It is a win win situation
The
stock answer is use archival mats and backing if your art has an actual or emotional
value that makes you want to preserve it for many, many, many years. Of
course, the question is far more involved than simply the stock answer. It is
true that value is a primary influence on your decision to use archival
materials. However, there are design issues as well. Archival pulp mats have a
very bright white core. This gives a really crisp, sharp appearance and works
well with many prints. However, some prints require a more subtle appearance.
The white core is distracting. You could use a creamy colored cotton rag. You
could use black core or other color core. Or, you could use plain old standard
core which is a bit creamier than archival core. There
are also marketing issues. Archival is more expensive. This is a problem if you
cannot raise your prices to accommodate the increased material costs. On the
other hand, $0.50 or $1.00 spent on a great archival mat or cotton rag mat can
sometimes get you many times that in price. It is not how much you pay for the
mat that matters. It is how much profit you make on the item you are selling.
So, as usual, there are no stock answers. Just more questions to ponder.
Archival Picture Framing Mats
