Mounting Photos

[John]

I am about to put a photo in a frame and have bought a 'photo mount card'. You know the sort that fits the frame and borders the photo by a couple of inches. How can I cut the hole out at the 45 degree angle so as to show the white inner of the coloured card. I have a multitude of sharp modelling/craft knives and straight edges, but don't know how to acheive the required angle. I hope I have explained myself OK but if you need clarification, go look at a picture on your wall and all will become apparent.

Thanks

John

[Midge]

Hi John,

You really need a proper mount-cutter to do it well. Mine is a make called an OLFA. Basically a perspex block with a double edged blade set at 45deg. Bought it from a local craft shop. Works pretty well - though I find you need to clamp a straight edge down to your work surface with G cramps to get a dead straight result. You also need to over-cut slightly into the corners.

Note - if you just have a small number of standard size photos, some craft shops sell pre-cut mounts.

HTH Midge

[TonyK]

Without the proper tools I doubt it can be done. Certainly not with an stanley knife and a steel rule anyway. If you go to a picture shop they can probably cut the size you want for a few quid (no doubt they'll want to sell you the card as well). At least then you'll get a decent job. I had a really weird size cut for some menus and they charged me about a fiver.

Tony

[Andy Dingley]

Use two bits of card - one behind, one in front (with a hole in it).

_Lots_ of useful information on mounting to be found at:

You bite the bullet and spend twenty quid (_how_ much ?!) on a Logan "matt cutter". OTOH, it's the sales, so get yourself down to Hobbyworld and they might have them cheap again.

You could also buy an Olfa, which is half the price. However this is still a stupid amount of money, it's a piece of plastic crap (the Logan is at least robust and suitable for commercial use), the blades are funny things you can't find easily and (worst of all) they make the blades blunt at the factory so they don't cut well even when fresh.

The brave way is to do it with just a scalpel. If you go for a square edge, then this is also easy and looks pretty good anyway. Unless you're going to place it in a dark room and light it from close above or to the side, you'll never notice anyway.