Custom picture framing liners and mats create a slight visual pause between the detail of the art and the intricacy of the frame carving. They provide a smooth transition between the frame and the artwork and contribute toward the polished overall impression of the framed artwork.
100% COTTON RAG MAT BOARD | MUSEUM MAT BOARD
![Josef Albers Homage to the Square Oliver Brothers Art Restoration Boston | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Josef Albers Homage to the Square Oliver Brothers Art Restoration Boston](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Josef-Albers-Homage-to-the-Square-Oliver-Brothers-Art-Restoration-Boston.jpg)
Josef Albers “Homage to the Square”
Albers prints are framed with 8 ply Museum Rag Mat Board, also known as double thick mat board.
Cotton rag mat board, or “museum board,” is used by museums, libraries, and professional framers to preserve and exhibit artwork, documents, and other treasured objects. Unlike wood pulp, cotton is free of contaminants. Wood pulp has damaging acid and lignin. Lignin causes paper fibers to breakdown, creating acidic byproducts.
Only museum-grade mat boards contain no lignin or acid. Lower-quality mat boards that claim to be acid-free may have been treated to neutralize acid, but lignin remains. Rag mat museum board has 100% cotton construction to ensure that artwork comes in contact with only non-damaging materials. In addition to being free of lignin and acid, cotton also has long, flat fibers that intertwine to create a strong, durable, and resilient mat board.
100% cotton rag mats have been tested and recommended by the United States Library of Congress. You can find more information HERE.
100% cotton rag mats are also recommended by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) , the Canadian Conservation Institute , Fine Art Trade Guild (United Kingdom) , and the PPFA (Professional Picture Framing Association) (Comparative Standards for Matboard – “Class 1 – Highest quality framing” quality level).
In addition to 100% rag mat options we also offer fabric wrap mat board or liners with gilded bevels. Liners and mats can be wrapped in any of five hundred and fifty choices of fabrics.
100% RAG MAT BOARDS | EXAMPLES
![Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph of Henri Matisse, Vence, France 1944 | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Henri Cartier-Bresson photo](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Endicott_Framing-003.jpg.webp)
Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph of Henri Matisse, Vence, France 1944
float mount example | rag mat substrate
![100% Rag Mat custom framing | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Preservation custom picture framing](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Dragan_Mira.jpg)
Dragan Grujic, Antelope Canyon
Two color photographs with 4 ply Rag Mat
![Custom Picture Framing Rag mats | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Rag mat Boards Custom framing](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/new-web-rag-mats.jpg)
Cotton Rag Mats provide the highest level of protection for artwork.
![Black and white photograph with 8 ply rag mat | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration 8 ply rag mat](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Endicott_Framing-004-bw-photo.jpg.webp)
Ruth Bernhard photograph “In the Box – Horizontal”, 1962
Black and White Photograph with 8 Ply Rag Mat
![Rag mat example custom picture framing | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration artwork preservation, rag mat](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/new-web-Schleht-pastel.jpg)
Pastel drawing framed with 100% Rag Mat and an Art Nouveau frame
FABRIC LINERS AND FABRIC MAT BOARDS
![custom framing, 550 fabrics, liners and mats | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration picture framing fabrics for liners and mats](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/new-web-fabric.jpg)
550 fabric choices
![Fabric mat board example, Leon Kelly | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Fabric mat board example used in custom picture framing](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Leon-Kelly-drawing.jpg)
Fabric mat with fillet
![Fabric mat with gilded bevel example | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Gold leaf traditional American picture frame, fabric mat and gilded bevel](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3329-web.jpg)
Fabric liner with gold leaf bevel
![Fabric Mat board with fillet | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Custom Picture framing, large selection of fabric mats](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Endicott-Dorothea-Lake_Painting-after-023.jpg)
Fabric mat with fillet
French Matting
French matting is an ancient technique that uses watercolor wash panels and ink lines around the perimeter of a matted piece, combined with watercolor, ink, tempera, marbled papers, gesso and gold leaf. French matting offers endless customization possibilities. All materials used are archival, and all work is done by hand.
![Norman Rockwell drawing framed with French mat (lines) | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Arts and Crafts custom picture frame](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/rockwellfinished-md.jpg)
Norman Rockwell drawing framed with French mat (or French lines) and authentic Arts and Crafts reproduction frame in English wax finish
![example old and new custom picture frame and French mat | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration French mat (or French lines) example- custom picture framing](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Newberry_PortraitFinal.jpg)
Portrait, restored and re-framed with French mat and
a gilded period frame
![Leonardo Da Vinci, original drawing, restored and framed | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Leonardo Da Vinci, original drawing, restored and framed with french lines mat](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Swift_DaVinci_framed_FINAL-sm.jpg)
Leonardo Da Vinci, original drawing, restored and framed
![an original fine art print by Albrecht Dürer was restored by the oldest art restoration firm in the U.S. Oliver Brothers | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Albrecht Dürer framed by Oliver Brothers in Boston, French mat example](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Swift_Durer_Final-sm.jpg)
Albrecht Dürer ,French mat example
Eglomise Mats
Eglomise mats, also known as ‘black glass gilding’ or ‘reverse glass mats’ are handcrafted by painting glass black on the reverse side. The glass mat is enhanced with gold leaf lines.
![black glass,Englomise mats | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration reverse glass mats’ are handcrafted by painting glass black on the reverse side.](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/black-glass-web1.jpg)
Gilded Liners
![Andrew Wyeth Watercoloror, barn wood with gilded liner | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Gilded liner and barnwood example](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Andrew-Wyeth-Watercoloror-after-straight.jpg)
![Dutch finish picture frame and gold leaf liner | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Dutch finish picture frame and gold leaf liner](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dutch-finish-picture-frame.jpg)
![Gilded Spandrel custom framing | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Gilded Spandrel](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Girl-in-Blue-Shirt_Oval.jpg)
SPANDREL EXAMPLE
![Namatjira watercolor on wood, Framed with gold leaf liner and simple wooden frame | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Example wide gilded liner and simple wooden custom picture frame](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Namatjira-Framed-with-gold-leaf-liner-and-somple-wooden-frame.jpg)
Fine Art Custom Nameplates
Custom gold leaf hardwood nameplates are available in different sizes. Nameplates come with rounded or square edges. All nameplates are museum quality and can be gilded in yellow 24k gold and white 12k gold.
![Hand gilded name plate on a period gilded picture frame | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Hand gilded name plate example](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hodder-Bridget-Portrait_of_a_Girl-after-012.jpg.webp)
![Fine art gold leleaf nameplates in yellow and white gold | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Engraved fine art nameplates, artist nameplates, nameplates for artwork, gilded](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/new-web-name-plates.jpg)
![Picture Framing Name Plates, gilded | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Gilded custom name plates for custom framing](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/The-Ruler-of-Coba.jpg)
![Elvis Presley “The King” memorabilia statue in a custom picture frame | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Gilded custom name plates for custom framing](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Oliver-Brothers-Elvis-front.jpg.webp)
![Republic of Texas One Dollar Bill in a custom picture frame | Oliver Brothers Fine Art Restoration Custom frame for a One Dollar Bill](https://oliverbrothersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Texas_One_Dollar-Framed-003.jpg)
For more information about custom framing or an in-home framing consultation
please call 617-536-2323 or e-mail [email protected]