It’s relatively easy to do your own matting and framing. In the long run, it is much more cost-effective to do your own. The initial investment will run about $150 for a mat cutter, metal straight-edge, mat knife, mounting adhesive, foam core, and mats. First lesson: only use acid-free, archival mats. Otherwise, your mats will yellow over time. The cut edges may become yellow (or orange) within a year. Stores like A.C. Moore and Michael’s seel a Logan mat cutter that’s pretty decent. The instructions that come with the mat cutter are about all you will need for basic matting. Some of us use 3M Positionable Mounting Adhesive (PMA) which comes in rolls and costs about $50 a roll. 3M PMA is essentially rubber cement on a roll… and it comes with instructions also.