What is a mat (marie-louise) in photo framing?

A mat (called marie-louise in French) is a cardboard border placed between a photo or artwork and the frame. It creates visual breathing room, protects the artwork from touching the glass, and adds a professional gallery-quality finish.

How do I calculate mat dimensions for a picture frame?

Measure your frame interior dimensions and your photo/artwork dimensions in millimeters. Enter them into itari and select a cutting style. The calculator computes the exact margin for each side (top, right, bottom, left) so you can cut your mat board precisely.

What is the talon style in mat cutting?

Talon style is a classic fine art framing technique where the bottom margin is larger than the top. This creates visual stability and is the preferred method for gallery-quality framing, following centuries of art presentation tradition.

What cutting styles does itari support?

itari supports 5 professional cutting styles: Proportional (equal margins), Uniform (averaged distribution), Talon (classic fine art with weighted bottom), Panoramic (optimized for wide images), and Portrait (optimized for tall images).

How to Use the Mat Calculator

How to Use the itari

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Measure Your Frame

Measure the interior dimensions of your frame in millimeters. This is the opening inside the frame where the mat will sit — not the outside frame dimensions.