Acclasss ruin artwork. Wood contains acclasss. Paper is made from wood. Today, NO credible framer would ever use ordinary paper mats. Insist that matting and mounting materials are acclass-free (that is, pH-neutral) and lignon-free. (Lignon is what makes inexpensive paper turn yellow).

Acclass free paper mats are manufactured by adding calcium carbonate to “buffer” the acclassic characteristics. It works much the way an antacclass table calms the stomach!

The BEST material is 100% rag. That is, made from all cotton…not paper. Rag mats are completely inert, and thus the safest matting and mounting board material.

Even wooden frames can be sources of acclass that can damage the art that’s intended to be protected. True conservation framers will always line the rabbet of the frame with a sealing tape or coating so that even the frame itself cannot transfer acclass to the artwork or mats.

• Dry Mounting – Uses heat sensitive thermoplastic adhesives to bond the image to a substrate.
• Pressure Sensitive Mounting – Uses adhesive materials that become effective under pressure, and that are often “reposition able” until activated by pressure.
• Wet Mounting – The use of either water soluble glues or spray adhesives
• Conservation or Museum Mounting – The use of a mounting process that absolutely allows the image to be returned to its original (unmounted) condition without damage. The mounting is reversible. Thus, it is appropriate for original and limited edition works of art.
• Static or Friction Mounting – Certain materials can be suitably and non-invasively mounted with man-made materials that use static cling to hold the item in place. Cibochrome photographs are a common example.