Other Materials

  • Mountboard Mountboards are used not only to enhance the beauty of a piece of work, but also to prevent the...

    Mountboard

    Mountboards are used not only to enhance the beauty of a piece of work, but also to prevent the paper from coming into contact with the glass. Glass transfers heat very rapidly, meaning any areas of paper in contact will react by expanding and contracting, creating rippling. Some inks can also become adhered to the glass if not properly distanced. 

     

    We offer museum grade cotton-rag mountboard and conservation standard board. The difference between the two is that the museum board is a naturally chemically inert product made from virgin cotton fiber and offers optimum protection for works on paper. In comparison, conservation board is made from wood pulp and naturally contains a substance called "lignin" which gives off acid as it deteriorates, meaning it must be treated to remove the majority of the lignin before it is safe to use. 

     

    Both museum grade cotton rag and conservation boards have been found to be safe to come into contact with artworks for 100+ years through accelerated aging tests, although it is important to note that all boards will eventually deteriorate through exposure to atmospheric pollutants. For this reason, boards are also buffered with an alkaline reserve (normally calcium carbonate) which helps to neutralise acid thus slowing down the degradation process. 

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    Attaching Artwork to Mounts

    For our gallery work, we use either plastic corners or Japanese Mulberry Paper Tape to attach the artwork to the mountboard. However we offer all the following options below: 

     
    Plastic Corners
    Wherever possible, we use small plastic corners and strips affixed to a cotton rag barrier board which the artwork simply sits in. 
     
    Japanese Mulberry Paper Tape
    The tape is coated with acid-free water-activated adhesive. The water we use is distilled to prevent discolouring the paper. To remove the tape, the back can be saturated again and carefully lifted off (only someone with experience should attempt this). 
     
    Alternative Tape
    For artworks bought in by clients where budget is more of a concern, we can also use an ageing-resistant, pH-neutral, non-yellowing, and permanently elastic self-adhesive tape. 
     

     

    Backing Board

    The board we use for most of our frames is an archival product with a calcium buffered interior and a water resistant exterior. It is slightly bowed which applies a gentle pressure to keep the artwork flat when gunned into the frame. 

     

    For box frames, we use an MDF backing. This is sturdy and helps to strengthen the frame. It is an acidic product, which must never come into contact with the artwork. We use mountboard as a barrier between the artwork and the backing in these cases.