Software for Efficient Mat Cutting

[Artist_by_Accident]

This is the first time I've posted here and, in fact, really didn't know it existed! I tried a search to find an answer to my question but didn't come up with anything so I hope someone can help.

Several years ago, someone in an art forum I belonged to offered a little free computer program for laying out mats efficiently from a piece of mat board. You put in the size of the mat board, how many mats you needed of certain sizes and the software would calculate the most cost effective way to cut them and would also show what size mats could be cut from any leftover board.

It was very helpful but I've since changed computers and lost the program (plus, it may not work with the latest operating systems).

Does anyone know of a similar program that is free or priced for the non-professional who occasionally cuts mats?

Thanks for any help you can offer,
AbA

[Steve Collins]

We use Frameready at our shop, but I've had good results in the past with ezFramer. They have a free version and two others at different price/feature points: http://www.ezframer.com/products.htm

I don't know of anything else worth considering in that price range.

[Artist_by_Accident]

Thanks so much for the help, Steve. I just looked at the link you gave and that has waaaay more features than I was expecting! lol I think the software program I had was written by a fellow artist and was very, very basic & easy & I was hoping to find something along the same lines.

Will look at the information on your link and see if it will work for me.

Thanks so much again for responding, I do appreciate it. I was given some links for cutting panels (for the woodworking industry) and even the most simple of those had more features than I would ever need. But I guess I don't have to use every feature, right?

AbA

[Steve Collins]

Exactly. If it's free, you can't say you're paying for stuff you're not using.