Most desk mats come in the “standard” sizes A4 or A3 but neither of these ever seem quite right for me. They’re either too small to properly accommodate my keyboard and mouse together, or too large and end up flapping over the edge of my desk, wasting unused space.
While opting for a custom-sized desk mat can help avoid these issues altogether, having your dimensions wrong means you’ll end up waiting weeks for a replacement that costs double the price.
Measuring your workspace accurately
First clear all items from the desk and measure all the available space – it may not be as large as you imagine and the mat won’t fit in any narrow gaps behind raised edges etc and also in cable management cut outs. Additionally, you must take account of any protruding drawer fronts that are larger than the front of the underlying storage.
I use a metal tape measure and find it to be much more accurate than using fabric lengths for measurement, as fabric can stretch and skew results. I also consider the overall size of my space and the locations of items such as monitor stands and desk lamps when deciding how to set up a layout.
How far do you plan to move your chair? If you tend to sit back towards bookshelves etc then you may want the mat to extend a couple of inches beyond the edge of the desk.
Account for desk hardware
Choosing the right computer floor mat is important, you need to consider how it will interact with any other cable management solutions you have, such as monitor arms, keyboard trays and cable organizers for power cords. This could mean that the base of a monitor arm sits through the mat, or that the mat is cut to size and doesn’t extend all the way to the edge of your desk. The same considerations go for your keyboard tray, some mats have even had special cut outs incorporated into them.
Make sure to take some measurements and note down the locations of cable ports, water bottle cage screws and other relevant details while looking at your current bike. You will have likely forgotten all these details by the time you actually get to place your order weeks later.
Usage requirements shape material choices
Heavy users of the mouse such as gamers require different performance from their mouse surface than light typists. Users requiring high accuracy such as designers or photographers also require high precision from their mouse surface and this is not achieved by slow movement across the surface. Heavy users require the same performance after several months of heavy use as they would have obtained on the first day out of the box. Many popular high end mouse mats feature a rubber base which provides ample traction for fast movement on most surfaces, but may leave unsightly marks on the surface, particularly on polished surfaces.
In between washing and wiping up residue can adhere to the glass surface because of its smoothness. But these mats actually stick a lot better than mat’s made with synthetic rubber – they’re made with Natural Rubber!
Cleanability. Some furniture comes with fabric covers that will absorb and hold any spills or stains until you wash them. Other items have a sealed surface that is far easier to clean and will withstand the odd dropped snack or drink no problem.
Edge finishing affects durability
We offer an optional additional cost service where we add stitched edges to your desk mat. We feel that with this feature your desk mat will last longer and look good for longer. The stitched edge means the material of the surface of the mat cannot delaminate from the fabric back. Our standard finish is heat-sealed edges. These look nice enough but cost less to make as they use less material than stitched edges and are prone to delamination over time.
In addition to changes to finger travel and repeated strokes, the edge thickness even receives some attention; the thick edges on the Mac Keyboard form an “uncomfortable ridge” for your wrists to rest against.
Design considerations beyond aesthetics
Dark colours are generally better for showing dusty debris and light colours better than medium colours. Black flooring can look very cool and modern, but it can get dirty very quickly, medium grays and browns are great at hiding wear but not as stylish as other options.
A light pattern on the screen is good for alignment. A very busy pattern is bad, however, because it interferes with on screen information and can also be annoying over long periods of time. You should also consider how your current lighting will interact with a chosen surface. A glossy surface will likely reflect both your desk lamps and the screen, whereas a matte black surface will scatter the light in all directions, and may not look as alive in a video call, but is otherwise a good choice.
Most tournament mousepads are made to standard sizes, but if those standard sizes don’t fit the bill then check out our custom size mousepad options to create a surface that’s optimized exactly to your needs.
Ordering specifications and lead times
Accurately measure all dimensions before placing an order. Most manufacturers have a no return policy on custom orders that contain errors. To avoid potential problems, it is recommended that you round DOWN all dimensions, rather than up. It is easier to work with a slightly small mat than with a slightly large one.
Production times are dependent on the manufacturer as well as the type and design of the mat. Simple mats with single color text or graphics can ship in about a week. Custom graphics, special colors or materials can add a few weeks to production time. Also, try to order your mats during a less busy time of year, i.e. not during the current holiday season or back-to-school season. These times can almost double production time.
Please take delivery time into consideration when purchasing your wall decal(s). Some Wall Decals have an Express Shipping option for an additional fee. The majority of our packages however are shipped via First Class Mail with an additional cost on top of the actual decal cost.
