Short answer: four conservation bodies ask for similar mat boards in slightly different words: cotton rag or purified lignin-free pulp, a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, and 4-ply as a common starting thickness. This page lists 23 of their statements as our live guides report them, by body and topic, so you can compare them in one table or a spreadsheet. They are not ArtzFolio specifications.
The 23 statements
| Body | Topic | Requirement as reported | Reported on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Mat board fibre | 100% cotton rag or chemically purified, lignin-free wood pulp stock | Conservation matboard guide |
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Buffering or pH | Neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 8.5) | Conservation matboard guide |
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Ply | 4-ply minimum | Conservation matboard guide |
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Backing board | At least 3 mm thick | Conservation matboard guide |
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Photographs | Board used for matting photographs passes the Photographic Activity Test (PAT) | Conservation matboard guide |
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Window style | Overmatting provides more protection than floating in the window | Overmat vs floating mount guide |
| Library of Congress (LOC) | Attachment | Non-adhesive hinging whenever possible; Japanese tissue hinges applied with refined wheat starch paste; no tape to secure the mat package in the frame | Hinges, corners and adhesives guide |
| NEDCC | Mat board fibre | 100% cotton rag for window mats and the primary backing board; avoid lignin-containing paper-based mat boards | Conservation matboard guide |
| NEDCC | Buffering or pH | Most mat boards are buffered with an alkaline material such as calcium carbonate; unbuffered boards are available for sensitive photographic materials such as cyanotypes | Conservation matboard guide |
| NEDCC | Ply | Four-ply may suffice; thicker mats are required for large sheets | Conservation matboard guide |
| NEDCC | Fit in the frame | The mat and backing board should fit the frame with 1/16 to 1/8 inch of total play | Conservation matboard guide |
| NEDCC | Hinges | Japanese paper hinges adhered with wheat starch paste, along the top edge, very close to the corners; folded hinges (v-hinges) for float mounts | Hinges, corners and adhesives guide |
| NEDCC | Tapes | Advises against tapes not made for conservation use and against self-adhesive tapes | Hinges, corners and adhesives guide |
| NEDCC | Glazing | Glazing should filter at least 99 percent of UV | Conservation matboard guide |
| Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) | Mat board fibre | Described by manufacturers as 100% rag fibre; highly purified wood pulp buffered to pH 8.5 is an acceptable, more economical option | Conservation matboard guide |
| Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) | Buffering or pH | Buffered pH 7.5 to 8.5; unbuffered pH 7 | Conservation matboard guide |
| Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) | Ply | 4-ply is the usual recommendation | Conservation matboard guide |
| Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) | Overlap and bevel | Mat edges cover the artwork edges by at least 2 mm to 4 mm; windows are typically cut at a 45 degree bevel | Conservation matboard guide |
| Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) | Hinges | The T-hinge is the strongest and most versatile for standard matting; tabs not narrower than 1.5 cm; wheat starch paste is the paste it recommends for hinging | Hinges, corners and adhesives guide |
| CCAHA | Mat board fibre | Free of lignin, ground wood and metallic particles | Conservation matboard guide |
| CCAHA | Buffering or pH | Boards buffered with 3.5% calcium carbonate; neutral pH board for cyanotypes | Conservation matboard guide |
| CCAHA | Ply | 8-ply or 4-ply for most flat paper items | Conservation matboard guide |
| CCAHA | Hinges | Hinges five inches apart | Conservation matboard guide |
The bodies write for different audiences and do not use identical wording, and much of the guidance is written for works on paper. Check the original text before you quote any figure in a specification. Whether a given mat specification can be supplied on a frame order is confirmed in your quote; a photo mount is an option inside our frames.
Related: conservation matboard and mounting for framed prints, what lignin-free and alpha-cellulose mean, conservation and light terms, mounting a print: six decisions.
Start an enquiry when your brief is ready; we reply within 1 business day, with questions or a quote.
Sources: conservation matboard and mounting for framed prints [S38]; overmat vs floating mount [S41]; hinges, corners and adhesives for mounting a print [S42]; lignin-free and alpha-cellulose in matboard [S43]. As of 2026-11-12. Terms are typical and are confirmed in your written quote.