Slightly OT: Mat cutting tools for picture framing

I matted hundreds of pictures in the bad old days with a Dexter Mat Cutter and a T-Square. Certainly a minimum investment. Remember to give the bottom as viewed an extra quarter to half inch to over come the optical illusion. If double or triple matting, you will have to add almost an eighth as well on the interior mats.

I've borrowed the Alto. It's worked great for me every time.

Barry

Logan makes the best mat cutters (and in various price ranges).

I've used the Logan compact mat cutter for over ten years and it has worked great. It's item B on the Lee Valley site you posted.

I use a Logan, which I still think is damned expensive for a chunk of aluminium and a razor blade. I don't much like their guide rail, as I find it too lightweight and prone to slippage. I just use straight edge, but it's much heavier and has an anti-slip surface underneath.

I don't like systems like the Alto, because it encourages you to cut ugly matts where every cut is the same distance from the edge. it probably works fine, but I don't like the result.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

I've cut a fair number of mats with the Alto system. It works great. I have not yet tried the oval templates, etc. which are available - I've only cut rectangular mats thus far. I've never used the Logan so I can't compare.

By the way, if you're doing any significant amount of framing, I also highly recommend the "framing and glazing tool" which Lee Valley sells. This appears to be the Fletcher FrameMaster, which is what I use (though mine didn't come from them). It is expensive ($76 plus $17 for

-Brett