Mats, Matts, and Mattes

The most basic form of exhibition planning and design is probably the simple act of framing something.

And if you are framing something under glass, you will likely use a mat. 

Or … matt. 

Or matte. 
Or mat board. 
Or matte board. 
Or mount (in the UK). 

Or passe-partout, passe partout, or passepartout (in France and many English-speaking places).

It might seem crazy, but these are all acceptable terms for the same thing: a thin layer of dense paper, with a large hole cut out of its center, placed in a frame directly behind the glass.

And here are two more things you might not know about about, er, mats:

1. Despite what you might think, mats are not primarily for aesthetically presenting the artwork. Their primary purpose is to keep the artwork and glass from touching.

2. Good mats always have a beveled edge, angled all the way around. But that isn’t just a stylistic tradition. They are cut that way to avoid casting a shadow on the artwork from lights above or to the side.

Here’s the thing:
Mats, matts, and mattes: not only does this basic staple of the exhibition world have way too many similar official names, it also comes with a few surprises.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Mat. [Also: matt, matte, mat board, matte board, mount, and passe-partout] A thin layer of dense paper, with a large hole cut out of its center, placed in a frame directly behind the glass. Primarily keeps the artwork and glass from touching.