As a pencil artist who deals mostly with various types of paper for my artwork, I am constantly adding matboard or mats, as I call them, to my finished pieces. When I do custom commissions, this is a feature that I always STRONGLY recommend. But why? That’s the question people ask me the most when I talk about it in a quote.
So here’s why! The main feature besides the obvious looks through color choice is….protection. We all know art is not cheap, it’s a big investment so why not protect that investment?! Humidity and temperature in any house will affect the overall lasting quality of an art piece. The matboard provides a layer of space, so the artwork itself is not sitting directly on the glass. Big NoNo! That provided space allows for air flow and movement behind the glass, allowing it to not only enter but exit. This keeps the internal humidity and temperature beneath the glass consistent. The free flow of air is important! No glass condensation, no wrinkles forming in the paper, or discoloration from too much humidity build up.
Another reason is…structure! Paper, even card stock thickness is notoriously flimsy. Your artwork won’t sag or droop after years of being expected to sit on its thinnest edge. Actually when a piece of art is matted properly, it will be hanging, sandwiched between two pieces of matboard. The matboard then provides the needed structure for the bottom of the frame but also keeping the artwork flat. I can explain the proper technique in another post!
So there are your main reasons besides adding another pop of color to compliment the artwork done.
If you have more questions about this topic feel free to ask!