Slightly OT, but not really...

[Mischief_Managed]

I'm working on the ABC letter swap, and last night I was cutting and embellishing the photo mats. I paused to think about the orientation of the mats. I cut the paper so I get 4 mats per page, and sometimes it doesn't matter which way the paper is cut. But when I used certain printed papers, there's clearly an orientation - horizontal or vertical based on the print.

So it made me think - what do the majority of us use in our books, if making mats ourselves - horizontal or vertical?

For some reason, I always seem to make vertical mats for swaps, but most of my pictures are horizontal. To use some of my swap mats, I have to plan to take vertical pictures.

I can't remember if this discussion as taken place before, but I was curious what everyone else thought about it. It will help me in the future when I make mats again.

 

[DisneyIsTerrific]

Most of the photos I take are horizontal, but I do take quite a few vertical ones as well. When making mats for swaps I seem to make mostly ones for horizontal photos as I figured that is what most people use.

 

[Ohana 4]

Most of mine are horizontal, unless I give the camera to my husband. I think it's just the easiest way to hold the camera. We don't think to turn it on its side when we're getting that perfect spur-of-the-moment shot.
But then, when I'm just finding the best shot for something, like the castle, something that's not going to change, I get creative and sometimes have portrait shots.

By the way, how do you get 4 mats out of a single paper? The best I can do is 3 and that's if there is no pattern that is specific to the layout of the mat. Please share your tip! No matter how I slice it (haha) my 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 never gets better than 3 per page.

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

I too have a good variety of both!! But, when I first read this...I could not figure out how you got 4 mats out of one page?? So, I sat down and measured out and rotated, etc. Ummmm....I have been wasting paper!! For whatever reason, I had it in my head that I could not get more than 3 mats out of one paper. Thanks for opening my eyes...even though that was not the intent!!!

 

[wdwmickey]

I usually make horizontal mats, but, take both kinds of pictures (mostly horizontal though).

How do you get 4 mats from 1 sheet of paper. The most I can get of 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 or larger is 3. Teach me please

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

By the way, how do you get 4 mats out of a single paper? The best I can do is 3 and that's if there is no pattern that is specific to the layout of the mat. Please share your tip! No matter how I slice it (haha) my 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 never gets better than 3 per page.

LOL That was the first thing I thought...I figured it out, though. If the OP doesn't answer, I'll see if I can word it right for you to understand...it's somewhat hard to explain (I think).

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Here's my attempt at explaining 4 mats per paper:

From the top left hand corner of the page, cut a 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 mat, from the top right hand corner of the page, cut a 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 mat, from the bottom left hand corner of the page, cut a 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 mat and from the bottom right hand corner of the page, cut a 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 mat. You will end up with a small square left in the middle. (I think.) I have not actually cut it, but on paper, this looks like it!!

 

[Princess Jayne]

I seem to mainly take vertical photos actually - particularly at disney with characters etc because i like getting the full costumes in, and the same with pictures from proms/parties etc. For random ones and landscape ones i go horizontal tho but can quite easily use mats either way!

I always get 4 mats out of mine but i'm not even gonna attempt to explain it! after 7 hours at work my mind isnt working! ha ha!

 

[wdwmickey]

Alright--I feel silly, I never thought about making more cuts in the paper. Here's a photo of what I think Erin was saying:

As you can all see I can't draw a straight line, but, I think this is the right idea

 

[morgansmom2000]

When I make mats for swaps, I try to do one of each, or embellish them in a way that works both ways.

I am a landscape girl, but am trying harder to do more portrait

 

[DisneyIsTerrific]

Alright--I feel silly, I never thought about making more cuts in the paper. Here's a photo of what I think Erin was saying:

As you can all see I can't draw a straight line, but, I think this is the right idea

Yes, that's how you do it. The trick is to not cut the paper all the way across, just the 6 1/4 or 4 1/4 (or 6 1/2 or 4 1/2) and then rotate the paper to do the next cut. It's definitely a great paper saver.

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Yep, Cheryl!!! You got it! Thanks for posting the pic!! You were able to actually show what I was verbalizing! I can't believe how many less scraps I will have now and how much less paper I will have to buy!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!

 

[Ohana 4]

Wow! It's magic! Thanks so much. For the paper saver.

 

[wdwmickey]

So I just tried this & it works I cut 4--5 x 7 mats from the same sheet of paper!! Yay, so many less scraps & less paper to buy (okay, who am I trying to kid--I'll still buy lots of paper)

 

[MazdaUK]

I use the off-cuts for mats, borders, tags etc. - its as much as I can do to cut them out in the first place, never mind rotating etc. I try to make photo mats which will work either way - doesn't always work because of lettering on a paper, or because an embellishment has a definite "right way up" - I tend to have roughly equal portrait and landscape as I like to inhclue the whole story on my page - long shot and close up, for example. But that's just me If I'm making 2 mats for a swap I do one of each

 

[hopemax]

Primarily horizontal, but I do take a fair amount of vertical. It seems like with swap mats, whatever pictures I have, the best choice of swap item will be the opposite orientation. I usually end up making one of each, because of the getting the 4 pieces out of one piece of PP. But when the paper doesn't dictate the orientation, I try to only loosely attach the embellishment, so it would not be so difficult or damaging for someone to remove the embellishment and reorient the mat.

 

[mommy2mrb]

Mostly horizontal too....wow how come no one every shared the cutting "secret"? this will work great with paper that can go either way! thanks for sharing!!

 

[123SA]

Mostly horizontal too....wow how come no one every shared the cutting "secret"? this will work great with paper that can go either way! thanks for sharing!!

I did! A loooooonnngg time ago. BAMB was in on that tutotrial too. I thought there was a link to it somewhere.


Anyway -- I am the complete opposite of most. I have 80-90% vertical photos. I have to force myself to turn the camera. I did a pretty good job on my last trip getting a better mix of orientation.

Almost all of my character photos are vertical -- my kids are tiny. If I didn't turn the camera I would havea photo of my kids' heads and Goofy's stomach Plus I like to see the whole character in the photo.

I used to make horizontal mats because I figured that's what other people needed. Then I realized that I should really make the vertical ones that I need, since it seemed like most people were making hoizontal mats. Then I realized that I have so much swap stuff hoarded away that it couldn't possible matter which direction I make, so I make whatever design works best.

As for the printed paper, if it is directional paper, I make 2 horizontal mats and 2 vertical mats, so that I can make use of the paper.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I take mainly horizontal..... but have been doing a lot of vertical lately trying to give myself more options in my scrapbooks.

There is also another way to cut 4 mats out of a piece of paper..

for 4- 6.5 x 4.5 mats... trim the paper down to 11" x 11".... then place your paper in the corner on the 4.5 marking and cut down 6.5 inches, rotate your paper all the way around... you'll have 1 little square when you are finished and four mats..

for 4 - 4.25 x 6.25 mats.. trim the paper down to 10.5" x 10.5" and then place your paper in the corner on the 4.25 marking and cut down 6.25 inches, rotate your paper all the way around making the 6.25 inch cut... you'll have 1 little square (not tiny) when you are finished and for mats.

ETA: this will give you are 123SA said on patterned paper 2 horizontal and 2 vertical mat options
All you are doing is taking out the long strips from wdwmickey's diagram first.

 

[rlovew]

I do about half and half on my photos- it just depends on what else is happening and normally I actually take most photos in both directions so I can use whatever looks best in the scrapbook. I guess the way I hold the camera it is really easy to take photos in both orientations.

Rebecca