How to Mat With Foam Board
- 1). Measure the inside of your frame and record the measurements on a piece of paper. Line up one side of the foam board with a straight edge, such as the edge of a table or counter. Transfer the measurements to your foam board using the straight edge, the ruler and the pencil to make straight lines.
- 2). Cut a piece of foam board with a hobby knife, being careful to cut straight along your pencil marks.
- 3). Mark and cut a rectangle in the center of your foam board that is smaller than your photograph by at least 1 inch on each side. This will create the square through which the photo will appear behind the mat.
- 4). Fit your mat and photo inside of your frame to check that everything looks the way you imagined it. Make any adjustments that you wish to the color of the mat or the size of the opening.
- 5). Lay your photo face down on a clean surface and put one piece of tape along one of the edges, allowing for half of the strip to hang over the edge of the photo.
- 6). Turn the paper over and place the mat carefully over the photo, pressing down only when the photo is aligned properly inside the mat.
- 7). Turn the mat and photograph over, being careful not to shift the photo from its position. Tape the remaining three sides of the photograph inside the mat.
- 8). Place the photograph and mat inside of the frame and seal the back of the frame before hanging.