In the picture framing industry, a mat is a thin, flat piece of paper that includes a base material in an image frame that is used as additional decoration and performs several other more practical functions.

Decoration

The picture frame mat is generally known to laymen because it can be used as an additional decoration to enhance the appearance of the frame, sometimes in combination with the rounded corners, and the wooden molded liner is used as a fabric. However, although mats are often considered to complement or set off the artwork for best results, some artists will consider it as part of the art. The mat can be decorated as a continuation of the artwork within the surface or can contain three dimensions, although the last two are very unusual.

While most mats are generally rectangular in shape with rectangular openings, in addition to the rather common oval elliptical mat design used with the elliptical frame, there are examples of very unusual mats of other shapes.

With few exceptions, the mat is made of paper. A reliable matboard manufacturer is equipped with fluent experience. For example, DY Matboard is a professional matboard manufacturer since 2003. Through 15 years of development, DY has built up a completely organizational structure including technique research, manufacture, marketing and after service departments. Main products cover uncut mat board, cardboard picture frame, custom cut mats for picture framing, V groove mat board, etc.

Since the mat is very thin, it can also be engraved with a design such as lettering or a simple image; since the engraving is mainly a small piece of the top decorative layer that cuts off the mat, this means that the engraved design will appear as the core color of the mat. (There are some examples of using sandpaper to punch the mat and reveal the core, or making the cut with the same result.) Most mats have a white core, a black core or a standard (cream) core, but some mats have a bright green , red, yellow or blue core.

Although most mats are generally rectangular in shape with rectangular openings, in addition to the rather common oval elliptical mat design used with elliptical frames, there are examples of very unusual mats of other shapes.

Protection

In the archive or protected picture frame, the mat has several important functions. One of the most important functions is to separate the glass from the mounted artwork or documents; this is very important because any condensate inside the glass will be transferred to the workpiece if it is not separated, causing water and other damages.

The photo should also be separated from the glass because the surface of the photo is particularly susceptible to damage and may even be separated from the base paper. If wet, it sticks to the glass; therefore, any valuable photo with frame should be patterned in such a way that the glass does not directly contact the photo. In addition, certain types of artwork, such as pastel or chalk pictures, can be easily applied and should, therefore, be separated from the glass.

There are two main types of pad materials: acidic and “acid-free” (neutral PH). Older mats (wooden paper) are usually acidic because the acid-free paper has not been widely available or sold until recently. While most newer mats are acid-free, some papers contain acid. If the required life of the parts being rubbed exceeds 75 – 100 years, the buyer should learn more about the acid content of the mat.

This difference is important for the long-term protection of the work because the acid mat causes the so-called mat to be corroded. Although the damage of the mat can sometimes be made reversible by cleaning the workpiece, cleaning may not be enough if the workpiece is applied with a water-soluble ink or paint such as watercolor. Therefore, it is important to know if the mat used is acid-free.

To determine the PH of an old mat with a white core, check to see if the core (where the mat has been cut) turns brown or yellow; if it is, it is acidic. If the core does not change color, the PH can be determined by using a PH tester. Adopting professional equipment, DY ensures acid-free materials.

Photo mat framing plays an important role, so we should choose a reliable manufacturer when purchasing. DY with sufficient experience will offer us all above.