audience deserves more than a paper frame, consider a custom-cut, acid-free mat board for them to display their photo or award.
Make it any size you want.
While the largest mat size we recommend is 16" x 20", we can cut windows to fit whatever size print you make. Ordering custom-sized mats for frames is easy.
Make it unique with custom shapes.
Most mat boards are available with one shape option for windows: rectangle. With custom-cut mats for frames, you can make the window a unique shape, or we can cut out accent shapes in your picture frame mat board.
Get them blank or personalized.
Just need custom-shaped mat boards? We can do that. Need to add some event branding or sponsor logos? We do custom photo mat imprinting. We'll add foil stamped personalization to your custom picture frame mats.
Jump to a section:
Double Layer Mats • Collage Mats • Specialty Shapes • Silhouette Cuts • Vgroove Cuts • Sports & Theater Memorabilia
Custom photo mats are custom-cut to order.
Watch how we cut our custom mat boards. The mat shown here is on our gray board and features an offset window.
These are the kind of custom mat boards you can make
Double Layer Mats
For when you want to keep things simple but want to kick your photo frame giveaway up a notch, consider creating a double layer mat insert.
Just choose coordinating mat colors for the top mat and bottom mat. Choose colors that coordinate with the company branding, event theme, or party décor.
After you choose your colors, select the amount of reveal you want. Standard reveal is ¼". Please note that if you go smaller than ¼", it is much harder to see the bottom mat color.
This navy blue over light blue has a ½" reveal.
When layering mat boards, choose colors that coordinate with your brand, theme, or event décor. Here, a dark green mat board was layered on a red mat board for a Christmas event.
Want to keep custom mat boards on hand to use as a photography package upsell? Consider creating neutral-colored mat boards, like the black over gray design with ¼" reveal.
Collage Mats
Shooting multiple photos of event guests? Design a custom frame mat with multiple openings.
Here's who uses collage mats:
- Sports photographers: Insert one player portrait and one team photo.
- Studio photographers: Keep dual window mat boards in stock for senior photos, family portraits, pet photo sessions, or newborn photo shoots.
- Awards presenters: Insert the award, diploma, or certificate in one window, and a portrait in the other.
Shown: Dark green over black with one horizontal and one vertical window.
Designed out of golf dimple mat board, this collage mat board has a window opening for a photo, as well as a circle cut-out for a medallion. It's double-layered with our green board.
The double-layered, collage-cut mat board insert has a large horizontal window for a group or scenic photo, and a vertical window for a portrait.
We can make custom picture mats for photo booths. Add an upscale framing solution to your packages with personalized frame mats for your 2" x 6" picture strips. Or offer as a gift to the bride and groom or event hosts.
Specialty Shapes
Add a shape to complement your theme, branding, or personalization.
To create a specialty shaped mat board, we cut a shape out of the top mat board. This shape could be anything, from an oval, a frame with scalloped edges, or a pattern to match your branding or theme.
Please note that in order to create a specialty cut frame window on your mat board, we can only do solid, one-piece shapes.
Due to the thickness of the mat board (we use sturdy, high-quality materials), we recommend avoiding intricate shapes or designs.
Two rounded corners give space to this multi-location imprint design. We attached the custom photo mat to our mat frame backer with pop-out easel and hanging tabs.
A decorative window frame border is cut out of cream mat board and layered on navy blue mat board. A simple design like this is a great upsell piece for your photo studio packages.
A thin border of black mat board was cut out and added to highlight and frame the photo window and custom imprint.
We cut a football-shaped design from our football-textured mat board and layered it on black mat board with a ½" reveal to highlight the photo.
Silhouette Cuts
Added to a double layer mat, we cut a silhouetted shape in the top mat to reveal the bottom mat board color.
Handing out newborn portraits? Add a onesie. Shooting wedding photos? Add some hearts. Add a circle to hold a medallion, a rectangle to emulate a plaque, a dog bone, a horse shoe, some leaves, a tree silhouette… there are so many possibilities!
When designing a silhouette shape, we recommend keeping your design free of intricate details. Simple shapes make for a cleaner-looking custom bevel cut mat boards.
We cut a dog bone and ½" window reveal out of the top black mat board to reveal the bottom cream mat board. The gold foil imprint fits perfectly in the silhouette dog bone cut-out.
Two hearts were cut out of the top red mat board to reveal the cream bottom mat. The rectangle below the window opening was left for custom imprinting.
Leaves on a branch were cut out of the cream top mat to reveal the dark green bottom mat. A thin window frame reveal was designed to accent the photo.
Vgroove Cuts
A shallow accent border or design scores the mat to reveal the inner core. Beautiful around the window opening!
These mat board colors have cream cores:
- Navy
- Gray
- Red
- Sage Green
- Yellow
- Cream
- Light Blue
- Pink
- Lavender
- Dark Green
We also have pure white mat board that has a white core for a subtle window border edge. Or, for something more eye-catching, choose our cream mat board with black core.
Shown: Red mat board with cream core and vgroove cut around the window frame opening.
Custom picture frame mats for sports and theater memorabilia
Golf flag picture frame mats
These acid-free mat boards are perfect for mounting and preserving golf tournament flags.
Give golf flag frames away to hold sponsors, tournament winners, or sell them as part of a charity fundraising auction.
Autographed flag is mounted on black mat board with a second black mat board window frame border. 16" x 20" outer dimension for a 13" x 17" flag.
Sports photo and game ticket
This is a great giveaway for player meet-and-greets, group outings, and special events held by the team. Since these are custom-cut, we can create a space to hold whatever size ticket you have.
If you want to use a professional or collegiate sports team logo or mascot, you would need written permission in order for us to foil stamp it on the framed mat board.
Double-layered blue mat board over red mat board. 8" x 10" outer size for 5" x 7" photo and ticket windows.
Frame your playbill
Custom framed playbills are the perfect gift for theater supporters, cast members, or directors.
Because we cut these picture frame mats to order, we can get the right size for your playbill, whether it's the contemporary 5-⅜" x 8-½" or if it measures the larger 6-¾" x 9-¼".
Gift-giving tip: Instead of handing out just a framed playbill, have your cast sign an over-sized mat board as a gift to the director, producer, and other key members on the production team.
Cream mat board with window cut-outs for the playbill and photo. Paired here with an 11" x 14" black poly frame.
How to frame for your custom-cut picture frame mats
Poly Frames—Designed to look like real wood!
Available in 8" x 10" and 11" x 14" sizes, these poly (plastic) frames feature a glass covering to protect your mat and print, as well as drilled hanging slots for horizontal or vertical display.
The 8" x 10" frames also come with a hinged easel backer for easy display on a desk, mantel, or table.
Choose from black, cherry, or walnut frame colors.
View details for 8" x 10" and 11" x 14" frames.