We want you to know in advance that our prices will be changing on October 6th. We wish we didn’t have to, but our vendor costs have increased and we need to raise ours as a consequence.  You can read more about it here.

The good news is that you have until October 6th to order your favorite mats and frames with the current prices. Supplies and Bags cost will not change.

Stock up now and save later!

Finding that your matted artwork won’t fit in your frame can be pretty frustrating. In most cases single mats and mounts will fit in a frame, However, if you have bought ready made frames from a store or are using more than a single mat, it is best to measure your components before you begin fitting. In order to know if your art will fit in the frame of your choice, you need to measure the art package.

What is an art package? It consists of:

• Glazing (acrylic or glass)
• Mat with window or mat blank
• Art or photo
• Mountboard

Why is it important to know the size of your art package?

• So the package will fit within the depth of your frame

How do you measure it?

• Start by determining the size of your frame’s rabbet, (The rabbet is depth of the space within the frame from just under the lip to the back of the moulding).
• The art package should add up to a dimension that’s less than the rabbet.
• Add the thickness of each component of the art package using these guidelines:
  • The thickness of framing-quality acrylic or glass is usually 1/8” (or .125)
  • Standard, 4 ply mats are usually 1/16” (or .0625). Don’t forget to double this if you’re using a double mat or 8 ply mat.
  • Artwork doesn’t usually add any thickness to the package (unless it’s 3D or a really thick and wavy paper), so no need to add anything for this component.
  • Mountboard varies in thickness.
  • Our foam board measures either 1/8” (.125) or 3/16” (.1875).
  • Economy Backing Board is 1/16” (.0625)
  • 4UB is 3/32” (.09375).

• For example: Acrylic (1/8  – change to 2/16 (you can only add like fractions) + Single Mat (1/16)  + Economy Backing Board (1/16)  = total 4/16, which is the same as 1/4″. This is the size of your art package dimension.

As you can imagine, a virtual mountain of scrap matboard is left over after we cut your orders. In an effort to keep this matboard out of the recycling bin and put this resource to full use we give our scrap new life as Terry’s Specials.

We take the scraps and fall-off from matboard that’s too small to restock and reuse, and re-chop them into uniform 8×10 or 11×14 mat blanks (ie. matboard without a window).

They’re sorted into three color groups– whites and creams, assorted colors, and blacks – and are sold in bundles of 25.  The boards are all 4 ply and the packages contain any combination of pH neutral standard paper, archival, and Canterbury economy boards.

You can use them as mountboards, as float backing, or cut your own mat windows in them.  And if you want to think beyond the obvious, consider using them for kid’s art, for packing and shipping, or for bookbinding and craft projects.

It’s a green, money-saving win for everyone.  Our customers get an economical mountboard, we reduce our disposal costs and together we keep the material out of the energy-demanding recycling loop.

Stock availability can be limited. Current prices for a 25 pack of Terry’s Specials are:  8×10’s =  $5.00,  11×14’s =  $9.75

Please learn more about Terry’s Specials…

ATG is a great product and is useful for many applications but it does take a little getting used to.  It’s more a “film” than a tape and that means it can become a clingy mess if you don’t handle it carefully.

To apply ATG without an applicator gun: Hold the roll of tape in one hand.  Peel back a tab of both the brown protective paper and the film with your other hand.  Place it, sticky side down, on your board.  Run your finger along the protective paper – from the end tab up to the roll (which is still in your hand) – to make the film grab hold of your board.   Tear off the strip at the roll.

Rub your finger over the protective paper, along the whole length of the tape strip, one more time. Peel back and discard the protective paper. All that’s left on the board is a nice, flat strip of sticky film.

Applying tape with an applicator gun: Position the outer red roller where you’d like the strip of tape to begin.  Depress the trigger and pull the gun back along the board, pushing down lightly on the gun so that the tape grips the board.  Release the trigger, press down slightly on the roller and lift the gun – the film will tear easily off from the roll with this press and lift action.

Removing ATG: Simply rub your finger firmly over the applied film and it’ll bead up into a little ball of adhesive or if you prefer you can use the ATG Pick Up Stick. Works great and lasts forever.