Mat Boards Are More Than Just A Pretty Color!
Mats aren’t just for looks! They serve the practical
function of protecting artwork. Mats should be used on all forms of
paper art, prints and photographs. Mats are necessary to keep the artwork
separated from the glass in the frame so that the two never touch. There
are not only many colors of mats but many different kinds. Rag mats,
regular mats, white cores, black cores, fabric covered mats. There are
even specialty mats which come in unbelievable styles.
The mat is the board that surrounds much of the art being
framed today. One of the most obvious reasons for the use of mats is
because they bring out the colors in the art. Mats also draw the eye
toward the art. There are hundreds of creative designs that can be done
to mats to make the framed artwork appear more elegant. Most art on
paper is framed using a mat, not only for beauty but also to protect
the art. First, let’s look at what a mat is, then what does a mat
do, and are mats just for looks.
WHAT IS A MAT?
There are in common use today three different types of
mat boards. Paper mats, Alfa Mats, and Rag mats. All these mats come
in hundreds of colors. All three types have the same colors, for the
most part. Paper mats have been around the longest so there is a slightly
larger choice of colors for these, but rag mats and others are quickly
catching up.
PAPER MATS
Paper mats are made from paper pulp. These mats are the
most inexpensive mats available. They are fine for use on cheap artwork,
which can easily be replaced or art that has very little value at all.
Paper mats are also know by the name, "Regular Mat Boards."
Paper mats have a lot of acid in them. This eventually causes the cut
edges of the mat to turn brown. The acid will find its way into the
art and also cause that to turn brown. This of course will ruin the
art as the acid eats into it. Usually the edges of the art that are
hidden just under the edges of the mat will be attacked first. Much
art is ruined this way before the owners even discover what is happening.
It is easy to tell if paper mats have been used on a piece
of art. Look at the cut beveled edge of the mat where it meets the art.
If the cut edge is not pure white, it probably is a paper mat, as rag
mats and alpha mats are pure white. Collectors of fine art can spot
a paper mat a long way off and many times will not buy any framed art
that has been framed using such mats. Anyone can learn to spot this
kind of mat very quickly. These mats are in very common use today. They
are used on almost all the framed art you see in department stores,
and by many artists framing their own work. They are cheaper. You pay
for what you get, always!
Even children’s art does not have to be framed using
paper mats. For just a few dollars more, the owner could have used rag
mat. It would have been appreciated 30 years later when the child was
grown. Think about it, even Pablo Picasso must have produced tons of
drawings when he was a child. If you have some of his around and don’t
want it, send it to me!Grignon’s Art & Frame uses ONLY Rag
Mat on every piece of art we frame for customers of this web site. Every
piece of Art for sale at this web site has been framed using the best
Rag Mat! We are very concerned that our customers receive on the very
best materials available.
ALFA MATS
Alfa Mats are paper mats that have been much more highly
purified. The acid in the mats has been neutralized using buffering
agents. The manufacturers of these mats claim that these mats never
hurt your art. The cut edges of the mats are pure white and stay that
way. Many times these mats are called acid free mats, which is not exactly
true. The acid is still there but has been neutralized by the buffering
agents.
These mats come in many of the same sizes and colors as
rag mats, but are made by a different company than the maker of rag
mats. Most frame shops start with one company or the other and build
up quite an inventory of mats. Due to this, most frame shops tend to
stick to one company for most of its mat needs. These are very good
mats, but we do not feel they are quite as good as true rag mats.
RAG MATS
Quite a number of years ago museum curators asked Crescent
Cardboard Company to produce mat boards that would not harm art in any
way for any duration of time. The museum curators were disturbed by
the damage that was being done to their works of art, by paper mats.
Crescent
Cardboard Company started producing mats using pure cotton. The mats
have no acid, are pure white inside, and the cut edges always stay pure
white. This mat is the absolute finest mat board available today and
is still used by the majority of the world’s museums. These mats
come with an outer covering that is available in just about any color
you could ever desire. In fact Crescent has recently just released thirty-five
new colors in its rag mat line. These mats are considered the best mats
available today by many custom framers and museums.
Grignon’s Art & Frame uses ONLY Rag Mats on every
piece of art we frame for customers of this web site. Every piece of
Art for sale at this web site has been framed using Rag Mat.
ARE MATS JUST FOR LOOKS?
Mats aren’t just for looks! They serve the practical
function of protecting artwork. Mats should be used on all forms of
paper art, prints and photographs. Mats are necessary to keep the artwork
separated from the glass in the frame so that the two never touch. Without
a mat, works of art may stick to the glass, which would eventually ruin
the art. Moisture can condense inside a frame just as it does in a car
on a cold morning. Usually not so bad as to be even noticeable until
someday the art is ruined. Photographic emulsions can also soften with
time and heat and stick to the glass and be ruined. Photographs also
expand and contract a lot due to temperature variations in a room. If
the photograph has been placed next to the glass without a mat it can
be ruined. Have you ever taken a really nice glossy photo, and framed
it using a department store frame without a mat? Go get that piece and
take it out of the frame. If its been there a year or more, I am sure
you will fine small scratches all over it that weren’t there when
you put it in the frame. These are due to the expansion and contraction
of the photograph while pressed next to the glass. All photographs and
works of art should never be allowed to touch the glass covering them.
The best and easiest way to accomplish this is to use a mat!
Mats also add greatly to the beauty of a custom framed
picture. Two or more mats can be combined to create distinctive designs.
Beautiful V-grooves can be cut into the mats to enhance them. French
lines and panels can be added.
At
Grignon's Art and Frame we choose mat colors that compliment the art.
With the hundreds of colors available we pick mats that make the art
come alive. Many galleries use only white mats on their art. This is
a very contemporary look which is fine, but we find colored mats that
compliment the art is what many people are looking for. Even black and
white works of art deserve proper matting and framing.
Mats add depth and realism to artwork. They take a one-dimensional
picture and make it appear to have three dimensions. Two mats nearly
always look better than one mat. A V-groove adds even more appeal.
Mats add width and height to a picture. To look great
the art needs the space around the image that the mat supplies. Also
your eyes need a place to focus without being distracted by the wall
behind the picture and the frame. If you ever have a chance to compare
two identical pictures, one beautifully matted and framed next to an
un-matted picture you will quickly see the difference.
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