Without knowing the exact tools you are using makes it hard to offer suggestions. A good surface helps. I also found that a backing of waste mat material helps so you can extend the blade of the cutter further. I cut mats so infrequently that I almost always use a new blade each time have my cutter set up. A sharp blade makes things much easier.
To help keep the cuts even pre-measuring and making pencil marks on the mat can give a good guide. Of course you should be cutting from the back side so any pencil marks will not be visible. My biggest problem is starting the inside cut. My beveled cutter has a tack like tool that suppose to keep the cutter in place as you push the blade through the mat. I find that you really have to set the spike firmly to make sure that the cutter does not move during the initial setting of the blade. Hope some of this helps. Perry. On 1/2/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I've always had a heck of a time matting. When I print prints I often use a > frame with several 6X4s or 5x7s in it. Because I can buy frames with precut > mats for those sizes in them. > > But I do like printing up larger pictures, in which case I have to cut my own > mats. (Because I print full frame and don't want 8X10s.) > > It's easy to cut out the external size of the mat. But I run into all kinds > of problems cutting out the internal rectangle. Corners that are sort of > hacked > out, one end sliced slightly longer than the other, so the corner looks > crude, bevels that are ragged, etc. > > I have clamps, I have a good cutter, I have a good ruler, I even have an > older mat cutter with the ruler build-in. I never have a really good surface > to > cut mats on, though. I have an old piece of plywood that works somewhat. I put > it on the floor. > > Any tips anyone has about how to cut the internal rectangle on a mat (neatly) > would be greatly appreciated. Anything that works for you. Other than buying > them. :-) > > I am going to try this again and again and again until I finally get better > at it. > > Sigh. > > I realize this is a physical activity hard to describe in words, so links are > good too. > > Marnie aka Doe > > -- <----------------------------------------------------> Perry Pellechia Primary email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternate email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home Page: http://homer.chem.sc.edu/perry <---------------------------------------------------->
