The term ‘museum quality’ refers to the materials and techniques used in framing work for long term preservation regardless of condition or value.
It is the standard museums employ when matting, mounting and glazing works of art for display.
For more information and a quote on your framing project, send us an email
Mats are used to secure the art in the frame and prevent the glass or acrylic from touching it .They are manufactured in 4ply, 8ply and 12ply. The thicker the board, the deeper the bevel on the mat.
Matboard is also used when hinging or ‘floating’ art onto a backing board. With this method, the edges of the art are visible. The art is attached directly to the matboard or can be ‘lifted’ using another board underneath it. A ‘lift’ creates a shadow effect around the piece of art. Spacers made from matboard strips line the inside lip of the frame to keep the glass or acrylic forward in the frame.
Silk or linen can be wrapped to a matboard with the art ‘floating’ or with a window opening. Fabric mats are often used on antique prints to complement the aged quality of the paper.
Our mats are made from Rising 100% cotton museum board. While it is difficult to measure the effects of aging on paper, we do know many important documents and works of art that have survived throughout the centuries are made from cotton rag papers. legionpaper.com
It is important that the materials used to mount or attach works are reversible. We use Japanese paper hinges and wheat paste or paper/mylar corners to attach most works on paper.
Using the proper materials and techniques is integral for long term preservation. Spray adhesives and non-archival tapes can cause significant damage to works on paper.
Large format works particularly photographs should to be mounted onto substrates such as dibond, sintra or museum board.
Because photographs are printed on a variety of papers using different inks and printing techniques, choosing the right material is important to get the best result. Special adhesives and presses are required to mount oversized works.
We recommend using a uv filtering glass or acrylic to prevent fading for all works on paper especially pastels, watercolors and color photographs. Ultraviolet, incandescent, led and fluorescent light can cause works to deteriorate over time when framed in clear non-uv glass.
UV glass and uv acrylic (OP3) will filter about 90% of light. However, it is always a good idea to hang pictures in spaces where they won’t be exposed to direct sunlight. acrylite.com and groglass.com
Acrylic (plexiglas/perspex) won’t break and shatter on impact. It is preferred over glass for high value, over-sized or art that will be shipped. Acrylic is used more often in areas prone to earthquakes.
For the very best in clarity, we recommend Museum Glass or Optium Museum Acrylic. Both are clear, non-reflective and uv filtering. tru-vue.com Water-white museum glass manufactured in Europe is 90% uv filtering, 98% light transmitting and scratch-resistant. groglass.com.