Best Matted Frames
A mat does more for how a print reads than any frame upgrade at the same money. Here is what to check before you buy one.
By Janet H. · Published
Buy acid-free, and check the border is at least 1.5 inches. Below that the mat reads as a gap rather than a border. A generous mat is the single highest-return change you can make to an inexpensive print — more than a better frame, more than better artwork.
The catch: most in-box mats give roughly 1.5 to 2 inches. For the 3 inch gallery border you probably have in mind, you need to go up a frame size and buy the mat separately.
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How these picks were chosen
We select on published specification — rated weight capacity, frame size compatibility, mounting method and materials — plus the durability patterns owners report at volume. We do not test these products ourselves. Read our full method.
Photographs on this page are licensed category images, not photographs of the individual products. Each link opens the product’s live listing, where the current photos, sizes and price are shown.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Golden State Art Matted Picture Frame Acid-free mats on the archival lines in the standard step-downs, frequently in multi-packs. The specification that matters, at the price that does not hurt. | Best overall | |
| 2 | Americanflat Matted Picture Frame The mat lifts out, so the frame serves a matted print now and a full-size one later. Genuinely useful when the artwork is not decided. | Best removable mat | |
| 3 | Frametory Matted Picture Frame Real glass with ivory or white mats, for a piece at eye level where scratch resistance and optical flatness show. | Best real-glass matted frame | |
| 4 |  Golden State Art Pre-Cut Mat Board Pre-cut acid-free mats for frames you already own. Going up one frame size and adding one of these is the cheap route to a proper 3 inch border. | Best separate mats | |
| 5 |  Craig Frames Matted Gallery Set Four matching matted frames per set, which is how you mat a whole gallery wall consistently in one order. | Best matted set |
What the mat is actually doing
Three jobs, and only one of them is decorative:
- It holds the artwork off the glazing. Paper pressed against glass in a humid room sticks to it, permanently. This is the conservation reason and it is the one people never hear about.
- It gives the eye a rest. A border of quiet space between the image and the frame is what makes a print read as considered rather than crammed.
- It lets a small print fill a large frame. Which is how you get scale on a wall without buying large artwork.
The three things to check
| Check | What you want | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Acid-free board | Stated explicitly on the listing | Ordinary board yellows and transfers a brown line onto the print along the bevel within a few years |
| Border width | 1.5 in minimum, 2.5-3 in to look gallery-framed | Below 1.5 in the mat reads as a manufacturing gap rather than a deliberate border |
| Bevel cut | A visible angled edge around the opening | A straight-cut opening shows the board's raw thickness and looks cheap up close |
The step-downs that are stocked
| Frame | Opening | Border | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8x10 | 5x7 | 1.5 in | Desk and shelf photographs |
| 11x14 | 8x10 | 1.5 in | The most common matted combination |
| 12x16 | 8x12 | 2 in | Art prints in a 2:3 ratio |
| 16x20 | 11x14 | 2.5 in | The first size that looks properly gallery-framed |
| 18x24 | 12x18 | 3 in | Medium posters and photographic prints |
| 20x24 | 16x20 | 2 in | Large photographs |
| 24x36 | 20x30 | 2 in | Large-format prints |
For a wider border than the table gives, buy the next frame size up and a separate pre-cut mat. That combination is almost always cheaper than custom framing. The full mat matrix.
Mats as a gallery-wall unifier
The same white mat in every frame is the strongest unifier available on a gallery wall, and the cheapest rescue for a wall of mismatched frames. The mats become the repeated element; the frames become texture.
Matching versus mixed frames covers the rule, and the set roundup covers buying frames already matted.
The picks in full
Each entry states what it is for, the specification that decides it, and who should skip it.
1. Best overall
Golden State Art Matted Picture Frame
Golden State Art
Acid-free mats on the archival lines in the standard step-downs, frequently in multi-packs. The specification that matters, at the price that does not hurt.
- Common openings
- 11x14 frame matted to 8x10; 16x20 matted to 11x14
- Mat
- Acid-free on the archival lines
- Glazing
- Glass or acrylic by line
- Packs
- Often sold in multi-packs
The spec that decides it: Acid-free matting with a bevelled opening, in standard step-down pairs.
