12/23/10 Product Info's Tip of the Week: Breaking Down Matboards

[Blick Art Materials]

Breaking Down Matboards

Choosing the color of matboard is the fun part, as it accents the work and brings out understated colors in the painting. But what about selecting the grade of board? Many matboards look virtually identical from one another, but there are key differences amongst the quality tiers that can have lasting impact on the work. Regular Surface Decorative Matboard offers the widest color selection, but because the colored surface paper isn’t acid-free, the paper will fade over time and may migrate to the artwork long term.
Select Matboard is a happy medium. While it’s manufactured comparably to the Regular Matboard, the acids and lignins have been removed from the wood pulp, leaving no worries for deterioration.
RagMat Matboard is the cream of the crop. It offers completely archival (acid-free and lignin-free) components, as it is made out of 100% cotton rag. Colors are more limited, but they will not fade or discolor, nor do they pose a threat to artwork that’s got to last.

Which To Choose?
While the choice is yours, consider how long you want the piece to last, whom you’re giving it to or if it’s a commission piece. If it’s for a poster print, then most likely the Regular Matboard will suffice. Artwork that you want to display or sell at a local level would be trimmed well with the Select Matboard. And work for serious commission work or conservation work is best preserved with the RagMat series.

FAQs:
Which white is a true white?
The truest or blue cast white in our inventory would be the Very White. All other whites will have a slight cream or warm cast. Very White mimics the tonality of copy paper white.

Merry Christmas!

-Kristal F.
Product Information Specialist


For further assistance using art supplies, feel welcome to contact our Product Information Department at
1-800-933-2542 or e-mail us at info@dickblick.com. Hours of operation: M-F, 8:00am-5:30pm CST.