All prints must be mounted. Mounting is to consist of Polystyrene or Foam Core Backing Board either 1/8 or 3/16 in thickness, and a Mat Board of at least 4 ply thickness (.05 to .06 inches).  The Mat Board must be white. Mounted prints must not exceed 20 inches in height and 40 inches in width to accommodate the light box. All prints and Mat Boards must be securely mounted to the Backing Board, so that the individual print(s) cannot become dislodged in the process of moving the print in/out of the light stand. A mount may contain more than one print, but all prints on the mount will be judged as one entry. Entries will not be eligible for competitions if they are not mounted as noted above, framed, have attached hardware, or could, in the opinion of the Vice President for Competitions, cause damage to other prints.

The name of the maker, the title of the print, the Class and Category in which it is being entered, and the capture date must appear on the back of the Backing Board, along with an arrow that indicates “this edge up”. Neither the name of the maker nor the title of the print may appear on the print or the Mat Board.

Guidance for Cutting Mats

• Directions for cutting Mats (updated 10/13/2023) A downloadable PDF file for cutting mats. (Note: Members using these directions should be aware that these are guidelines and they should review and follow the specific instructions that accompany the matte cutter they are using.)
• Quick Mat Calculation Spreadsheet  A downloadable Excel spreadsheet offering an easy way to calculate the dimensions of the cuts for a matte.
• Matting-101  A downloadable PowerPoint presentation.