Picture Frame Mat Board: How to mat your photo 

When framing artwork or cherished photographs, the mat board serves more than just an aesthetic purpose—it protects and preserves. Choosing the right mat board can prevent fading, acid burn, and discoloration, ensuring your pieces remain as vibrant as the day you framed them.

Why Mat Board Matters

• Protection: Creates a barrier between the art and glazing to prevent moisture damage, scratches, and mold.
• Longevity: Acid- and lignin-free boards safeguard against yellowing and degradation over decades.
• Aesthetics: Provides visual breathing room and highlights the artwork without overwhelming it.

Key Terms Explained

Museum Grade

• 100% cotton throughout (surface, core, and backing)
• Naturally acid-free and lignin-free
• Available in buffered (alkaline reserve) or unbuffered options

Conservation Grade

• Made from alpha-cellulose (wood pulp) chemically treated with calcium carbonate
• Permanently neutralizes acids and removes lignin
• Surface papers use fade-resistant pigments that won’t bleed or transfer color

Advanced Protective Technologies

Some high-end boards incorporate microscopic chambers (often using zeolite minerals) that trap and neutralize airborne pollutants—extending the life of your artwork by preventing chemical degradation.

Quality Control in Mat Board Manufacturing

Raw Material Inspections

• Color accuracy (visual and spectrophotometer checks)
• pH and lignin content to confirm acidity levels
• Basis weight (density) and caliper (thickness)

In-Process Monitoring

• Online and offline inspectors review for surface blemishes or lamination issues
• Dimensional checks to ensure standard sheet sizes (e.g., ~32⅝″ × 40⅝″)

Finished Goods Assessments

• Cosmetics and aesthetics (no streaks, mottle, or contamination)
• Cut accuracy for precise dimensions
• Lamination strength and flatness (no warp or curl)
• Moisture content and back-printing (codemark) accuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “museum grade” mean?

Museum-grade mat boards are made entirely from 100% cotton fibers—surface, core, and backing. They are naturally acid- and lignin-free and may be buffered to add an alkaline reserve, protecting artwork against future acid formation.

What types of projects use museum-grade boards?

These boards are trusted by artists, historians, and framing professionals to preserve valuable art, historical documents, original photography, and any piece that must remain pristine for decades.

What does “conservation grade” mean?

Conservation-grade mat boards are made from alpha-cellulose (wood pulp) that has been chemically treated with calcium carbonate to remove acids and lignin permanently, ensuring long-term stability.

What types of projects use conservation-grade boards?

Ideal for limited edition prints, valuable documents, personal photographs, and art that requires archival protection without the higher cost of pure cotton boards.

Why use conservation-grade mat board?

Without archival-quality mat board, artwork and photographs can deteriorate—fading, discoloring, and becoming brittle. Conservation-grade boards ensure your pieces can be passed down through generations.

How do manufacturers ensure boards exceed conservation standards?

Strict vendor approvals, thorough incoming raw material tests, in-process inspections, and final quality checks guarantee each sheet meets or surpasses archival requirements before release.

What quality control inspections are performed?

Inspections cover color accuracy, pH and lignin content, basis weight, caliper, surface cosmetics, cut accuracy, lamination strength, flatness, moisture content, and back-printing verification.

What additional benefits do conservation-grade boards provide?

Standard finished sheet sizes (around 32″ × 40″) maximize yield, while rigorous testing for color drift, lamination integrity, bevel quality, dimensional accuracy, and lay-flat performance ensures exceptional consistency.