We are all about helping our customers on their framing journey! We want to offer some matboard comparisons to help with your decision-making. You have your desired “framables“, so why not add some matting to add a bit of a finishing touch to your piece? You can even add a double mat, which we always recommend because it really sets your art or photo apart from the rest. But let’s start slow and get us up to speed on all of our matting offers.
Quick Matting FAQs
Our Complete Guide To Matboards outlines every. single. detail of our custom matting options. But here are some common questions to get us warmed up:
What is a Matboard?
A matboard, or mat, is a cardboard-like material placed between your artwork and the frame for a polished look.
What is the purpose of a matboard?
Matboards are for decoration and protection. They add style to your artwork, with the right color drawing attention to the piece. They also protect by keeping the artwork away from the cover, preventing condensation.
Are matboards acid-free?
All matboard stocked by Frame It Easy conforms to industry standards. They are marketed as acid free by their manufacturers.
What does core color mean?
The core is simply the color inside the matboard, visible as a thin strip around the mat’s opening. This small strip of color, whether white or black, can make a big difference in how your artwork looks.
What is matboard ply?
In matboards, “ply” refers to thickness. The most common options are 4-ply (1/16″ thick) and 8-ply (1/8″ thick). There are also less common thicknesses like 6-ply, which falls between the two.
A note on ply: We offer a variety of thicknesses, or ply, giving you the flexibility to customize your matting any way you’d like. Our standard white core and black core is 4 ply (1/16″ thick). We also offer a 6 ply (1/12″ thick) matboard in Black. Our thickest option is 8 ply (1/8″ in depth) available in White Sail, Super White, and Jet Black.
White Matboard Comparisons
White Matboard Comparison Chart
A little birdie told us some clarification was needed on all of our white matboard options. We got you! This helpful comparison chart will help you wrap your head around the differences. Remember, the “Best For” column is only meant to be suggestions. In truth, it all depends on your style and preferences!
| Color | Details | Core Color | Ply | Best For |
| Smooth White | Bright white and the AWARD WINNER of our most popular matboard! | White | 4 Ply | Black and white photography, family photos |
| White Sail | Best matches the color of our Art Paper used for prints | White | 4 Ply and 8 Ply | Family photos, any art print |
| Cloud | A warm white color not as bright as Smooth White | White | 4 Ply | Black and white photography or busy prints |
| Antique White | An off-white color with some yellow hues | White | 4 Ply | Darker art prints |
| Belgique Antwerpen | Another off-white color with a bit of a subtle woven texture | White | 4 Ply | large matting projects to highlight the subtle texture |
| Museum Rag | Art prints with a white border, let that black pop! | White | 4 Ply | Valuable works of art, historical photography, original documents, and heirloom needlework. |
| Polar White | Not overly white, but still a true white | Black | 4 Ply | Art prints with white border, let that black pop! |
| Super White | Not overly white, but still a true white | White | 8 Ply | large art prints |
BE AWARE OF SCREEN SETTINGS!
Sadly, no screen brightness is created equal! The color of the matboard you see on your screen may not perfectly match the actual matboard in person. Screens can alter brightness and color, so the matboard might appear slightly different once you have it in hand. To avoid surprises, try viewing the color on different devices or consider requesting a physical sample to ensure your matboard choice complements your artwork just as you envision!
Our Metallic Matboard Comparisons
Let your art SHINE! We offer three different metallic matboards. Silver, Classic Gold, and Frosted Gold. Our Classic Gold is more of a deep “green” gold, while our Frosted Gold is more of “yellow” gold. All three of our metallic matboards will give your photo or art the extra POP it was looking for! Adding a metallic matboard can take a special piece and turn it into the star of the room!
Black Matboard Comparisons
Perhaps even harder to differentiate than our white matting, but Smooth Black is all the same “black”. Our Jet Black is our blackest black and is available in 8-ply only.
Matboard Comparisons and Paper Types
If you have a white border around your art print, you will want to consider how particular you want to be when it comes to your matting. White Sail best matches the color of our Art Paper used for prints. If you are going for a more museum-quality display, our Giclee Paper pairs very well with the Museum Rag matting. (Pair it with our conservation clear acrylic with 99% UV protection for the full artistic gamut!) Antique white is also an excellent companion to our Giclee paper. For Photo Paper, we recommend the Smooth White option, as it is our brightest white, pairing well with the semi-matte finish of the paper. Again, this is only if your print has a white border to it, and you want the best matting match available.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the perfect matboard color can be tough, but know it is all up to you and your preference! Our matboards offer great protection for most framing projects and unlimited combinations to enhance artwork and match your decor. We offer a wide selection of over 70 matboard options including more than 50 colors (shades ranging from green and blue to hot pink, yellow, red, and beyond!), metallics, patterns, plus premium quality conservation options, thicker plys, and 100% cotton museum-quality matting. There is something for everyone!
Happy framing!
