Know Your Framing: Mat Board

The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of mat board is: “What colour(s) should I use?” This is a very important question, but there is an even more important issue looming in the background, and that is “What KIND of mat board should I use?” With this question, we refer to the actual content and make-up of the board. Have you ever wondered what those boards are actually made of? The quick answer is, “Why, paper, of course!” This is true; many mat boards are made of wood pulp, but there is more to it than that. Wood pulp, or cellulose, is a naturally acidic material and can cause fading and other damage to artwork. Mats made of wood pulp must be  coated or chemically treated to remove the acidity. This is referred to as “buffering” and it is a relatively new process in the framing world. Take a look around your house for older framed pieces. Look carefully at the beveled edge around the image. Is it white or has it turned yellow or orange? 

Acidic mat boards showing their true colours. 

This image has three mat board layers. The middle bevel is still white and crisp, while the layers above and below it have both turned yellow with time. This is a quick indication that the middle mat board is Acid Free, while the other two are not. When these mats are removed from the image, the paper underneath will vary in colour from where the mat has been in contact and where it has not. 

Alpharag - 100% Cotton Mat Board from Bainbridge

1. 100% Cotton
The mat board of the highest conservation value is made of 100% cotton.  Cotton is naturally acid free and provides the best protection over time. (The Egyptians used cotton for preservation.) Cotton mats are generally more expensive than other acid free mat boards and are limited in colour to a few shades of white, but will provide the greatest longevity for your images. 

100% Cotton Core with Buffered Surface Paper from Crescent.

2.Cotton Core, Buffered Surface Paper
Because 100% Cotton mat boards have a very limited colour selection, buffered mats are a great option for adding colour to your framing without compromising on conservation standards. Buffering wood pulp is the most common method of creating acid free board. These boards, however, are not created equal. The highest conservation value in a dyed mat board contains a cotton core and a buffered surface paper. This allows a dyed paper to be visible and complement the image, while retaining a high conservation material as the contact layer. This type of mat board is perfect for protecting high value items, such a limited edition prints, or original artwork, while still allowing your style to show through with your colour choices. 

3. Buffered Cellulose Core 

Artique: Buffered Cellulose from Larson Juhl

The last type of Acid Free mat board contains a cellulose/wood pulp core, buffered to an appropriate pH level, as well as buffered surface paper. This is the lowest conservation value and is  great for posters and other “lower value” framing projects that you want to protect, but which do not require the utmost protection. 








This post by: Megan

Edit: Originally Posted on September 10, 2013

Shadowboxes: Fragile Clothing

Last week we showed you how we preserved a 100 year old drawing. Paper isn't the only thing that you can showcase in a great frame. We often frame clothing such as hockey jerseys and boxing robes. These pieces are quite durable, but some materials can be just as fragile as paper and are just as susceptible to damage from light and other materials within the frame. A shadow box is a great way to preserve your precious items that would otherwise hide away in closets and cardboard boxes. For this project, we were asked to frame a piece of clothing; a baby's coat, also dated at over 100 years old. The item is a treasured family possession and of high sentimental value. From the outside, this is a simple shadow box. There is only one mat opening and only one item. There were, however, many factors to consider when assembling this project. 

1. Fragility
For most items of clothing, like a hockey jersey, we simply sew the fabric down to the mat board and it hangs in place. For fragile items, the framing should make as little impact as possible on the item. To make as few stitches as possible and to reduce the pull of gravity on those stitches, a sloped support for the mat board was made and attached to the inside of the frame. This slope causes the coat to lie back just slightly in the frame and reduces the vertical pull on the stitches holding it in place. 

2. Acidity:
Mat board is available in two materials – cotton and wood pulp. Cotton mats are naturally acid free and are of the highest conservation value. Cellulose (wood pulp) products carry a natural acidic value and contact with such materials can cause fading or damage to paper and fragile items. Because of this, these mats are coated or chemically treated to remove the acidity. For this project, the coat is mounted to a cotton core mat with alkaline buffered surface paper.

Frame: Wood inherently carries an acidity that can “gas off” into the frame over time. For the majority of framing setups, this is not a concern. However, to protect fragile items, the inside edge of the frame is sealed with a specialized Frame Sealing Tape.

3. UV Protection
UV Rays can cause fading in nearly all materials over time. Regular glass will block 48% of UV light rays. Conservation grade glass will block 97-99% of UV Rays. Both of these glazing options are available in clear and non-glare options. Non-glare glass is never recommended for a shadow box as any distance between the subject and the glass of more than 2-3 mat board layers will cause the contents to look foggy. The ideal glass for optimum protection and clarity is Museum glass. Museum glass blocks 99% of UV rays and has the highest colour neutrality. Its specialized optical coating allows light to transmit through the glass rather than bouncing off. This reduces glare much more effectively than traditional non glare glass, without the "foggy" effect. The photograph below was taken with the glass on the frame and it appears nearly invisible. 

This combination of conservation mats, mounting and glass will protect this piece and keep it looking great for years to come! 

This post by: Megan 

Edit: Originally posted on August 20, 2013

Conservation Framing: Double Glass and Photo Restoration

100 Year Old Original

This drawing is over 100 years old and is stained and torn. Old paper is very fragile and vulnerable to light, which can cause fading over time. The recommended method of preserving such artwork is to frame it using conservation grade glass, which blocks 99% of UV light, and to store it in the dark. This method is not exactly ideal if you want to show off your precious keepsakes!

To protect this piece, a digital copy was made and restored using Photoshop.  

The duplicate is framed in the usual manner in the front of the frame. Complementary coloured, acid free mat boards were selected for the restored image. A  white 100% cotton mat is placed on the original, which is placed in the same frame, in reverse order, facing the wall. No adhesives were used on the artwork. A piece of Mylar film, held in place by the mat board, suspends the image against the acid free foam core backing. UV glass was offered, but as the original will be facing the wall, away from UV rays, the customer opted for regular clear, which blocks 48% of UV light. 

Framing Layers, top to bottom:

Glass, buffered acid free mat board, duplicate image, acid free foam core,original image, Mylar film, 100% cotton mat board, glass, and a final piece of cotton mat board to protect the glass from the framer's points.

 The final piece hangs from Wall Buddies instead of wire, which protect the back glass from scratching and provide added stability on the wall. This method was the perfect solution for our customer to showcase a treasured piece of family history and preserve it for future generations. 

This post by: Megan 

Edit: Originally posted on August 8, 2013