Our Frame of Mind

Mounting board – also called backing board – supports the entire frame treatment and can enhance both the look and lifespan of artwork and photography.

At American Frame, we can show you how to frame with mounting board. Which of our four mounting board options (below) is right for your project? No matter which one you choose, we can custom cut it to within 1/16”, thanks to our proprietary PrecisionCut technology.

Each of these four mounting board styles are also available in full 32” x 40” pieces.

Standard and archival foam core

Standard Foam Core

• Lightweight, but sturdy enough to resist dents

• Economically priced

• ⅛” thickness

• High-quality, paper-faced board with polystyrene foam center and smooth, bright-white paper with moisture resistant clay-coating

Standard foam core is best used for general-purpose, non-archival mounting projects.

Archival Foam Core

• Provides the highest level of protection

• Absorbs airborne pollutants and gases that can damage art and photography

• It’s the preferred choice of many conservators and archivists 

• Complies with PAT qualifications

• ⅛” thickness

Archival foam core is ideal for one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces, irreplaceable original artwork, and signed photographs.

Black archival foam core

Black Archival Foam Core

• Alkaline, PH-neutral material

• Features a solid black core and two-sided satin black finish

Black archival foam core is great for two-sided items such as maps or newspapers as well as floating artwork, and shadowboxes featuring dimensional objects. The foam core’s black finish prevents the back from “ghosting,” or being visible from the opposite side. 

Self-adhesive foam core

Self-Adhesive Foam Core

• 3/16” thick polystyrene board features ultra-smooth clay coat liners, with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side

• adhesive side is covered and protected by an easy-to-peel release paper

• this foam core is lightweight, yet rigid

Self-adhesive foam core is ideal for the permanent non-archival mounting of posters, open-edition artwork and photographs, and puzzles.

You can also find out the best ways to secure artwork to mounting board here.