Archival tape is a necessary supply when matting and mounting original works of art or limited edition reproductions.  When conservation framing is a priority, then you always want to use archival materials, such as archival mats, archival mount boards, and archival tape.  Non-archival tape will damage your artwork in the long run by causing yellowing and staining, facilitating the aging process of the artwork. Because tape will come into direct contact with your artwork, be sure to use an archival tape.

Documounts sells several different types of archival tape and mounting options:

Filmoplast White Linen Mounting Archival Tape – This is a strong, self-adhesive white cloth archival tape.

ASAP 1” Conservation Paper Tape – This self-adhesive archival paper tape is a strong product yet it has a thinner tape thickness than other tapes.

3L Mounting Corners – These adhesives are excellent when you don’t want adhesives to be in direct contact with your artwork.  Slide your artwork into the mounting corners and apply the sticky side to the mount board.  Available in small, medium and large.

Lineco See-Thru Mounting Strips – If you don’t want adhesives to touch your artwork directly, then use this archival tape mounts.  These mounting strips have a sticky lower half and a clear, adhesive-free upper half.  The artwork rests inside the upper half of the tape while the lower half sticks to the mount board.

The type of archival tape that is best for you will depend on what you are matting and mounting.  If you are matting artwork that has a blank border around all the edges, then you can use an archival tape such as Linen Mounting Archival Tape or Paper Archival Tape.  If you are mounting rare photographs, then you might want to use archival tapes that don’t touch the surface of the photo, such as mounting corners or mounting strips.

In addition to archival tape, Documounts also sells mats, mount boards, frames, glazing, and many other supplies that you’ll need to display your artwork.

Ordering archival mat board is easy when you shop at Documounts.  We sell four different types of archival mat board: Bainbridge Alpharag Mat Board, Bainbridge Alphamat Board, Bainbridge Top Mat Board and Crescent Rag Mat.  All of these archival mat boards are museum-quality options for presenting, preserving and protecting your artwork.  When conservation framing is important, then archival mat board is the way to go.

Archival mat board is made from either 100% cotton rag, or alpha cellulose.  Bainbridge Alpharag and Crescent Rag Mat are archival mat boards made from cotton rag.  These mats are naturally acid and lignin free.  Bainbridge Alphamat and Top Mat are archival mat boards made from alpha cellulose.  These mats have been chemically treated to be permanently acid-free.

How do you know which archival mat board to choose?  Keep the following factors in mind when deciding which type of archival mat board will best suit your needs:

• If you want a colored mat other than the standard white, off-white or black, you will be delighted with the wide variety of colors available for Bainbridge Alphamats.  These archival mat boards are available in over 100 colors, such Riviera Red, Renaissance Gold and Venetian Blue.
• If you want a black core archival mat that is a bit thicker than the standard 4 ply mats, then Bainbridge Top Mats are the mats for you.  Bainbridge Top Mat is a 6 ply archival mat board that is 1.5 times thicker than the standard 4 ply mat.
• If you want a solid core archival mat that has a stunningly deep bevel, then the 8 ply Alpharag mats are just what you need.  The 8 ply Alpharag archival mat boards are twice as thick as the standard 4 ply mats. The extra thickness of these archival mat boards creates a more sculptural presentation that beautifully showcases your artwork.

When you buy 4 or more of the same custom cut archival mat board from Documounts, you will receive a discount.  When you buy more than that, the discount gets even deeper!  The more you buy, the more you save.  You can also buy all of the supplies that you’ll need to mat, mount and frame your artwork at Documounts.

Acid free foam board is an economical option for mounting your artwork and photographs.  Many artists and photographers mount their artwork onto acid free foam board when they are preparing for their next appearance at an art festival or gallery show.

How do you know which type of foam board to choose?

