What kind of a mat should I use to collect signatures at a wedding?
With a signature mat, I recommended that you use a smooth-textured mat style (many mats are manufactured without the strong surface texture that could make writing awkward), and a ball-point pen such as the "gel" pens that are popular with scrap bookers. Sizing the mat appropriately is definitely an important concern. You will want to make the mat border much wider than you might normally for a photograph, especially if you have a large number of guests attending. I see these mats frequently cut with borders that are seven to nine inches in width, and even a photo as small as 8x10 may need a frame that is 20x24 or larger!
Another recommendation I have is to place the mat inside the frame, without the glass, when the guests are signing the mat. Since the lip of a frame will cover about 1/4" of the edge of its contents, if you place an unframed mat out to get signatures, some guests will invariably write to the edge of the mat, and this text is then covered when the item is framed! By having guests sign the mat within the frame, you prevent this from happening.
