Mat Measurements for Handmade Cards

How do you know what measurements you need for a mat on a handmade card? What if you use a second layer or third layer? What are those measurements? It can get complicated very quickly. But it doesn’t need to be complicated.

Layer Measurements

The measurements for a handmade card in the United States is typically 4¼ x 5½”, whether it is portrait or landscape. That is one quarter of an 8½ x 11” sheet of cardstock. If you are interested in learning about card sizes, see my blog post on Standard Size of Handmade Cards. That being said, the first mat layer on a handmade card should be proportionally smaller than 4¼ x 5½” card front. You need to step both the length and width measurements down by the same amount. If you want a good size margin, step both down by ¼”. So, the first mat would be 4 x 5¼”. Each time you make a layer, step both measurements down by ¼”. Layer #2: 3¾ x 5”. Layer #3: 3½ x 4¾”.

You can also make a skinnier margin by only stepping down 1/8” on each measurement. The concept is the same, just the actual measurements change. The first layer would be 4 1/8 x 5 3/8”, the second layer 4 x 5¼”, and the third
3 7/8 x 5 1/8”. Using these measurements, you would only have a sliver of colored mat around the each layer. 

Of course, for a more interesting look, you can combine the two, making one layer a quarter inch layer and the next an eighth inch.

See the table below for mat measurements assuming your card front is 5½ x 4¼”.

Getting mat measurements for a handmade card doesn’t need to be hard. Just decrease both dimensions by the same amount and you have a layer.

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