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Matboard Conundrum

P

Pete Whitbread

Participant
Messages
5
Loc
Bencubbin West Australia
Company
Pete's Shed
Hi team.
For yonks Watermark matt board has been available in a standard quality.
Now the Thomas Cropper gurus have started a new line in two qualities. It is interesting to peruse the different
specifiers. Most of the Watermark colours are in the Cropper books. More so the only difference is the first digit of the code.
OK so far?????? Why is it that some colours and codes are in the top quality Cropper range and yet in the standard Watermark range????????
Are we being ripped off when we pay for quality Cropper instead of standard Watermark.
At present Cropper corners are not available so I use Watermark, there is little or no difference.
I lean towards the suppliers of Cropper mainly because of the freight subsidies. If I lived in a city with the suppliers on my doorstep
I would rethink my options.
Pete
 
Re: Matt Board Conundrum

PPFA just came out with the matboard standards. You may find it useful in your evaluation of the matboards. It can be purchased from the PPFA bookstore on the www.ppfa.com
 
The new PPFA Comparative Standards for Matboard will enable you to differentiate between the various qualities of each board type. Brand names are not mentioned in the standards, but when you familiarize yourself with the specifications of each class, you will know what questions to ask your suppliers, and then you can determine which class would be applicable for each board type, and their proper applications.

James Cropper is the maker of what Larson-Juhl calls Artique matboards in North America. Those are virgin alpha cellulose, with a buffer of calcium carbonate and colors from pigments. FATG calls them Conservation boards, PPFA calls them Class II boards.

The same top paper may be used on multiple grades of matboard, with different core and backing papers. Generally, when that is the case, the top paper is 100 virgin alpha cellulose with color from pigments, not dyes. However, in Europe, some makers use dyes with additives (wax?) and claim they meet conservation standards. I'm not sure what the FATG standards say about that, but the PPFA Class I and Class II standards specify only pigments. Anything with a dye would fall into Class III or Class IV.
 
Pete Whitbread said:
Hi team.
For yonks Watermark matt board has been available in a standard quality.
Now the Thomas Cropper gurus have started a new line in two qualities. It is interesting to peruse the different
specifiers. Most of the Watermark colours are in the Cropper books. More so the only difference is the first digit of the code.
OK so far?????? Why is it that some colours and codes are in the top quality Cropper range and yet in the standard Watermark range????????
Are we being ripped off when we pay for quality Cropper instead of standard Watermark.
At present Cropper corners are not available so I use Watermark, there is little or no difference.
I lean towards the suppliers of Cropper mainly because of the freight subsidies. If I lived in a city with the suppliers on my doorstep
I would rethink my options.
Pete
Click to expand...
Most matboard companies have more than one quality in their range.
I used Watermark mats for a while about 17-18 years ago and it had particles of metal embedded in it, so it didn't stay in my inventory for long. It was deadly on blades!

I don't understand your 'ripped off' statement. Each brand is priced differently - that's just the way things are! back in the days when I tried Watermark it wasn't worth buying, in my opinion. Perhaps that has changed now?

Last year I used Artique Conservation mats quite a lot, (before I retired). I liked them a lot and they were my next choice after Aphamat. I had to use the specifier for a while until the corners became available. If you have a specifier you could try using that until you get the corners! Otherwise write the numbers on the compatible Watermark corners and use those for now. Use the KISS principle!
 
Is it possible for the PPFA to say in which of the four categories the matboards lie. Peterboro and Crescent have the Fine Art Guild (UK) classifications in their specifiers, showing they have been tested and which classification they fall into. (They have a lisence number relating to their classification) . Tbere are only three classifications in the UK. It would be great if the PPFA could clarify it for everyone. Should all boards be tested and classified? I would be grateful for any feedback.
 
I understand the differences in qualities and materials. My point is (and now I will go hypothetical) If pink with purple spots with a watermark code 5436 is standard grade
while pink with purple spots cropper code 8436 is conservation grade, is it just me or is it the same board priced differently?????????
 
Sue Roberts said:
Is it possible for the PPFA to say in which of the four categories the matboards lie. Peterboro and Crescent have the Fine Art Guild (UK) classifications in their specifiers, showing they have been tested and which classification they fall into. (They have a lisence number relating to their classification) . Tbere are only three classifications in the UK. It would be great if the PPFA could clarify it for everyone. Should all boards be tested and classified? I would be grateful for any feedback.
Click to expand...

The purpose of the PPFA Comparative Standards for Matboard is to inform framing practitioners; to help them understand the different compositions of various board types, and how they may be properly applied in frame designs.

Also, the standards enable framers to evaluate matboard products on their merits according to published data, rather than having to rely on hearsay from other framers; or marketing, advertising, or recommendations from suppliers' sales people, who may or may not be knowledgeable, and who may or may not have promotional interests.

PPFA is not interested in dictating specifications to manufacturers. Also, PPFA is not interested in partnering or promoting any particular brands, nor in policing or certifying any manufacturers' compliance with any standard. Rather, manufacturers are responsible to publish accurate data about their products, and framers are responsible to educate themselves in order to evaluate the data intelligently.

Here is a quick synopsis of the four PPFA Classes:

Class I: 100% cotton fiber; pigmented color; corresponds to FATG "Museum" grade. The best fiber composition available, suitable for all framing.

Class II: 100% virgin alpha cellulose fiber; no recycled content; pigmented color' corresponds to FATG "Conservation" grade. Very good quality, suitable for most preservation/conservation framing.

Class III: "White Core" and "Acid Free" fiber; buffered; colors may be from pigments or dyes. OK for decorative framing, but not for preservation framing.

Class IV: Plain ground-wood pulp; no buffer; dye colors. Poorest quality, suitable for short-term, price-point-driven, "production" framing.

Most manufacturers offer boards in multiple classes and it is a simple matter to match up the standards for each Class with the manufacturers' products. For example, Class I boards include Bainbridge AlphaRag, Crescent RagMat, and Peterboro Museum, among others. Class II includes Artique, Bainbridge, AlphaMat, Crescent Select, and Peterboro Conservation. If you need more information, your suppliers should be able to help, as well as the well-informed framers here.
 
Last edited:
Pete Whitbread said:
...watermark code 5436 is standard grade...cropper code 8436 is conservation grade, is it just me or is it the same board priced differently?????????
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with the boards you describe, but "standard grade" equates to PPFA Class III, suitable for decorative framing. "Conservation grade" equates to PPFA Class II, suitable for preservation framing. The composition of the boards is completely different, as described in the standards.

So no, it definitely is not the same board priced differently.
 
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