When an artist pours their soul into a work, the finished piece MUST meet their expectations! Every aspect of the creative production must fulfill the main idea of the project and the way an artist will choose to frame their artwork is crucial. Depending on the medium you work in,
you may or may not choose to put a lot of thoughts into the way a photograph, print or a painting will be framed. One of the key elements in picture framing is choosing a correct mat for your artwork. Matboards or passe-partout have two main purposes: preventing an image from touching a glass and enhancing the visual appeal of the picture. But where do you start? Allow us to introduce you to several main matboard companies in North America that are waiting to help your creative wings spread.
Before exploring the most reliable matboard companies, let’s unwrap a few things you may need to know prior to your purchase.
There are four main types of matboards that most of the companies supply, which are:
Regular matboard: is made from wood pulp paper, but fully acid-neutralized
Conservation/Rag Mat: has a cotton core and an acid-neutralized wood pulp face paper
Museum Rag: is made entirely of cotton, with absolutely no lignin or acid
Black Core/White Core: is a regular mat with a black or white core. Black core is commonly desired with dark-color mat or very dark artworks, to avoid a white line around the art (created by the beveled edge).
Acid-free vs. Acid-neutral matboards
The majority of matboards you will find are pH neutral, meaning their ranking on the overall scale is a 7, just the same as pure water. If something has a pH ranking greater than seven it is considered an alkali, so less than that would be considered acidic.
Because a matboard with a ranking of 7 isn’t technically acidic, you may stumble across a term “acid-free” which technically refers to “acid-neutral.” Yet, sometimes you may find the term “acid-free” when it is, in fact, referencing a pH level greater than seven, which is a better reflection of what “acid-free” really means.
Shapes and Forms
In addition to many colors and patterns, mat boards also can come in different shapes.It does not have to be a perfect square or a rectangle, but can come in oval, circular and even custom-made forms. Multi-photo mats offer the advantage of displaying many images without requiring a lot of frames or holes in the wall. The multiple mat openings can be arranged in a variety of ways.That allows artists or photography enthusiasts to have a wider selection, when it comes to framing.
Thickness
A term that is worth remembering is “ply” which refers to the thickness of the matboard. The most common ones are: 4 ply, 6 ply and 8 ply (from 1/16” to ⅛”)
And now, let’s find out what companies are standing behind professionally made framing supplies!
One of the most famous and successful mat board companies is Peterboro Matboards Inc. Turner Brothers started their business, producing handmade watercolor paper and art paper in 1902. In 1924 Turner Brothers acquired Card and Paper Works Limited adding price cards, illustration and canvas boards, as well as matboards to its product range and in 1932 entered a Joint venture with National Card and Mat in California. In 1979 for the very first time, they officially reincorporated as Peterboro Cardboards Limited. For a while, Peterboro remained as a family business, however in 2001 a new management team set out to introduce brand new production techniques and improved quality control standards which allowed a company to keep developing and innovating to this day.
Peterboro Matboards Inc. has been a pioneer in Specialty Art and Framing materials since 1902. The company is considered to be one of only a handful of manufacturers world-wide that continues to produce a large line of matboard products. With constant innovations, cutting edge technology and quest quality standards industry-wide, Peterboro continues to keep at the forefront of matboard producers.
"The best matboard value in the world."
A simple statement that has truly become the driving force behind Peterboro today. The company's goal is to have the name Peterboro synonymous with value. This means no compromises in any aspect of what their customers expect from the mat boards they use.
As one of the most prestigious and widely recognized names in custom framing today, Nielsen Bainbridge is the flagship brand of the Nielsen Bainbridge Group. Now headquartered with its parent company in Wheeling, IL, Nielsen Bainbridge combines intensive research with the latest styles and trends to deliver a wide range of the highest quality framing products to the world’s professional framers and museums. Under its century-old Bainbridge brand, the company produces the most highly regarded offering of mat boards and foam boards, as well as graphics and illustration boards. Bainbridge offers a vast array of contemporary color options and styles, along with the highest quality materials for virtually any framing need. In 1995, Nielsen Bainbridge introduced Artcare™ technology to the framing industry, resulting in the first and only matting and mounting materials providing active protection to artwork from damaging airborne contaminants. Artcare technology has proven to provide the most advanced archival protection and is the preferred choice among many of the world’s most prestigious museums.In addition to its main markets in the U.S. and Germany, Nielsen Bainbridge picture framing products are sold through affiliated companies in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Japan, Denmark, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Poland. The company also exports products to many countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Spain.
Nielsen Bainbridge team is dedicated to providing only the best service and products which is why their slogan is “Nothing is too far in our effort to ensure that all of our products, activities and development reflect our commitment to integrity, community and the environment,” which resonates with their dedicated clients.
In 1902, the Ozmur family founded Crescent, which is now in its fifth generation of leadership and commitment to the company. Within 120 years of dedicated work, Crescent transformed from a small family business to an international corporation, supplying artists all over the world.
Crescent's team is very committed to the quality of their products which motivated them to continue innovating and developing new, on-trend items to meet the changing needs and interests of the talented artists that trust the company.
Their slogan is “Nothing is too far in our effort to ensure that all of our products, activities and development reflect our commitment to integrity, community and the environment,” which is why Crescent art and preservation materials have been selected for decades by students, hobbyists, and professionals alike.
Smaller Brands of matboards
Rising Museum Boards consist of 14 colors and manufactured with 100% cotton. The boards are acid-free, Neutral pH and buffered with calcium carbonate. Rising boards are sized for French matting and many artists use the boards for various fine art techniques such as drawing, charcoal, pastel, and silkscreening. One hundred percent rag is used to produce all Rising Museum Board. Acid Free Rising Board is made with a minimum pH of 7 and is acid-free. No alum is used in the entire papermaking process. The single ply sheets are laminated together using an inert adhesive that is 100% acid-free and archival. Only the finest pigments are used in the manufacturing process to ensure that all the colors will not bleed nor fade. The lightfast colors are solid throughout and are fixed into the fiber. Each run of Museum Board is matched to a stored color sample and controlled using computerized color measurement and trained color technicians. Rigid Quality Control & Consistency Rising Board is continuously tested during the manufacturing process by both computer and manual controls to ensure conformance to the TAPPI and ASTM specifications required by the archival community. Superior Cutting No other board cuts as precisely as Rising to produce an ultra-sharp and clean bevel. To ensure this quality all plys are from the same quality and caliper with consistent density throughout.
Berkshire matboard meets the continually evolving demand for creating framed wall décor with on trend style and sophistication that complements any art style. The Berkshire product line was specifically designed for the needs of the larger volume wall décor manufacturer. With over 300 vivid colors and richly printed patterns – a palette that provides unparalleled creative and design flexibility. Berkshire products meet the growing demand for matting with a style and sophistication that complements any artwork.Berkshire brings you the latest in style and design with the industry’s largest color palette, all backed by the quality of Crescent.
Hampton Matboards has been developed from 100 years of Matboard experience and expertise. This understanding has allowed the company to provide products specially designed for high-volume users at prices that remain globally competitive. Hampton is a cost effective choice for those who desire high-quality, clean results and a board that is easy to handle. Made with a buffered alkaline pH this sturdy board creates a crisp and smooth finish that lasts. Featuring even color coverage, Hampton Matboard is available in a range of popular mounting colors to match the look you're after. A great option for those larger jobs that require an efficient, reliable and affordable solution.
We proudly guarantee the quality of the matboards that we provide and integrate in our custom-framing services. Now that you have a better understanding of what matboards are, feel free to place your order online as early as today!
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