Archival Mat Board and Fine Art Framing

Museums must be aware of the latest technological advances that have been invented to protect their valuable fine art pieces. Much has been achieved in terms of framing products available today, not only to museums, but also to fine art galleries, artists, and those who love to showcase fine artwork in their homes or offices. Archival mat board is one such product, and this special mat board boasts several features that make it distinctly useful for framing fine art photographs and paintings.

Mat board is available as pre cut mat board or as uncut mat board. Pre cut mat board, as the name implies, means that the opening inside of which the artwork is seen is already cut out for you. Uncut photo mat board are solid sheets of mat, which you can cut yourself, or use for other types of craft projects.

Pre cut mat board is used for framing fine art photographs and paintings for a variety of reasons. First, the mat board offers additional depth to the artwork inside the frame, and this prevents the glazing from touching the surface of the artwork. If moisture were to collect inside the frame on the acrylic or glass glazing, it would then be likely to drip down onto the surface of the art, which can cause considerable damage to the piece. Photo mat board also helps to provide a wide edge to the fine art photographs, which helps to draw the viewer's eyes to the center of the frame where the artwork rests. Both paper and archival mat board is also used to help hold the artwork securely in place inside the frame, so that it does not become wrinkled.

Archival mat board, such as Bainbridge mat board, is used when the artwork is valuable and the curator wants to make sure that no harmful components come into contact with the artwork inside the frame. Wood products, including paper, contain lignins, which are acids that can damage the surface of the artwork. Bainbridge mat board and other types of conservation-quality mats are constructed from acid-free products, in order to protect the art from harm.

Mat comes in dozens of different sizes and colors. Paper matting has the largest selection of colors available, and is the least expensive type of mat, but it is suitable only for temporary framing of artwork. Museum-quality mat offers the most protection to the artwork, comes in classic shades and also carries the mat color straight through to the core of the mat, so only a single color appears on the edge.

Visit a fine art photography framing supplier online for further information about these types of framing products.

Susan Slobac is a consultant in the framing industry. Susan writes about trends in archival mat board & Bainbridge mat board.