I now know there's a lot more to preparing art for the long haul. As a graduate student at the Maryland Institute, College of Art I worked part time in the shop of a privately owned art gallery. The gallery has been in the family for over 140 years. I learned how to frame everything imaginable. Many times we had to be innovative and design new ways to frame not only works of art on paper but every day objects.
Nothing brings out the quality of an etching, litho or any print like a well cut matte.
Whether it's a plain or French border matte, it draws the viewers eye to the print and gives the frame something to hang on to. But the mat cutter is notorious for cutting a perfect 45 degree angle. The same is true if the ink strays outside the plate mark. There's not much you can do except to make sure those plates are square before you begin the etching. Another note to you artists that work on paper.