The mat board is the piece of your wooden photo frames that will support your picture. It’s important to look at the good and bad sides of each of the three mat board types you can choose. By looking deeply into each, you can begin to determine which mat board will be right for you.
Problematic But Cheap: Paper Matboard
Essentially crafted from wood pulp, paper matboard is well known for its acidic traits. Though some companies say they are acid free, this is not actually true — if there is wood pulp involved, there will naturally be acid. What companies mean when they say this is that they’ve buffered the pulp so the acid level is less on the surface, but in five years or so that acid count will bounce back and damage your picture — paper matboard is really only good to store things on a temporary basis.
On the positive side, paper matboard is also cheap.
Archiving With Cost: Cotton Rag Matboard
Cotton rag matboarding is purified and perfect for keeping your paintings fresh and stunning for years and years. It is free of acid and lignin, which limits your color selection for the matboard but also means there will be no damage to your painting over time. Created with a series of cotton board layered over one another for a thick base, this matboard is dyed for a uniform appearance.
The trouble is that cotton rag is by no means cheap. You could buy two paper matboards for less than the price of a single cotton rag. If you’re looking to house paintings permanently, the price should be a welcome trade for the security of your precious art pieces.
A Happy Medium: Alpha Cellulose Matboard
This matboard is made from wooden fibers and acid free thanks to chemical treatments so you don’t have to worry about it being simply buffered. This allows for a much more stable matboard that will keep your nicest paintings pure and like new.
The price is manageable as well, which makes this matboard a nice choice for those not wanting to spend too much money, but willing to blow enough to keep their materials safe for the foreseeable future.
Using This Information
How important is keeping a low price when it comes to the safety of your art? It’s perfectly acceptable to go cheap and pick up a paper matboard for art you’re not crazy about, or paintings you can see yourself getting rid of in a few years.
If you’re instead looking to keep great pieces of art looking great for your lifetime, and possibly more, then it is without question worth the additional money to archive your paintings. You’ll be able to make more money, but once that piece of art is damaged, it’s gone for good.
For centuries, art buffs and painters have turned to wooden photo frames to showcase their best pieces. Classy, elegant — these are both words that have become synonymous with these great items. Purchase a personalized photo frame and see for yourself what it can do for your gallery. Always purchase from realiable sites to ensure the quality you desire.
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