How do you replace the top mat?

Depends mainly on two things:

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  • How are the two mats attached together? Some framers use white glue or massive amounts of ATG very close to the window opening. It's nearly impossible to separate the top mat without damaging the bottom one.</font>
  • How was the original mat cut? Manual cutters usually cut the window parallel to the outside of the mat. If the blank isn't absolutely square, the window won't be either. A new top mat almost certainly won't be concentric to the bottom one, which means the reveal will be uneven. If the original was cut on a CMC, the window will almost certainly be square - regardless of the blank.</font>
Bottom line is: It's almost always better to re-cut both mats.
 
And occationally he can polish that point.

But he also has that knowledge stuff, which why we keep him around.

redo the whole mat like the man says. You'll thank him in the morning.
 
Along with my experience and expertise, my customers also got my opinions. That neutral top mat with a quarter-inch of color peeking out is a very dated 80's look.

If you are up-dating framing for a customer, sell them a new top mat (preferably silk) with a fillet.

If you are trying to fix something that got garped up in the shop, scrap the whole thing and start over. The profit on the last three silk mats and fillets you sold will cover the cost.

Kit
 
Most customers are suspicious that you are trying to gouge them by claiming to have to cut a second mat and abandon what they consider a perfectly good one.

We keep a stack of blank 8 x 10’s floating around in the shop so that, if we’re in the mood, we show them how a double mat is cut.

But most of the time that is too much bother, so, as often as not, we just sigh and absorb the cost of the under mat ourselves (as long as it is not a silk or suede). But, after that is done, we always return the original to show them what good guys were are.
 
No, we demand that we replace all the mats. Ihave lost SOOO many bottom mats simply by trying to replace the one topmat. Just not worth the time and effort, which translates into dollars and cents.
 
>>We keep a stack of blank 8 x 10’s floating around in the shop so that, if we’re in the mood, we show them how a double mat is cut.

Good plan, Bill. After you showed me the way double mats are cut, my first thought to the topic note was "Why bother? Replacing them both is cheaper for the framer once you figure your labor burden." Face it, unless you are talking absurdly expensive materials, it's cheaper on the framing house to do both mats because of how much less labor is involved. In one shot you can get perfectly cut, perfectly concentric windows. Trying to line up the cuts on an overmat perfectly would be a bear. Or would that be a Baer? ;)
 
Originally posted by Kit:
sell them a new top mat (preferably silk) with a fillet.

Kit
I would have thought silk with a fillet is a vintage look? Am I missing something here? It certainly wont look good on all art. I not a huge fan of the duoble mat but my customers love it.
 
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