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Julie Fulbright
ENGL 1010
Due date
Process Essay
Everyone has seen pictures hanging on a wall with the border around the outside. The border around the picture is made from a mat board. Mat board is just a kind of cardboard that has a layer of colored paper on the front. There are several, relatively easy steps involved in matting a picture so that it looks well done and professional.
The first steps in the matting process are to take the picture, glue it down onto a backboard, and stick it in a press. The backboard is usually made out of cardboard. There is a special machine that most frame and mat shops have for gluing it down. It is very similar to a laminator. The picture slides through the rollers of the machine. The rollers coat the back side of the picture with a fine layer of glue. Then the picture is carefully placed onto the backboard. After that, it is placed in a press where it is flattened onto the cardboard. The press usually finishes in about fifteen minutes.
Once the pictures are glued down, a second backboard must be cut, and the materials must be gathered. The second backboard is usually made out of cardboard, but when dealing with newspaper or original photographs, it is better to use foam core. The foam core does not contain as much acid as the cardboard. Once it is cut, it is placed with the corresponding picture and put near the area where the matting is going to
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occur. After that, the mat boards are picked out and placed nearby. The color of the mat board is usually chosen to match the colors in the picture.
Once all the materials are organized and put where they can easily be reached, the mat board is measured, cut out, and glued together. With most pictures, the border around the outside of the picture is about three inches from the edge of the picture. There are also usually two layers of mat board. Both layers should be two different colors. One of the colors is usually white or a cream; then the other color is the one that must reflect the colors in the picture. Once the picture has been measured, it is placed onto a mat cutting machine called a Wizard. The Wizard is a computer program that allows for practically any shape or size to be cut out. The dimensions are entered into a computer, or there are many preprogrammed cuts from which to choose. The bottom layer mat board is cut first because it will be one eighth wider than the top. That is done so that the bottom layer will be visible. Once the bottom is cut, then the top must be cut. After both are cut, they are glued together using a two-sided tape gun, and then they are glued to the picture itself.
There are several steps to matting a picture. The steps can be considerably harder when the mat board is cut by hand. However, they are relatively simple when they are done at a professional mat and frame shop. (518 words)
OUTLINE
THESIS: There are several, relatively easy steps involved in matting a picture so that it looks well done and professional.
I.The first steps in the matting process are to take the picture, glue it down onto a backboard, and stick it in a press.
A.Backboard
1.Laminator
2.Picture slides through rollers of machine
3.Rollers coat back side with glue
4.Picture placed on backboard
B.Press
1.Picture placed into press
2.Picture in press for 15 minutes
II.Once the pictures are glued down, a second backboard must be cut, and the materials must be gathered.
A.Second backboard
1.Use foam core
2.Cut and placed with corresponding picture
B.Mat boards
1.Picked out and placed near by
2.Colors chosen to match picture
III.Once all the materials are organized and put where they can easily be reached, the mat board is measured, cut out, and glued together.
A.Outside border
1.Three inches from picture
2.Two layers of mat board, two different colors
a.One color is cream
b.One color matches the picture colors
B. Picture put on Wizard
1.Computer program for size and shape
2.Bottom layer cut first
3.Bottom layer 1/8 wider than top layer
4.Layers glued together
5.Layers glued to picture