HOW TO ASSEMBLE LARGE MAT OFFSET PICTURE FRAMES

Is anyone else guilty of having pictures on their phones and none on the walls? So many beautiful memories that make us smile, laugh and even cry are not given priority placement in our homes. I have been guilty of that myself but I always had a plan to mount at least one large mat offset picture frame. I’m talking “hit you in your face when you walk through the door” wall photos.

WHAT ARE MAT PICTURE FRAMES?

Mat picture frames are mainly made up of two pieces. I think everyone is familiar with frames but I didn’t always pay attention to mats. These are the usually white inserts that come with the frames that border the photograph. I would sometimes remove these altogether if I wanted more of my picture to show but that shows you how you can go from discarding something to appreciating its value. Apparently, they are totally customizable in terms of color and size so if you want to mix things up a bit, this is the place to do it.

WHAT DOES OFFSET REFER TO?

The term offset refers to the margins around your photograph. Anyone else getting flashbacks from printing a word document? If you look at a standard mat picture frame, the mats are usually centered horizontally and vertically. It’s a nice look especially for smaller frames but as you increase the frame size, you can create more of a modern look by off-centering or “offsetting” the opening. Who knew there were so many options? No need to dust off the calculator, though. Mat vendors have made the process super simple for those of you who didn’t major in math so let me show you the process.

SELECTING PICTURE FRAMES

First step is deciding what size frame you want to purchase. I selected 5 of these 24″ x 36″ frames from Amazon. The frames are available in black and white and are very basic which is just what I wanted, IKEA also has a cheaper option here but they don’t ship straight to the Virgin Islands so adding the cost of the freight forwarder wasn’t worth it for me.

DETERMINING PHOTO SIZE

Next, is determining the size of your photograph which affects the mat dimensions. I am always thinking about practicality and affordability so I wanted to have the flexibility to change my pictures up over time. I decided that choosing a print size from the standard list provided the most flexibility.

All I’m saying is when I feel like changing out my picture, I just want to go to Walgreens and pick them up. I don’t want to have a custom size that I have to order online from a special source so I chose an 11″ x 14″. To save you some time, here is a listing of the standard sizes as a reference:

Standard Photo Print Sizes

• 4×6
• 5×7
• 8×10
• 10×13
• 10×20
• 11×14
• 16×20
• 20×24

CALCULATING MAT DIMENSIONS

I purchase my mats online from www.matboardandmore.com and each mat board cost me $29.50. They have SO many choices but I went with the basic Economy Standard in white. Here are the actual dimensions I used along with a visual representation from Mat Boards & More:

1. Top Mat Color: Smooth White (#BW222)
2. Bottom Mat Color: Smooth White (#BW222)
3. Outer Size & Opening: 24″ x 36″
4. Rectangle Opening: 13.5″ x 10.5″
5. Bottom Margin (Top Centered): 20 1/4″
6. Reveal: 1/4″

You’re ready to place your order and orders over $50 have free shipping. Disclaimer for my Virgin Islanders, shipping was not free at all and was actually quite high direct to the USVI. I would suggest sending these to a freight forwarder instead to save some pennies!

ALTERNATIVE PHOTO PRINTING OPTION

If you are patient and want high quality portraits, then ordering from Mpix would be my recommendations. But, if you want something super cheap, I actually printed my photos at OfficeMax. When I tell you, it cost me less than a dollar per print, I am not exaggerating. Your girl was shocked. The cashier had to repeat the total multiple times. Downside is I had to use the guillotine to cut my photos because they ran out of 11″ x 14″ paper and had to print on 11″ x 17″. Personal problems. I’m sure your local OfficeMax will have it together. I just wanted to share this as an option for you cheapies like me.

Well, this post has been a lot more technical but I hope it’s been helpful. I am super happy about having large mat offset frames of beautiful memories hanging in my home surrounding me with positivity. Check out my post on Minimalism: What Does It Really Mean? to understand the true focus of a minimalist lifestyle. All in all, I’m a happy camper and the house is feeling more like home with every update.

Please let me know if you have any questions about doing this in your own home or if you just need help with the math of it all. I was a math major so I’m happy to help. Stay cozy, friends!