It’s winter in Alberta. Therefore it is cold…or not, It’s windy… or not, and it’s snowing, or raining… or not. One thing that we can count on is that we are probably not getting a lot of sun, unless we succumb to the siren song of the southern latitudes. In which case I highly recommend the liberal application of Aloe Vera (have you noticed that the colours of our Canadian flag are an exact match for the tan lines of many Canadian tourists who have just tried to soak up six months of sunshine in a ten day beach vacation). The point of this narrative is that the days here are short and gray, but we have a remedy for the malady.

We at Wall Décor and More have just finished inventory and have found that our bins are full to bursting with mats! We have hundreds of mats in a rainbow of colours and we would like to share the wealth with our "Colour Your Winter" promotion.

For the month of February, on any full framing project we will include any of our in stock mats for FREE. That’s right, bring us that image or object that you have been waiting to frame and we will add a riot of colour at no extra charge. After all, wouldn’t you rather drift into that vivid holiday memory that’s hanging on the wall than stare out the window at another predictably unpredictable Alberta winter day. Hurry in, this offer ends February 28^th.    

The Framer's Wife

Blue. Ardent Blue? Flemish Blue?
Balmy Blue? FOG?!

The year was 2003.  The date was July 2. The time 9:30 am. The frame store was ready to open for business for the first time.  Ever.  But where was the framer?  How could I possibly unlock those doors and (gasp) let in customers?  Would I pick the right mat and frame combinations?  Would "Sam I Yam" orange matting work or should I go with "Electric Blue", or "Water Fall"….(yes these are actual mat names!  Whatever happened to blue, dark blue, light blue I’ll never know!)  Did I choose the right glass – and seriously who invented this many types of glass!  Would the Wizard automated mat cutter work for me?  

The Wizard Computer Mat Cutter
flying through its paces. 

So many questions that first morning, but I survived.  The Wizard decided to take off and cut a mat while spinning it and getting stuck and making the most horrific bull moose mating call ever!  But, I survived and cut another mat.  The framing orders did come in and I chose with the help of our amazing and patient customers, some great framing combinations, with all types of glass.  Did the ordering computer program cause mental breakdowns?  Well, of course it did!  Did I lose any hair?  Well maybe a little....But I survived!

Now… about that framer…well he was attending classes; studying and aspiring to be the best picture framer around!  It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since that first scary day and now when it is 9:30 and time for the store to open, if the framer is at a meeting I’m not afraid to greet the day and paint it and mat it and glass it and frame it……….

We have over 650 mat board samples to choose from.
That is 72 different shades of black or white and
72 different shades for each color of the rainbow!

This post by: Melina

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