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Which White Matboard - Alpharag, Alphamat, Canterbury, Bainbridge & Crescent Papermat

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Customers often describe their ideal mat color as “a nice white”.  We joke that if the manufacturers would simply name one of their boards Nice White it would outsell every other color.  

Choosing just the right white is difficult, let alone describing that white. In an effort to make it easier to order just the right “white”, we’ve come up with some white categories and offer a couple of examples of ordinary objects that fit within that group.

• Stark White: Could also be called an un-pigmented or bleached white. This includes whites that are as bright as snow.

• Bright White:  A step down from Stark White – bright whites are about the same color as cream cheese or marshmallows.

• Soft White:  Slightly warmer than Bright White – imagine mayonnaise, pearls or raw cauliflower.

• Antique White: (Could also be called ivory). Antique whites can be yellowish like a manila file folder, or tan like masking tape and French vanilla ice cream.

• Natural White:  Like muslin or flour tortillas this white will have a less-bleached, more natural look to it.  Natural white might appear gray next to a bright white color.

It’s also a retailing challenge to accurately represent the mat colors in printed catalogs and on websites. We do what we can to render close approximations in our catalog but can’t guarantee that the colors will be exact.  The colors that are displayed on your computer can also be “off” since colors can vary from monitor to monitor.

In spite of all of these challenges there are some things you can do to ensure that you get just the right white mats.

• Add a matboard Specifier to your next order. A specifier is a swatch booklet. Sometimes it contains actual pieces of matboard, sometimes just reproductions. Both Bainbridge, Crescent and Artique manufacture matboard Specifiers.

• Order mat blanks in specific colors and keep them in your shop as samples. (Ordering an 8x10 mat blank is less expensive than ordering a mat with a window cut in it.)

• Order a Mat Sample Pack.  We've taken the whites, creams and blacks from each of the Alphamat, Artique and Bainbridge Paper matboard lines and put them into a handy 4x6" pack.  We also sell an all-color offering of the Bainbridge Alpharag line in a 4x6" pack. Each sample is labeled with color name and number. 

• Call us, we’re happy to explain further and give more specific advice!

This chart gives some examples of mats that fall within each category. Note: A common question about matboard is if the surface is smooth. Most mats have a slight texture to them and this is considered standard. However, many mats now are available in smooth or vellum finishes. If it is important to you whether your mats have a smooth or standard finish, please order a specifier or call customer service for further help.