What Kind Of Mat Boarding Can Be Used In Wooden Photo Frames

There’s more to your wooden photo frames than simply that frame — there is also the mat board, upon which your picture will sit. As always, there are pros and cons to any of the three mat board types you can pick. By looking a little deeper into each, you can decide which one will perform best.

Acidic Pulp: Paper Matboard

Paper matboard can be troublesome due to its high acid content, which is unavoidable with a matboard made from wood pulp. Many companies will insist their paper matboard is acid free, but this is not true because any quantity of wood pulp is inherently heavy with acid. Some companies will buffer their wood pulp so as to reduce the acid levels, but rest assured that in as few as five years, your paper matboard’s acid levels will revive and damage your painting, which means these types of boards are for temporary use only.

The best part about paper matboard is its low price.

Permanency For A Price: Cotton Rag Matboard

If you’re looking for something to keep great paintings perfect for the long haul, then cotton rag is what you need. The colors of the matboard are limited due to being acid and lignin free, but this is also what keeps the pH levels so low. Cotton rag matboard is essentially a bunch of layered cotton boards, which creates a nice and thick base, and since it’s dyed it looks like one piece.

The problem with cotton rag matboard is its expensive price tag. For much less than a single cotton rag, you could pick up two paper matboards. The question you have to answer is whether you want something that will be permanent or something that will ruin itself in a few years.

Wood Fiber Crafted: Alpha Cellulose Matboard

Matboarding of the alpha cellulose variety features wooden fibers which are doused with chemicals that will lower acid levels to safe quantities. The matboards themselves are nicely stable, and work great for archiving those paintings you need to keep permanently.

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.

Identifying What You Need

It’s time to consider how much money you’re willing to spend to preserve the art you own. If you’re displaying art from a budget store, it’s understandable that you go with a paper matboard for the cheap price tag.

For your more important pieces, though, it’s definitely worth the extra money to store your beautiful paintings for long term viewing. That extra cash will pay for itself by protecting the stuff you want to look at forever: the art that inspires you to dream on a daily basis.

For centuries, art buffs and painters have turned to wooden photo frames to showcase their best pieces. Elegant, beautiful — 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 buy from trusted web sources to ensure the quality you desire.