Your mat serves so many purposes. It's there for decoration, for preservation , for design purposes, to add air circulation, and it can be a very creative part of the whole piece.
Why use acid free matting? At LLB, we only use acid free matting because I believe that if you are investing in a frame package, it should last and it should protect your art work. (For those of you who are really interested in the make up of cotton rag matting, please scroll on down, there is a whole section on it via Crescent Cardboard.) Here is a basic summary of choices:
Cotton Rag Matting - Alpha Cellulose Acid Free Matting - 8 and 6 ply matting - Fabric Matting (silk and linen) - Rice Paper Covered Matting - Glass Matting - French Matting - Suede Matting - Colored Core Matting -- and so much more!
Stop by and peruse our selection as well as our catalogues for inspiration.
Why use acid free matting? At LLB, we only use acid free matting because I believe that if you are investing in a frame package, it should last and it should protect your art work. (For those of you who are really interested in the make up of cotton rag matting, please scroll on down, there is a whole section on it via Crescent Cardboard.) Here is a basic summary of choices:
Cotton Rag Matting - Alpha Cellulose Acid Free Matting - 8 and 6 ply matting - Fabric Matting (silk and linen) - Rice Paper Covered Matting - Glass Matting - French Matting - Suede Matting - Colored Core Matting -- and so much more!
Stop by and peruse our selection as well as our catalogues for inspiration.
MAT DESIGN IDEAS:
When mats were first invented, they had two core functions. One was to provide an area for visual relief so the art could be viewed without the distraction of the nearby surroundings. Secondly, the depth of the mat also serves as a spacer to keep the glass from touching the face of the art.
In the past few decades mats have taken on a more decorative role. Since mats are now available... READ MORE.
VIA CRESCENT: The Rag Mat Story: Preserving the Tradition of Cotton. Why Cotton??
For centuries, cotton rag paper, prized for strength, purity and stability, has been the choice of artists, composers, writers and printers. Today it is specified for currency, stock certificates and government documents.
Cotton rag matboard was designed specifically for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the late 1920s. Today, virtually all museums and libraries rely on cotton rag matboard, often referred to as museum board.
Crescent’s entire line of cotton RagMat, the industry’s most trusted brand of cotton rag matboard, is still produced following the time-honored practice of making paper from cotton fiber. It’s a Crescent tradition that continues to stand the test of time.
Cotton RagMat is Pure
Cotton is nature’s purest form of cellulose. It is inherently free of lignin, acid and other non-cellulose contaminants found in wood pulp. Cotton fiber pulp is reliable, sturdy and far superior to bleached, chemically processed wood pulp used to produce other conservation boards.
Cotton has a natural, lasting brightness that does not require the high level of bleaching agents typically used to whiten chemically processed wood pulp boards.
Cotton RagMat is Natural
Cotton fiber is naturally free of lignin and acids. It contains no alum and no harsh chemicals. RagMat Museum Solids, RagMat Solids and RagMat meet all of the stringent standards of conservation professionals.
A simple product and a simple process: cotton, water, a calcium carbonate buffer (the only additive approved by the Library of Congress), and hydrogen peroxide to even out the natural color… that’s the recipe for our RagMat products.
Cotton RagMat is Strong
The long flat fibers of natural cotton pulp intertwine, creating a strong, resilient matboard, more durable than bleached chemical wood pulp fiber. Less processing of pure cotton cellulose results in a stronger product and less damage to the environment.
RagMat Museum Solids, RagMat Solids, and the core and backing of RagMat are all made from 100% virgin cotton linter pulp. This assures unequaled cleanliness and purity.
Cotton RagMat is Colorful
Only the finest pigments are used to create the colors of our RagMat products. All of these colorants are designed to meet the highest levels of conservation standards. They are bleed resistant so that no color leaches onto the artwork. They provide maximum fade resistance, meeting the most stringent requirements for light-fastness. They are designed for consistency, avoiding color shifts within a production run.
Although Crescent RagMat products are subjected to strenuous laboratory testing subsequent to manufacture, they have naturally met the toughest test of all: time. RagMat’s properties faithfully adhere to the requirements on conservators in museums and libraries throughout the world.
When mats were first invented, they had two core functions. One was to provide an area for visual relief so the art could be viewed without the distraction of the nearby surroundings. Secondly, the depth of the mat also serves as a spacer to keep the glass from touching the face of the art.
In the past few decades mats have taken on a more decorative role. Since mats are now available... READ MORE.
VIA CRESCENT: The Rag Mat Story: Preserving the Tradition of Cotton. Why Cotton??
For centuries, cotton rag paper, prized for strength, purity and stability, has been the choice of artists, composers, writers and printers. Today it is specified for currency, stock certificates and government documents.
Cotton rag matboard was designed specifically for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the late 1920s. Today, virtually all museums and libraries rely on cotton rag matboard, often referred to as museum board.
Crescent’s entire line of cotton RagMat, the industry’s most trusted brand of cotton rag matboard, is still produced following the time-honored practice of making paper from cotton fiber. It’s a Crescent tradition that continues to stand the test of time.
Cotton RagMat is Pure
Cotton is nature’s purest form of cellulose. It is inherently free of lignin, acid and other non-cellulose contaminants found in wood pulp. Cotton fiber pulp is reliable, sturdy and far superior to bleached, chemically processed wood pulp used to produce other conservation boards.
Cotton has a natural, lasting brightness that does not require the high level of bleaching agents typically used to whiten chemically processed wood pulp boards.
Cotton RagMat is Natural
Cotton fiber is naturally free of lignin and acids. It contains no alum and no harsh chemicals. RagMat Museum Solids, RagMat Solids and RagMat meet all of the stringent standards of conservation professionals.
A simple product and a simple process: cotton, water, a calcium carbonate buffer (the only additive approved by the Library of Congress), and hydrogen peroxide to even out the natural color… that’s the recipe for our RagMat products.
Cotton RagMat is Strong
The long flat fibers of natural cotton pulp intertwine, creating a strong, resilient matboard, more durable than bleached chemical wood pulp fiber. Less processing of pure cotton cellulose results in a stronger product and less damage to the environment.
RagMat Museum Solids, RagMat Solids, and the core and backing of RagMat are all made from 100% virgin cotton linter pulp. This assures unequaled cleanliness and purity.
Cotton RagMat is Colorful
Only the finest pigments are used to create the colors of our RagMat products. All of these colorants are designed to meet the highest levels of conservation standards. They are bleed resistant so that no color leaches onto the artwork. They provide maximum fade resistance, meeting the most stringent requirements for light-fastness. They are designed for consistency, avoiding color shifts within a production run.
Although Crescent RagMat products are subjected to strenuous laboratory testing subsequent to manufacture, they have naturally met the toughest test of all: time. RagMat’s properties faithfully adhere to the requirements on conservators in museums and libraries throughout the world.
Copyright La Linea Bella ! Fantastic Framing & Art 2014, all rights reserved.
