Recently I was at an agriculture show in Billings, MT and ran into a photographer selling prints. I picked up one of his matted prints, turned it over, walked up to him and asked “Who mats your prints?” He responded simply, “I do them myself.”

OK, but…how?! I’m a pretty handy DIY’er, but I struggled to find a blog post, Pinterest pin, or website to help with matting prints for beginners. I finally came across a YouTube video, and began to try my hand at matting my own prints.

Since I struggled to find a tutorial for beginners, I wanted to share what materials I use and how I mat my own prints. If you are like me, you will probably take this tutorial and tweak to what works best for you.

How I mat my own prints for selling online and in person. I mat both 5x7 and 8x10 prints. These are really popular and I enjoy making these for my customers ...

PS-Living in Montana, I can’t just drive to a local craft store to pick up mats and linen tape, etc. All of these items can be bought online. See Below.

Materials Needed:

Prints- I currently use Miller’s Lab for my prints
Mats- I use both 8x10 and 11x14
- 8x10 mats
- 11x14 mats
Poster Tape
Linen Tape
Scissors
Pencil for Signing
Small Book

Pro tip! Make sure to clean your working space before you start matting prints. I use my kitchen island to mat prints since I have limited office space.

Here is an example of how I use the poster tape and three “T-Hinges”. I sometimes use a double sized tape adhesive roller to secure the two mats together and save time.

Also, I use a small calving or bank book the keep the photo in place while I attach to the mat.