8x10" Matted Print being placed into a Maple Wood frame.

Matted Prints

Matted Prints give your favorite photos a clean, gallery-ready finish with no framing required. Each Slip-In Mat is a bright white, acid-free window mat that your Photo Print or Giclée Print slides right into, ready for a shelf, ledge, or your own frame in seconds. Mats and prints are sold separately, so choose your mat size and pair it with the matching print.
Photo Prints Giclée Prints Framed Prints Wedding Prints Canvas Prints
What Is a Slip-In Mat?
A Slip-In Mat is a bright white, acid-free window mat that turns any print into a finished, gallery-style piece. Slide your print in behind the window and it’s ready to display, no tools or framing needed. You choose how it closes: keep the adhesive liner on for a temporary hold that lets you swap photos anytime, or peel it off to seal your print in for keeps. Stand it on a shelf or ledge, or place it inside any standard picture frame.

Choose Your
Print: Photo Prints or Giclée Prints

Your mat and print are two separate products,
so you can order them together or add a mat to prints you already have. Not sure which to pick? Go with Photo Prints for classic presentation and Giclée Prints for fine art texture and maximum archival quality.
Close up detail shot of all our paper types next to each other.
Photo Prints
The everyday choice for family photos, wedding prints, and client deliverables.
Giclée Prints
Printed on fine art paper for exhibition-quality pieces made to last.

Matted Print Sizes

Each photo mat is sized to hold a standard print, with a window opening slightly smaller than the print so the edges sit neatly behind the mat. Find your mat size below, then add the matching print. Since every mat is a standard frame size, it also works as a mat for picture frames you already own.
Framing Sizing
Mat Size (a) Print Size Needed (b) Window Opening (c)
5x7" 3.5x5" 3.25x4.75"
8x10" 5x7" 4.75x6.75"
11x14" 8x10" 7.75x9.75"
16x20" 11x14" 10.75x13.75"

Why Nations Photo Lab for Matted Prints?

 Order the Mat You Need:
Mats and prints are sold separately, so you can restock mats on their own or refresh a display without reordering prints.
Corner detail shot of a Matted Print
Archival by Design:
A buffered, high alpha-cellulose core lasts 50+ years framed and 25 to 50 years unframed. FSC-certified and made with about 80% recycled fiber.
 Professional-Grade:
Pro lab presentation standards, made simple and accessible.
Stack of 8x10
Built for Every Session:
A polished finishing touch for portrait, wedding, and family print packages.
How to Choose the Right Matted Print
Start with where it will be displayed. A 5x7" or 8x10" mat suits desks, shelves, and gifts, while 11x14 and 16x20 make more of a statement on a ledge or in a frame. Next, match your print size using the chart above. The window covers a thin border around the edges, so leave a little room around faces and key details. Then choose your paper: Photo Prints for everyday keepsakes and Wedding Prints, Giclée Prints for fine art pieces. Need help picking a size? See our print size guide.

Matted Prints FAQ

What is a Matted Print?

A Matted Print is a photo set inside a mat: a bright border with a window cut out for the image. The mat adds space around your photo, protects the print’s edges, and gives it a finished, gallery-style look. Matted Prints from Nations Photo Lab pair a Slip-In Mat with a Photo Print or Giclée Print, making them a great fit for gifts, wedding and family keepsakes, and client print packages.

How do I order a Matted Print?

Matted Prints are ordered as two separate products. First, choose your Slip-In Mat size. Next, add the matching Photo Print or Giclée Print using the size chart. When your order arrives, slide the print into the mat behind the window. Leave the adhesive liner on for a temporary hold, or remove it to seal the print permanently.

What’s the difference between a Matted Print and a Mounted Print?

A Matted Print sits inside a window mat that borders the photo, while a mounted print is adhered flat to a rigid backing board. Matting is about presentation, adding a clean border and depth around the image. Mounting is about support, keeping a print flat and rigid. Slip-In Mats are a matting product, so your print stays separate and can be swapped out as long as the mat isn’t sealed.

Can you reuse or reseal a Slip-In Mat?

Yes, as long as you haven’t sealed it. Keep the adhesive liner in place and you can open the mat, swap the photo, and reuse it as often as you like. Once the liner is removed and the mat is sealed, it’s designed to stay closed and isn’t meant to be reopened. If you plan to rotate photos seasonally, keep the liner on.

After The Nations Difference
  • Handmade in Maryland & Pennsylvania
    Handmade in
    Maryland & Pennsylvania
  • Picture Perfect Guaranteed
    Picture Perfect
    Guaranteed
  • Handcrafted in the USA
    Premium
    Quality
  • Real Humans behind every product
    Real Humans behind
    every product
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35,000+ 5-star Reviews.
1 Million Customers.
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FSC Certified: Printing
With Purpose

NPL Prints printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive
paper carry something extra on the back:
the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification
mark. This reflects Fujifilm's strict policy for
wood pulp procurement that protects forestry
resources, backed by a chain of custody that
verifies the wood used in the paper comes from
responsibly managed forests.
For us, that means printing without contributing to worldwide deforestation. For you, it's a small reminder that beautiful prints don't have to come at the planet's expense.
It's one more way NPL is committed
to doing better.
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and time again..."
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Proud to be G7 Certified
We take pride in being G7® certified, ensuring consistent and accurate color reproduction across our printing processes, delivering high-quality prints that faithfully capture the original images and meet the stringent standards set by the international G7® methodology.