Foam board is available in two different qualities: archival and standard (some refer to this as “acid free”).  Foam boards that are listed as “archival” are naturally acid-free, so they will never become acidic in the future.  “Standard acid free foam boards”, on the other hand, are chemically treated to become pH neutral (or “acid free”).  Foam boards that are described as “acid free” but not “archival” will, over time, lose their protective buffering and contribute to the deterioration of the artwork.

Acid free foam board is the ideal choice for artists and photographers who are mounting low-cost prints and posters.  Acid free foam board should only be used when conservation and longevity of the artwork are not major concerns.  If you would like to mount original artwork and limited edition prints, you should preserve your artwork by mounting your pieces on archival quality foam board.

Documounts offers acid free foam board in two sizes: 1/8” and 3/16”.  Both of these acid free foam boards are stiff and sturdy.  Although they are lightweight, these acid free foam boards will not bend or buckle.  If you are mounting a large artwork, such as a poster, you should choose the 3/16” acid free foam board.  Both sizes of acid free foam board are offered in bright white.

To mount your artwork onto acid free foam board, you will need supplies such as Artist’s Tape (or other mounting tapes). Documounts offers all of the supplies that you will need to mount your artwork onto acid free foam board.

An 8 ply mat is the ideal choice for artists and photographers who want to present their fine art and photography in a sophisticated style.  The thicker quality of an 8 ply mat provides the weight and appearance of the displays typically seen in museums and galleries.  The deep groove of an 8 ply mat adds a more sculptural dimension to the presentation of your artwork than the thinner 4 ply mats.

The word “ply” describes the thickness of the mat.  When you shop for a mat, you might see them listed as a 4 ply mat or an 8 ply mat.  Most mats are 4 ply.  A 4 ply mat is 1/16 inch thick, while an 8 ply mat is 1/8 inch thick – double the thickness of a 4 ply mat.  The deep bevels of an 8 ply mat showcase your most special artworks in a bold and elegant display.

Documounts offers museum-quality Alpharag Artcare Solid Core 8 ply mats to suit your most refined standards for matting and displaying your fine art and photography.  These archival 8 ply mats are the top-quality choice for exhibiting your high-end artwork and photographs.  Alpharag Artcare 8 ply mats are naturally acid-free because they are made from 100% cotton rag, making them an ideal choice for conservation framing.  Alpharag Artcare 8 ply mats are available in 13 different varieties of whites, creams and blacks.  The bevels of these solid core 8 ply mats are the same color as the front of the board.

In addition to 8 ply mats, Documounts also carries everything else you will need for matting, framing, and displaying your fine art and photography.  Whether you are preparing for an art festival or a gallery exhibit, Documounts has the supplies to help you display your artwork with sophistication and style.

An 8 ply mat board is a sophisticated alternative to standard 4 ply mats, making 8 ply mat board the ideal choice for displaying original artwork, limited edition prints, and photography.  If you seek the highest presentation standard for your artwork in terms of quality, conservation, and aesthetics, an 8 ply mat board will help elevate the display of your artwork to a museum-quality level.

An 8 ply mat board is 1/8 inch thick, which is double the thickness of standard 4 ply mats.  This allows an 8 ply mat board to have a deeper bevel, creating a more stunning sculptural appearance to your matting.  The deep bevel of an 8 ply mat board sets off the artwork in a distinctive manner, drawing attention to the artwork in a way that 4 ply mat boards simply cannot match.

Alpharag Artcare Solid Core 8 ply mat board is the museum-quality choice for matting high-end artwork and photography.  Alpharag 8 ply mat board is made from 100% cotton rag, so it is naturally acid-free.  When you seek the highest quality in archival materials for conservation framing, Alpharag Artcare 8 ply mat board is amongst the finest quality mat board available.

Alpharag Artcare 8 ply mat board is available in a selection of 13 difference whites, creams and blacks, allowing several different options for a mat board that highlights and accentuates your artwork.  The Alpharag  8 ply mat boards are all solid core, which means that the color of the bevel is the same color as the face paper of the mat board.

