A precut mat, backing and resealable clear presentation bag for display and protection. The back provides guides for placement of your print as well as pre-mounted tape for attaching the print to the mat and the mat to the back. Standard core One Steps have .040 neutral PH pulp back. Archival One Steps have a white archival cotton rag back. For instructions click on "What is a One Step Mat?" on the One Step home page. Simple, easy and extremely economical.

All mat board stocked by Matcutter.com conforms to industry standards. There is a lot of confusion over the terms "acid-free" and "acid neutral". Technically, only mat board made of cotton fiber commonly called "Cotton Rag" is truly acid-free. All other mat board, the majority produced in the United States, is made from trees, a naturally acidic material. This mat board is treated with calcium carbonate so it tests "acid-neutral". Calcium Carbonate retards the aging process not only due to the mat board material but the environment as well. All mat board will deteriorate in time with "rag" deteriorating the least. Simply beware of products touted as "100% Acid Free, Archival Mats", they are often standard core "acid neutral mats". If you have a piece of art that is precious in a monetary or emotional sense, use true archival products you can trust or take it to a conservation expert. Conservation framing includes many factors beyond rag versus non-rag. The glues used to bind the single-ply sheets together, the type of inks used, top and bottom cover papers, presence of alum and type of picture frame and glass are all conservation issues.

We have divided mat board into two categories: Standard Core and Archival Core. Standard core are mats that are paper based and normally have calcium carbonate added to help neutralize the natural acidity. Archival mats are made to a much higher standard. I WOULD NOT BUY MATS FROM SOMEONE WHO ADVERTISES ARCHIVAL, ACID FREE MATS. They are generally just plain old standard core, acid neutral, mats. They can be excellent mats but not archival if you are expecting archival quality. The best archival mats are 100% cotton. Cotton is naturally acid free. Some paper based mats, called Alpha Cellulose because it sounds fancier than "paper", are also excellent mats that meet archival standards. They have had additional cleaning to extract the ingredients that cause paper mats to become more acidic. Please note that archival mats are more than simply "acid neutral" or "acid free". Archival mats have been cleaned to remove such ingredients as "lignin" and "metals" that could be harmful to your art. Good archival mats also use pigmented inks to resist fading of the color.

The backing is important both for attaching the print and protecting it from damage. All One Steps come with a back. The standard core One Step has a .040 neutral PH pulp(paper) back. The archival One Steps have an archival 4 ply cotton rag back.

All windows in MATcutter.com mats have a 45 degree beveled edges. Traditionally, fine mats have been cut by hand with a knife. The window(the part of the mat cut out so you can see the art) has a 45 degree beveled edge that slopes from the top of the mat down to the art. This bevel cut exposes the core of the mat and is more elegant than typical cheap mats that were stamped out with a die. The bevel can be used to accentuate the art. For example, a black core in a white mat produces a black accent around the art.

The core or part of the mat that forms the 45 degree bevel of the window is black. The effect of this is a black line that surrounds the image and increases contrast and drama.

Almost all mats and backs have been buffered--calcium carbonate (the main ingredient in many antacids for your stomach) has been added to the board. This ingredient retards the accumulation of acid. Paper based mat boards have calcium carbonate added in order to retard the natural acidity of paper. Most cotton mat boards also have calcium carbonate added even though they are naturally "acid free". The calcium carbonate combats environmental pollutants that can increase acidity.

All of our mats are either made of cotton or paper. They are, therefore, recyclable. "Cotton Rag" is a industry term to refer to mats that are made from cotton fibre. Not only are they the finest mats, they are truly "Green". They come from a renewable resource, the cotton plant.

The center of the mat board. It is the portion of the mat you see in the bevled edge of the mat window. Other than Cotton Rag mats, mat board is made up of a "core" with a paper cover on the front (the "color" you see on the top of the mat) and a paper cover on the back of the mat board. Cotton Rag mats are one piece. The top, bottom and center are one piece of cotton. No paper cover has been applied to them.

Our mats are industry standard 4 ply except for our Very Thick 6-ply and our Archival Cotton 8-ply. More specifically, standard core 4 ply mats are .050 to .055 in thickness, 4-ply cotton rag mats tend more toward .060 and Very Thick, 6-ply, mats are about .090 in thickness. 8 ply Cotton mats are approximately .125 of an inch thick.

The window is the area cut from the mat that will display the art. Generally, it is cut at an angle or "bevel". The window should be smaller than the actual paper used for the print so it does not expose any edges as the mat and paper expand and contract with changes of temperature and humidity.

Photo mat is a term sometimes applied to mats in general. On MATcutter.com, however, "Photo Rag Mat" is a archival cotton mat that does not have a buffering agent, calcium carbonate, added. Some conservationists believe certain photographic reproduction processes(specifically albumen, chromogenic, dye transfer and cyanotype) should have a low alkaline environment(i.e. should not be acid neutralized). Other conservationists say it is not necessary. Regardless they make a great archival mat for most art work.

A precut mat is a mat this is in-stock, ready shipment. MATcutter.com ships precut mats in 1 to 3 days. When you checkout, you will be given an expected date and cost for freight.

We have divided mat board into two categories: Standard Core and Archival Core. Standard core are mats that are paper based and normally have calcium carbonate added to help neutralize the natural acidity. Archival mats are made to a much higher standard. I WOULD NOT BUY MATS FROM SOMEONE WHO ADVERTISES ARCHIVAL, ACID FREE MATS. They are generally just plain old standard core, acid neutral, mats. They can be excellent mats but not archival if you are expecting archival quality. The best archival mats are cotton rag. Cotton is naturally acid free. Some paper based mats, called Alpha Cellulose because it sounds fancier than "paper", are also excellent mats that meet archival standards. They have had additional cleaning to extract the ingredients that cause paper mats to become more acidic. Please note that archival mats are more than simply "acid neutral" or "acid free". Archival mats have been cleaned to remove such ingredients as "lignin" and "metals" that could be harmful to your art. Good archival mats also use pigmented inks to resist fading of the color.

Although often called "White Core", standard core is historically "creamier" than archival mats that have a very bright core. Our Tru-White™ Core is a very bright white core in a standard mat. The core has been cleaned and bleached to a super clean white color that provides a crispness not available with Cream Core.