Acrylic sheet (Plexiglas)

Plexiglas is a brand name that has become synonymous with acrylic sheet material. Acrylic sheet substrates are totally smooth and are an excellent match for sheet adhesives and photographs. This material is used as a substrate for either face mounting or top mounting.

Aluminum
Aluminum is a smooth and rigid mounting material manufactured in a variety of thickness and surface treatments. Anodized aluminum provides a surface that is extremely smooth and also scratch and blemish free on both sides. We offer both .063 and 0.80 grade anodized material for mounting and framing.

Dibond
Dibond is a composite material made of two painted sheets of extremely thin aluminum bonded to a solid polyethylene core. It is considered to be the most rigid material commonly available on the market. Dibond will not bow or warp in large sizes and is nearly half the weight of aluminum. 3mm white material with black core is available up to 60 x 120 inches.

Face Mounting
Face mounting refers to the method of using distortion free, optically clear adhesives to mount photographs “face in” directly against the surface of an acrylic substrate. The most popular materials are liquid silicone coating or pressure sensitive double sided sheet adhesives. Both methods maintain a PH 7 neutral rating.

Film Lamination
Film over-lamination is an option used for the protection of photographs displayed without traditional framing and glazing. The materials combine pressure sensitive distortion free adhesives with an optically clear vinyl film and are applied directly to the face of the photograph. These materials have a PH 7 neutral rating and come in glossy, luster, and matt finishes. Luster is the most widely used as it is closest in appearance to the surface of a traditional matt c-print.

Floating Brace
Floating Braced pieces are designed to exhibit without frames. Often prints are presented trimmed flush with no borders but this method also works well with borders. The brace is affixed to the back of a substrate and inset from the outer edges so as not to be visible when viewed from a side angle, thus the piece literally appears to float off the hanging wall. This method provides freedom from the visual distractions of traditional framing and lends a feeling of modern, clutter-free lightness to the presentation.

Gator Board
Gator Board is a non-archival polystyrene core substrate that is lightweight and cost effective. It employs a synthetic wood fiber veneer, which makes it more rigid than foam core. Gator board does not have a neutral PH rating and is not considered suitable for conservation framing.

Glazing
Glazing is the industry standard term that refers to either glass or acrylic sheet material (plexiglas) when used in a picture frame.

Museum Board
Museum Board is produced using 100% acid and lignin free cotton fibers in a variety of options including 2, 4 and 8 ply weights. It is offered in a range of cool to warm shades of white and a neutral PH 7 or calcium carbonate buffered PH 8.5 version as well. When used as a mounting substrate it can be paired with archival hot press adhesive mounting tissue or cold press sheet adhesives. It is a first choice for fiber based silver gelatin photographs and an excellent option for heavier archival pigment paper. Museum board is also used as matting material and as an archival dust barrier for conservation framing.

Sintra
Sintra is a lightweight substrate made from PVC material (polyvinyl chloride). It has a PH 7 neutral balance rating making it a cost effective archival solution for mounting archival pigment prints and matt surface photographs.
Sintra may show a bit of surface texture, however, which some may find unappealing for thin or glossy prints. Available in white or black, in 3mm and 6mm thicknesses as large as 78″x 120″

Substrate
Substrate is the industry standard term that refers to any mounting board material. Aluminum, Dibond, museum board, sintra, etc. are all considered “substrates.”