Gamma’s archival rag mat board selection comes in hundreds of colors, textures, and appearances. From an aesthetics point of view, picture matting provides several design qualities which enhance artwork. Functionally, they serve as a spacer to protect art or photographs from direct contact with glass.
Whereas many shops provide picture matting from a variety of materials, namely paper, cardboard, fibrous materials made from wood pulp, and some more oriented toward conservation use products which are lignin free, sulfur-free, alkaline pulped, alkaline reserve, Gamma uses only Bainbridge’s Alphamats, which ensures preservation for generations. These museum-grade mats, available in 4 ply & 8 ply, incorporate a patented conservation product called Artcare.
Hinges
The methods used to secure a painting or document in the mat are critical. Gamma uses two conservation approaches, each equally sound for true museum framing.
Glazing
Gamma’s museum quality picture framing is formulated to protect framed works of art from the damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Using True Vue Conservation Series glass and Cyro scratch-resistant grades of acrylic, our glazing protects the surface of the work of art and prevents the infiltration of dirt and dust.
Conservation Backing Materials
Backmat/BackingBoard
Depending on the original artwork, Gamma’s picture frames use either Japanese hinges or acid-free corners as the primary means of attaching art to Artcare’s alpha-cellulose 4-ply backmat. Through zoolite technology, Artcare’s backmat actively protects art from aging and fading. Microscopic molecular traps built in this 100% archival board lock up molecules of pollutants and gases, keeping them from damaging the artwork.