Mat - Glass - Backing Return Out mat cutting room M a t Attractive as well as functional, the matting is a key element in your frame design. - It creates space-clearance between the photograph and the glass. If a photograph touches the glass, it will stick to the glass and a photograph is permanently damaged. The larger a photograph the bigger space-clearance should be. This is where double and triple mat comes. - It provides structural support for the artwork. - It visually separates the photograph from its surroundings, and gives to the photograph its own unique space and presence. - It provides beautiful immediate environment which enhance appearance of the art. - It emphasize depth of the art. Multiple mats add even more depth, giving the image a three-dimensional look. - It creates breathing space between the art and frame, keeping the frame from overpowering the art. The mat margin size comes here. While neutral mats (like white and gray) are adequate in many instances, mats come in a large array of colors and textures, all of which will help the art to fit into its surroundings. - It connects the art and frame into one uninterrupted beautiful harmonious assembly. Mat margin size and colour are very important. - Matting a photograph is further more important if one wish to sell photographs either framed or unframed. Today, we have three choices, each in many colours: - paper mat (or regular mat), - archival mat (or Conservation mat, or Alpha Cellulose mat) - cotton rag mat Paper mats contain harmful impurities, as Acid and lignin, which potentially will cause yellowing of art permanently damaging the same. The second and third mats are free from the harmful Acid and lignin. Archival mat does not harm art itself but will not protect it from harmful pollutants. These boards are suitable for non-conservation framing of: amateur photographs, professional photographs, posters, fine art prints, craft projects. Cotton Rag mats, the most expensive, are used for extremely valuable original works of art, rare and antique documents and items of historical importance. The best is 100% cotton rag. ... In our Gallery there are many hundreds of different mat colours and texture styles to choose from ... The Glass Glass protects work of art from UV rays, pollutants, finger-prints, flies and in some cases from infra-red rays. We use only "Made in USA" glass. - Regular glass (45% UV protection). clear and non-glare - Conservation glass (99% UV protection). clear, non-glare, or gallery (museum).   These four pictures are the same. The only difference is glass above each picture. From left:    non glare -- gallery -- conservation clear -- regular clear. Backing The purpose of backing is to - protect back of a photograph from environment attack, - to hold the art flat, - to provide structural unity of mats and the art, and - to provide a physical unity of the mat, art and frame.