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Thread: Where to buy mat board these days?

  1. #1

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    Feb 2001
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    Where to buy mat board these days?

    I haven't purchased any in quite some time, I'd appreciate suggestions. Thanks.

  2. #2

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    Apr 2015
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    Purcellville, VA
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    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    I get mine from Archival Methods. You can order a sample set. Good people. They have a strange shipping calculator that may tell you that there is $10 shipping or something for the small $2 item. I called them about this and they kindly shipped it for free. Dick Blick art supplies also carries board, and their prices are good, but they do not offer samples and trip to the store would be quite a hike from where I live.
    Philip Ulanowsky

    Sine scientia ars nihil est. (Without science/knowledge, art is nothing.)
    www.imagesinsilver.art
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/156933346@N07/

  3. #3
    Do or do not. There is no try.
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    Jan 2007
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    Northeastern USA
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    983

    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    Other sources are University Products in MA (their in-house brand is Lineco) and Frame Destination in Texas. I've mostly used Lineco lately but have to take care that inclusions are invisible in the final mount. Lineco doesn't seem to have a "side", which is nice, but shipping from MA to CA might be high. They do occasionally have "free shipping" offers.

  4. #4

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    May 2015
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    SooooCal/LA USA
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    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    If you drive into Burbank, Valley Framing and Moulding is the wholesaler galleries and framers source from... Great prices, selection, even classes... They have the best stuff in stock, but some minimum purchase requirements...

    Steve K

  5. #5

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    Sep 1998
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    Oregon now (formerly Austria)
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    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    I've bought Bainbridge Alpharag board in pre-cut sizes from Redimat, 1-877-883-1011, redimat.com. They are in Santa Rosa, CA.

    I buy 11x14, 16x20 and 22x28-inch sizes usually, pre-cut (I don't have time, space or patience to buy large board and cut it down) and have been happy with price and service.

    Best,

    Doremus

  6. #6

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    Jul 2006
    Location
    Collinsville, CT USA
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    2,330

    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    I can highly recommend LODIMA PRESS
    https://www.lodima.org/archival-materials/matboard
    Ask for small samples of the board(s) that you are interested in.

  7. #7

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    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    Thanks, everybody.

  8. #8
    John Olsen
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    Jan 2012
    Location
    Madison, WI
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    1,097

    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    I've been ordering mine from Dick Blick. They're shipping from Chicago and doing an outstanding job on the packaging. I order 10-12 sheets (32x40") at a time in order that it's worth the shipping cost, but not too heavy for the delivery people to handle carefully.

  9. #9
    Drew Wiley
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    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
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    18,338

    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    I've been filling in from Archival Methods. Their Museum board is high quality, and their pre-cut sizes are convenient. My normal dramatically more affordable (in volume) wholesale sources locally all dried up, not due to lack of local demand, which is still strong, but due to warehousing businesses in general having the real estate sold out from under them, their structures outright demolished, and absurdly expensive condos and retail spaces built in their place. That cannibalistic gentrification formula might not be working very well at the moment, with more an more vacancies. The wholesalers had their own delivery trucks, or I could pick up board and moulding in my truck. If I ever have another large show opportunity or big commercial installation, I'll need to buy everything wholesale again, and would probably have to re-align to companies delivering out of southern Calif. But I'm too busy just doing b&w drymounted portfolios now, and the pre-cut Archival Methods sheets save me some time, with just one downsize cut : 22X28 down to 22X26, my standard for 16x20 prints. I have enough full sheets still in storage if someone comes along wanting a number of large prints framed up. At my age, if I were to get seriously back into the game, I'd invest in an Esterly SpeedMat cutter. I once had an earlier version of that, and it saved a lot of time and finger strain, but wasn't anywhere near as rugged as what they offer now. I also have my own cold-mounting roller press, and the ability to mill my own hardwood moulding for an extra elegant touch when desired.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Collinsville, CT USA
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    2,330

    Re: Where to buy mat board these days?

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    I've been filling in from Archival Methods. Their Museum board is high quality, and their pre-cut sizes are convenient. My normal dramatically more affordable (in volume) wholesale sources locally all dried up, not due to lack of local demand, which is still strong, but due to warehousing businesses in general having the real estate sold out from under them, their structures outright demolished, and absurdly expensive condos and retail spaces built in their place. That cannibalistic gentrification formula might not be working very well at the moment, with more an more vacancies. The wholesalers had their own delivery trucks, or I could pick up board and moulding in my truck. If I ever have another large show opportunity or big commercial installation, I'll need to buy everything wholesale again, and would probably have to re-align to companies delivering out of southern Calif. But I'm too busy just doing b&w drymounted portfolios now, and the pre-cut Archival Methods sheets save me some time, with just one downsize cut : 22X28 down to 22X26, my standard for 16x20 prints. I have enough full sheets still in storage if someone comes along wanting a number of large prints framed up. At my age, if I were to get seriously back into the game, I'd invest in an Esterly SpeedMat cutter. I once had an earlier version of that, and it saved a lot of time and finger strain, but wasn't anywhere near as rugged as what they offer now. I also have my own cold-mounting roller press, and the ability to mill my own hardwood moulding for an extra elegant touch when desired.
    Losing one's being able to purchase materials at wholesale costs is really a bummer. My local warehouse business (small building on a lot of land) also sold out. Owner happily retired. Made a good bit of money selling his acreage. Building and business are history. Think another big box store (honestly who needs one more of them in the neighborhood) to be built on the land.

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