Mat Board

Conservation Matboard:

Why conservation Mat Board is the best choice for your art.

Matting serves several purposes in the frame package. First, it separates the art from the glass, preventing transfer of your work to the glass surface. Always use acid-free mat board, as it rests directly against your work.

There are several lines of mat board to choose from which are either rag (100% cotton) or treated alpha-cellulose. Rag mat board is the best choice, as cotton is “born” acid-free and has a proven record of stability. There are cotton documents and artwork which remain in good condition after a century or more due to their inherent neutral PH. Nielsen/Bainbridge’s Alpharag Artcare line of mat And Crescent Rag boards are both manufactured from 100% cotton. However,  treated alpa-cellulose is a good second choice. Larson- Juhl’s Artique line, and Nielsen/Bainbridge’s AlphaMat Artcare line of mat boards are all manufactured from alpha-cellulose fibers treated to be acid-free. For centuries, cotton rag paper, prized for strength, purity and stability, has been the choice of artists, composers, writers and printers. Today it is specified for currency, stock certificates and government documents.

Cotton rag matboard was designed specifically for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the late 1920s. Today, virtually all museums and libraries rely on cotton rag matboard, often referred to as museum board.

Cotton is nature's purest form of cellulose. It is inherently free of lignin, acid and other non-cellulose contaminants found in wood pulp. Cotton fiber pulp is reliable, sturdy and far superior to bleached, chemically processed wood pulp used to produce other conservation boards.

Cotton fiber is naturally free of lignin and acids. It contains no alum and no harsh chemicals. RagMat Museum Solids, RagMat Solids and RagMat meet all of the stringent standards of conservation professionals.

A simple product and a simple process: cotton, water, a calcium carbonate buffer (the only additive approved by the Library of Congress), and hydrogen peroxide to even out the natural color... that's the recipe for our RagMat products. 

• » Acid Free and Lignin Free

• » Alkaline pH Buffered

• » Smooth, Pristine Bevels

• » Consistent Colors

• » Bleed and Fade Resistant

• » Meets F.A.C.T.S. Guideline for conservation

• » Alpha-cellulose 

•  

• *Due to variations in computer monitors, mat board thumbnails are not exact representations of the physical product appearance.