Picture Frame Mounts, Mats & Passe Partout: What's the Difference?

If you've ever searched for picture mounts online and ended up more confused than when you started, you're not alone. Depending on where you are in the world — or where you're shopping — the same product goes by completely different names: mount, mat or passe partout. In the interest of clarity, we'll refer to this collective set of terms as simply 'mounts' for the rest of this article.

This guide covers what picture mounts actually are, why they go by so many names and what difference they make to your artwork.

What are picture mounts?

A picture mount is the border material — typically made from thick card or paper — that sits between your artwork and the frame in a framed print, creating a clean visual gap around the image.

That gap does more than look nice. It stops the glazing (the glass or acrylic in front) from pressing directly against the print, which can cause damage over time. It also draws the eye inward, giving your artwork room to breathe and commanding more presence on the wall. A well-chosen mount can genuinely transform how a piece looks — even a modest print can take on a gallery-style quality with the right treatment.

So why the different names?

A quick lesson in framing geography

Picture mounts

This is the standard UK term. If you're searching in Britain, that's the phrase that'll serve you best — and with around 2,400 monthly UK searches, it's clearly the dominant one here. "Picture frame mounts" picks up another 1,900 UK searches a month and is used interchangeably by many British picture framing companies and retailers.

Picture frame mats

"Picture frame mats" (or just "mats") is how Americans say it. The word "mat" in this context likely comes from the French word matte, meaning dull or flat — a nod to the typically non-reflective surface of the card used. With around 1,600 monthly US searches for "picture frame mats" specifically, it's a well-established term across America.

Passe partout

The fanciest-sounding of the lot, the French term "passe partout" is used as the standard name for the product across much of Europe. The phrase translates literally as "pass everywhere", a name borrowed from the master key that could open any door. In framing, it stuck for two good reasons: a standard mount allows a piece of art to fit into a variety of different-sized frames, and the border itself physically passes all the way around the edges of the artwork. With over 62,000 monthly searches the world over, it's by far the most-searched framing term globally.

The anatomy of a picture mount

Whatever you call it, the product itself has a few key characteristics worth understanding:

The board

Mount boards come in a range of qualities. Conservation-grade or "museum-quality" boards are acid-free and won't yellow or degrade over time — essential if you're framing something meant to last. Standard boards work fine for most decorative prints, but it's worth knowing the difference if you're selling fine art reproductions.

The bevel

Quality picture mounts are cut at an angle (usually 45°), creating a crisp diagonal edge around the window rather than a blunt cut. This is the mark of a well-made mount, and it makes a real visual difference.

The window

The aperture cut into the mount board is usually slightly smaller than the artwork itself — typically 3-5mm shorter on each side. This "overlap" holds the print in place and creates a clean edge, hiding any slight misalignments.

The colour

White and off-white mounts are classic for good reason — they work with almost everything. But coloured mounts can be used deliberately to pick up tones in the artwork, add contrast or create a more stylised look.

Double picture frame mounts

One technique that crops up a lot in professional framing is the double mount. This involves layering two mounts, with the bottom one slightly visible as a thin border around the window. It adds depth and a polished, gallery-like finish that makes prints look significantly more premium.

A note for print on demand wall art sellers

If you sell print on demand wall art — whether through Etsy, your own website or anywhere else — this terminology is worth keeping in mind. A customer in the US asking for a "matted print" and a customer in France asking for a print with a "passe partout" are both asking for the same thing: picture mounts. It's easy to get lost in translation, especially when you're handling customer messages across different markets.

The good news is that if you're using Prodigi to sell custom wall art, the mounting is handled as part of production. Our mount sizes scale with the frame: smaller frames up to 25x25cm come with a 2.5cm mount, mid-size frames up to 28x35cm come with a 3.8cm mount and anything from 30x40cm upwards comes with a 5cm mount. All mounts are cut from 2.4mm acid-free, conservation-grade card as standard.

One thing worth knowing when listing your products: the size listed for each frame refers to the size of the glaze, not the overall outer dimensions including the frame itself. So an A4 framed print means an A4 glazed area — the frame border sits outside that. It's a detail that can catch sellers out when writing product descriptions, so it's worth being clear with customers about what the listed size actually represents.

Explore picture mounts

How to order picture mounts with framed prints

Picture frame mounts are available on the following Prodigi framed print products:

• Classic framed prints — mount optional, multiple colours
• Box framed prints — mount optional, multiple colours
• Multi photo framed prints — mount optional, snow white only
• Instagram framed prints — mount included as standard, black or white

1. Find your product SKU prefix

Navigate to framed prints and select the relevant product page. You'll find the SKU prefix listed there — for example, classic framed prints use GLOBAL-CFP.

2. Copy and paste the SKU prefix into the dashboard

Log in to the Prodigi dashboard and paste the SKU prefix into the search bar. To add a mount, simply add an M after the prefix — for example, GLOBAL-CFP becomes GLOBAL-CFPM. Select your desired size and click 'Add to basket'.

3. Upload your artwork and choose your options

Once the product is in your basket, upload your artwork, then select your frame colour and — where applicable — your mount colour. Classic and box framed prints offer multiple mount colours, multi photo framed prints come in snow white only and Instagram framed prints come with a black or white mount as standard.

4. Add shipping details and complete your order

Fill in the delivery information and place your order. Prodigi handles the rest — your custom framed print will arrive ready to hang, with the mount cut and fitted to the correct size for the frame.

Place an order

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A small addition with big margin potential

Whether you call it a mount, a mat or a passe partout, the effect is the same: a cleaner, more considered presentation that makes artwork look significantly more premium. For print on demand sellers, picture mounts are one of the easiest ways to add perceived value to framed prints without adding much to the cost — and with Prodigi handling the cutting and fitting, it's one less thing to think about.

Ready to get started? Sign up for your free Prodigi account and get 50% off your first sample order today.