Do you mat? If so, a few questions!

I know you're close to me... you might try this place on Foster Road...

http://www.ivebeenfram​edpdx.com/

i'm not sure about multiple hundreds...there's this one...it's the same brand as what i have, but it may be a different model

https://www.amazon.com …keywords=logan+​mat+cutter

it includes the beveled cutter, and a straight edge cutter...the cutters go into the rail to keep things straight, as long as you keep the mat board straight up against the stops

As with anything, you get what you pay for. Logan makes highly rated gear.

If you are going to spend the money I might suggest you step it up a bit and get the 40" desktop unit from Logan...
https://www.amazon.com …2661618011%2Cp_​89%3ALogan

FarmerTed1971 wrote in post #18344785
Mat cutters usually have the knife at an angle. There are cheap handheld units up to very large wall based units for thousands of dollars.

I tried the hand ones and cannot do it to my satisfaction. The larger units that have the blades on rails to hold everything strait are the best. You will spend multiple hundreds for the cheapest of them though.
This is why I buy mine pre-cut (or have them custom made by pros that do it for a living).

This.

Unless you buy one of the larger units with all the rails and guides, clamps, stops and measures that come with that, cutting mats is going to be tough. I do it ... but only because I can't ship out the proper kit to where I am currently based. It is slow and laborious and one lapse of concentration costs you a frame.

I have run the full gamut of image framing in the past. Cut, glued and nailed the wooden frame; cut and backed the mat; taken the photograph (sorry, didn't print it myself); and assembled and hung the entirety. It has given me huge personal satisfaction. But using basic tools, the way I have done it, it takes up far more time than is easily justifiable ... and it is very, very easy to screw up.

you can also check ebay for mat cutter deals...i think all the logan's have rails, and stops

DreDaze wrote in post #18344795
you can also check ebay for mat cutter deals...i think all the logan's have rails, and stops

I can heartily recommend a great deal of Logan kit that I personally do not own but I know (100%) would make my life a great deal easier. It's not cheap stuff but it's very good value.

I've been cutting my own mattes for over 35 years with a Dexter hand matte cutter. Never found a reason to change. A flat, sturdy surface and good straight edge about 3' long. A shorter 18" metal straight edge to mark the reverse side of the matte. A bit of practice and you will be a happy camper. Important to keep sharp blades in the Dexter and set at proper depth ( just a bit more than matte thickness).

I think I'll stick to ordering pre-cut. Since I don't sell my prints, I don't think I'll need more than a few anyway.

I agree ... it's definitely possible and the results are very rewarding. But I still think one of the less entry-level Logan cutters with the rails, clamps and stops (or another manufacturer's equivalent) would be a very good investment. Measured against the typical investment in photographic kit, the cost is modest and very good value for money.

I have a good friend that has a very nice and expensive mat cutter that I cut my mats on. I never had much luck with the cheap ones either.

That's what friends are for!

[EDIT] On reflection, the above seems very cynical. I only meant swapping and sharing, combined with the good trust that comes from friendship, is a really positive possibility.

Check out photographer Robert Rodriquez's mat cutter!

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=3n2ossog5Ns

Skip to 4:30 if you wish.

Link to the mfg...
http://www.speed-mat.com/mat-cutter-standard.html

I also purchased a Logan mat cutter (cannot remember if it is the 450 or 550), and it is very easy to use. My first double mat took very little time, and looked great. Mat material is very inexpensive, so if you plan on getting several mats, especially double/triple, the ROI comes pretty quickly.

I have seen demonstrations of the Logan, and was even able to make a trial cut, My disablity means that I have poor feeling and a loss of fine motor control in the extremities, along with some loss of strength. I could manage it easily enough. I would love to be able to get into doing the full gamut of framing. The problem is that I look around and it is painfully obvious that from a cost point of view that full DIY is very expensive, compared to buying even fully built custom frames. It's interesting that the Logan cutter, which can even be setup for cutting the glass glazing, is actually very reasonably priced, even here in the UK. I then looked at all the other things you would need to make a half reasonable frame, reliably. It seems there you need to move to the more expensive units before you start seeing lots of mostly positive reviews.

Alan

Framing itself is very expensive and unless I had a woodworking shop, I wouldn't even attempt it, and then you still have to get into glass.

Matting however, which was the original topic, can be done with the barest of tools, and with a good sharp blade and a good straight edge, whether you use something that takes the grunt work out like the Logan, or you just use a bevel cutter, isn't nearly as difficult. Definitely if you have physical ailments that prevent a steady hand, or to exert pressure to cut through fiberboard, or to stretch out for large mats to pull the blade toward you, then precut mats are a great option. Sometimes you can find these in bulk sets on sale.

The reason I cut my own is that we have alot of old frames around, and some are odd sizes and colors. To match those up to my prints and to allow more creative cropping of various scenes where I might not be able to match the same aspect ratio of the frame, or some precut mat, I need to cut my own. I don't want to go to the local arts shop and order custom sized mats, it just seems like a waste of time and money. I pick up mats when they are on sale and store them on a shelf, and pull out as I need them.

Then again I print my own prints up to 13"x19", and have made that a very cost effective venture as well. Prints cost me less than $2 for a 13x19 and go down from there to the point, they are well under $1.