Suede and Black Core mat storage

[JWB9999999]

I've been yanking out mats from overly stuffed bins lately to donate to local art teachers. 3 boxes in the last week. While doing so, I was reminded of a couple of issues that I have with mat board storage, and I wondered if any of you had any bright ideas.

I am talking about the storage of scrap mat, not full sheets, so the mats are a variety of sizes. My storage bins are vertical, such that the sheets of mat are stored vertically. They stand up in the bins. All of the sheets face the same direction (top of the mat to the left side).

My problem is with storing suede and black core mats. The back of one black core mat often leaves nice black marks all over the front of the mat right behind it. It's practically useless to store black core mats with a white surface as they are nearly 100% scuffed with black marks the first time you go to pull one out.

Suede mats have a similar issue. It's not the backs rubbing off, but rather the back of one mat will press into the front suede part of the mat behind it, leaving a nice and rather impossible to remove pressure line in the suede, rendering the mats useless as top mats.

Do any of you have any easy solutions to these problems? I can't think of anything at all with my current setup.

 

[Artrageous]

I store my scrap black core mats back to back and my suede scrap mats face to face. I always try to keep pieces that are like sized together as best I can.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Pick up a Ronco travel steamer and you won't toss any suedes.

 

[dougj]

I bought a case of thin chip board (32 x 40) to use as separators between mat with surfaces that mark easily. No more Marks.

 

[Framar]

I store them in the gray paper bags they come in or put them in plastic bags and if I have to put more than one piece in a bag I put the largest first with the next size behind it and on down so no suede picks up any edges from its brethren.

 

[JWB9999999]

Pick up a Ronco travel steamer and you won't toss any suedes.

Having not used one of these before...

It's just a steaming tool, yes? Won't the steam cause problems for the paper the mat is composed of? Or does the tool iron as well?

Tell me more! I'd certainly love not to throw so many suede scraps away.

I bought a case of thin chip board (32 x 40) to use as separators between mat with surfaces that mark easily. No more Marks.

Interesting idea. It would literally double the width required in my storage bins. As they are all "full", I would have to re-arrange (i.e. toss out) stuff in some neighboring bins to accomodate the extra boards. But... that can be done.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Just a steamer, no iron. As long as you don't steam it to death you will have no problems.