• Framing Info
  • Framing
  • Our Work Standards
  • Mount Solutions
  • Alphamat Artcare Mountboard
  • Artcare Quality
  • Artcare Protection
  • Glazing Options
  • What is a Commended Framer?
  • Fine Art Trade Guild

Mount Solutions

Mounts and backing should be important elements in the framing process. Visually, mountboards can look wonderful when carefully underplayed beside the work on display, whilst also giving emphasis from fabulous to subtle when required. Mounts are also vital to protect and preserve artwork at the same time as showing it off.

Mounts come in a wide range of quality, colours and thicknesses. The super-thick 4.1 mm gives a superbly architectural and modern feel with a deep, sharp wide bevel. Alternatively, mounts can be wash-lined to order, hand painted in watercolour with specific colours mixed for individual artworks. Fabric mounts add texture, and often depth for box framing.

Conservation framing requires that a mount meets a minimum standard, backs the artwork as well as faces it, and that any tapes used in the process also meet a minimum standard and are applied correctly. The chances are high that many items framed over ten years ago, or that are bought ready framed will have acidic mounting materials, which will burn into any artwork leaving visible damage. Any standard quality board will do this within approximately two years.

Mountboard with molecular traps, to prevent the deterioration caused by airborne pollutants is an option for protecting artwork more comprehensively, and is the type of board we use by default.

There are several kinds of acceptable mountboard; depending on requirements:

1. Standard (base level white or light brown core) board
2. Alpha-cellulose board (often incorrectly referred to as 'Acid Free Board')
3. Virgin Alpha-cellulose board with MicroChamber® technology (our default minimum)
4. 100% Cotton Rag boards

Grade 1 is the cheapest board, and is perhaps unsurprisingly, the board of choice for an embarrassing percentage of 'framers' in the UK today. This board is not acceptable for lasting, conservation standard work, and therefore, we do not use, or stock it.

Grade 2 is acceptable for conservation framing, but only offers passive protection.
We don't use or stock this either.

Grade 3 is our preferred choice, because it offers pro-active protection for any artwork. We stock this board, and use it by default.
To find out more, check the Alphamat Artcare link opposite.

Grade 4 100% Cotton Rag board is the traditionally accepted Museum standard. The Cotton Rag board we use and stock has the added advantage of patented Artcare MicroChamber® technology.

Differing border sizes, colour combinations and textures create infinitely variable, unique expressions of individual taste, and multiple mountboards can be combined to excellent effect. Experimenting with colour and design shows how the look of an image can be changed; we can 'spruce up' an old picture with a fresh clean mount or colour option to suit new decor, or we can go for a timeless, classic mount.