How store coloured mat boards to avoid scratches?

[Stina]

When I took over the workshop I got a lot of coloured mat boards. Stored in these drawers. Sadly a lot of the mat boards have scuffs/scratches in them. (I’ve read a little about how to try to save them.)

How should I store my new ones so they don’t get scuffs/scratches? Some kind of paper between them? What kind? A new storage solution?

[Justintime]

Personally, I would use those drawers to store customers' artwork safely and create a vertical storage box for mountboards. In my experience very few boards receive any damage when stored vertically, any damage I find is usually caused by returning an offcut into the vertical storage. I imagine that the damage in your case is being caused by a board dragging over the board below as it is removed. That is a lovely stack of plan chests!

[Fruitini]

Vertical storage seconded.

I have found a fix for scuffed dark coloured boards that is pretty much successful every time! Drench a clean rag in water and wring out well (not completely though). Wipe gently around the entire mount and dry instantly with compressed air. The scuff has miraculously vanished! You're welcome!

[Tudor Rose]

Another vote for vertical storage. Get yourself some cheap backing boards to use as dividers - but then have more rigid dividers fairly frequently too otherwise you can get too much of a bow happening. We have our stored in manufacturer and then numerical order which makes it very quick and easy to check stock levels.

[Stina]

Okay ….

Do you store white daily use mat board and back board vertically as well?

I have this from previous owner. I’ve tried to organise with dividers but it’s always chaos.

So I thought I’d use the plan chest more. Maybe I have to rethink again. Especially since Oppboga mat boards don’t fit in the drawers. Munken fit!

[Stina]

Forgot to say thank you for quick answers!!

[Fruitini]

All boards stored this way. I suggest in whatever order makes best sense to you, be it by colour, product number, whatever. Vertical storage is so much easier. We designed a table to take our CMC. 18mm MDF for top, base and sides with 9mm MDF dividers every 10cm. Solid as a rock.

[Justintime]

Do you store white daily use mat board and back board vertically as well?

Yes, all mountboard stored together.
I have a slightly angled glass storage unit which I also use to store backing boards. Offcuts of glass can be stored very easily between sheets of backing board.

[Tudor Rose]

Yes, all board materials stored vertically.

[prospero]

I have a convenient gap under a staircase where I store all my mountboard. The packs are stacked end-up and the colours
are separated by 4x3 sheets of 2.5 MDF. Over ½ sheets are returned to any opened packs and less than ½ sheet off cuts are
stored in a rack on castors.
Sheet materials are notoriously hard to store but storing them flat is probably the worst way to do it.
It depends a lot on the space you have available.

[Rainbow]

I use rigid foam board as vertical dividers.