If you are preparing your best work for display at an art gallery or an art festival, then 8 ply mat board is a fine choice for creating an attractive presentation.  In addition to 8 ply mat board, Documounts also offers all of the other supplies that you will need to mat, frame, and display your fine art and photography.

Bainbridge mountboard is a museum-quality paper mountboard that can be used for mounting and backing matted prints.  Bainbridge mountboard is an archival solution to mounting and protecting your prints against potential damage.

How to mount your artwork onto Bainbridge mountboard

There are a few different ways to mount your artwork using Bainbridge mountboard.  Here is a step-by-step explanation of one of the easiest ways to mat and mount your fine art or photography:

1. To mat and mount your fine art or photography on Bainbridge mountboard, start by measuring your image to determine the inner and outer size of your mat.  The size of your Bainbridge mountboard will equal the outer size of your mat.
2. Next, place your mat board face down on a clean, flat surface. Place your Bainbridge mountboard face up right next to the mat board.
3. Use an archival, acid-free tape (such as FrameTac or a linen mounting tape), to create a hinge that connects the mat board with the Bainbridge mountboard.  The hinge should allow you to open and close the two boards, similar to opening and closing a book.
4. With the two boards lying side by side, place your artwork in the center of the Bainbridge mountboard and then close the mat board on top of the Bainbridge mountboard.
5. You should see your artwork through the opening of the mat.  Carefully adjust the positioning of the artwork so that it is perfectly centered in the window.
6. Gently lift the mat board and use Lineco See-Thru Mount Strips to mount the artwork to the Bainbridge mountboard.  Place the sticky side of the Mount Strips onto the Bainbridge mountboard, with the clear side over your artwork.  This way, there will be no adhesive on your artwork – your art will only be in contact with the Bainbridge mountboard and the clear archival Mount Strip.
7. Once the artwork is well-positioned and the Mount Strips are in place, place a few strips of acid-free double-sided tape on the Bainbridge mountboard.  Close the mat on top of the Bainbridge mountboard and press firmly into place.

Bainbridge also has non-archival mounting boards available. You will find them listed under 2UB and 4UB in standard mounting board options.

Documounts conveniently carries all of your mounting and framing needs, such as mats, Bainbridge mountboard, acid-free tapes, and other mounting and framing supplies.

When your goal is conservation framing of important artworks, then using high-quality archival materials is of the utmost importance.

When should conservation framing be a priority?  If you are framing an original, one-of-a-kind work of art, then you will definitely want materials that are geared towards conservation framing.  If you are framing a limited edition print, conservation framing is also a good idea.  However, if you are framing an open edition reproduction or a poster, then conservation framing is probably not worth the extra expense.

At Documounts, we offer several types of matting, mounting and other supplies that you will need for conservation framing.  Here are some conservation framing supplies that you should consider using:

• Rag board – Rag board is the superior matting choice for conservation framing.  Because rag board is made from 100% cotton rag, it is naturally acid-free.  Documounts offers 3 types of rag board for conservation framing: 4 ply Alpharag Artcare Solid Core, 8 ply Alpharag Artcare Solid Core and Crescent Ragmats.
• Mount board – Bainbridge AlphaMount ArtCare mount boards are the premier mounting boards for conservation framing.  Because the artwork will be in direct contact with the mount board, always choose the most archival option for conservation framing. Foamboard also comes in an archival option and are considered just as protective.
• Archival tapes – Because the tape you use to mount your artwork onto mount board will typically have direct contact with your artwork, you always want to use an archival tape for conservation framing purposes.  Linen Mounting Tape or Conservation Paper Tape are excellent options.
• Mount strips – If you don’t want any adhesives in direct contact with your artwork, use Lineco See-Thru Mount Strips.  These archival strips do not come in to direct with your artwork, making them an ideal choice for conservation framing.

Documounts offers everything you will need for conservation framing.  If you have any questions, call our toll free help line!