Skip it if: You want a 3 inch border — in-box mats here give roughly 1.5 to 2 inches.
2. Best removable mat
Americanflat Matted Picture Frame
Americanflat
The mat lifts out, so the frame serves a matted print now and a full-size one later. Genuinely useful when the artwork is not decided.
- Common openings
- Standard step-down sizes with the mat in the box
- Mat
- Removable — the frame also takes the full size unmatted
- Glazing
- Shatter-resistant plexiglass
- Orientation
- Wall or tabletop
The spec that decides it: Removable mat with shatter-resistant plexiglass glazing.
Skip it if: You know the print size for certain — a fixed matted frame usually costs less.
3. Best real-glass matted frame
Frametory Matted Picture Frame
Frametory
Real glass with ivory or white mats, for a piece at eye level where scratch resistance and optical flatness show.
- Common openings
- Standard step-down sizes
- Mat
- Ivory or white, removable
- Glazing
- Real glass on many lines
- Orientation
- Wall or tabletop
The spec that decides it: Real glass glazing with removable ivory or white mats.
Skip it if: You are hanging it on adhesive strips at 18x24 or larger — glass adds significant weight.
4. Best separate mats
Golden State Art Pre-Cut Mat Board
Golden State Art
Pre-cut acid-free mats for frames you already own. Going up one frame size and adding one of these is the cheap route to a proper 3 inch border.
- Cut
- Pre-cut bevel opening, standard step-down sizes
- Material
- Acid-free board with backing and a clear sleeve on most packs
- Sizes
- Common pairs such as 11x14 matted to 8x10
- Packs
- Singles and multi-packs
The spec that decides it: Pre-cut bevel openings on acid-free board, with backing.
Skip it if: Your opening size is non-standard — pre-cut mats come in stock pairs only.
5. Best matted set
Craig Frames Matted Gallery Set
Craig Frames
Four matching matted frames per set, which is how you mat a whole gallery wall consistently in one order.
- Set shape
- Sets of four in one size, matted down to a smaller opening
- Glazing
- Lightweight shatter-resistant acrylic
- Profiles
- Contemporary through ornate
- Origin
- Made in the USA
The spec that decides it: Sets of four in one size with a mat step-down and acrylic glazing.
Skip it if: You need a single frame — a set is money spent on three frames you will not hang.
Common questions
Are matted frames worth it?
Yes, and disproportionately so. A mat holds the artwork off the glazing so it cannot stick, gives the eye a rest between image and frame, and lets a small print fill a large frame. It changes how a piece reads more than any frame upgrade at the same money.
How wide should the mat border be?
At least 1.5 inches, and 2.5 to 3 inches to look properly gallery-framed. Published custom-framing guidance gives 2 to 2.5 inches around small prints, 2.5 to 3.5 around an 18x24, and 3 to 4 around a 24x36.
Does mat board have to be acid-free?
For anything you would be sorry to lose, yes. Ordinary board yellows over a few years and transfers the discolouration onto the print along the bevel, leaving a permanent brown line where the eye goes.
What does 11x14 matted to 8x10 mean?
An 11x14 frame with a mat opening sized for an 8x10 print, giving a border of roughly 1.5 inches on each side. Watch for listings that quote only one of the two numbers — the two readings are three inches apart in each direction.
Can you buy a mat separately for a frame you already own?
Yes, and it is usually the cheapest route to a generous border. Pre-cut acid-free mats come in the standard step-down pairs, so an 11x14 mat with an 8x10 opening drops straight into a frame you already have.
Sources for the figures on this page
Read next
- Mat Sizes for Standard Prints
The complete print size to mat opening to frame size matrix, with published border widths by artwork size.
- How to Mat a Print
Working out the opening, choosing acid-free board, and the two mounting methods that do not damage the print.
- Best Picture Frames
Frame lines compared on glazing, mat quality, size range and depth — plus what genuinely changes with price.
- Matching vs Mixed Frames
The four variables on a gallery wall, how many you can change at once, and why mixed walls usually fail.
- Picture Frame Sizes Chart
Every standard frame size with its unmatted and matted capacity — the table to check before you order anything.
- How to Make Cheap Art Look Expensive
Matting, scale, hanging height, frame consistency and glazing — the five changes that do almost all the work.