Materials compared
Museum board or Taskboard for your model
Museum board is a dense, smooth paperboard, usually sold as archival stock. Many model makers use it for clean presentation walls and precise flat parts.
Taskboard® is a white fiber board made for model building and laser cutting. It is about half as dense, so a blade cuts it more easily and the laser cuts it faster, and it costs about half as much.
Taskboard and museum board, side by side
| Compare | Taskboard® | Museum board |
|---|---|---|
| Density | About half the density, so easier blade cuts and faster laser cuts | Denser |
| Cost | About half the cost | The higher-priced sheet |
| Staying flat | Stays flat | Can bow when it gets damp |
| Laser edge | Light brown, not black. Sands clean. | Can scorch and darken at the edge |
| Laser speed | Cuts faster | Not as fast |
| Best known for | Model building and laser cutting | Archival mounting and clean presentation walls |
When Taskboard is the better sheet
- You cut many parts and your time on the laser is limited.
- You want a light edge that sands clean.
- The sheet will be part of a model, not part of a mount.
When museum board is the better sheet
- You are mounting or presenting work and the board needs to be archival. Taskboard is not sold as archival stock.
- You want clean, precise flat parts for a presentation wall, and you already know how it cuts.
What shops say about museum board on a laser
Shops treat museum board as a laser material. Harvard GSD’s fab lab lists museum board and chipboard as approved materials (opens in a new tab). Penn Design’s fab lab lists matte board as laser suitable (opens in a new tab).
The University of San Francisco’s material guide says museum board can be laser cut (opens in a new tab). It also warns that any board thicker than a single ply makes complex cuts difficult.
Cutting museum board by hand
Use a sharp knife, a metal ruler and a stiff cutting mat. Columbia’s architecture supply list asks for #11 blades for straight and small detailed cuts and an Olfa or utility knife for thicker, denser board (opens in a new tab). The Academy of Art’s model-making guide asks for a ruler with a foam or cork back (opens in a new tab) for stability and accuracy.
Thickness matters. The USF XARTS guide (opens in a new tab) warns that any board thicker than a single ply makes complex cuts difficult. Taskboard® is easier to cut, according to the same guide, and the 1/32" sheet cuts with scissors.
Museum board or mat board?
The names overlap. NYIT’s laser page lists museum board (opens in a new tab) as an approved material, FIT’s laser guide lists matte board and museum board (opens in a new tab) separately, and Penn Design lists matte board (opens in a new tab) as suitable for its laser. Check the thickness and the maker’s description on the sheet you are buying, not just the name.
Cutting museum board on a laser
Treat your lab’s list as final. NYIT approves museum board on one of its cutters up to a stated quarter inch (opens in a new tab), and other labs set their own limits. Harvard GSD’s fab lab approves museum board and asks for a test cut (opens in a new tab) and says not to leave a running laser unattended.
A laser cuts by burning, so a scorched edge is normal. The University of Melbourne’s fab lab says laser cuts often need post-processing (opens in a new tab), and Syracuse notes that some museum boards char (opens in a new tab). xTool says masking tape on the material helps keep cut pieces from turning black, and to peel the tape off after cutting (opens in a new tab). Taskboard’s laser edge is light brown, not black, and it sands clean.
Gluing museum board
Columbia’s supply list calls for Elmer’s or Sobo glue (opens in a new tab), and the ArchStudent model-making guide says to use the least glue that will hold (opens in a new tab). Too much wet glue can bow a broad panel, so keep the coat thin and let the part dry flat.
Common mistakes with museum board
Pressing through a thick sheet in one stroke. Cutting with a worn blade. Gluing with too much glue. Assuming the name means archival: museum board is usually sold that way, but the maker’s specification is the proof. And choosing it for slender parts, where a stiffer sheet does the job better.
Choosing between them
If the work is a mount, a mat or an archival presentation, buy museum board. If the sheet becomes part of a model, and you cut many parts, Taskboard is about half as dense, costs about half as much, and stays flat. Both cut by knife and on a laser. For the other sheets, see chipboard and architecture model materials.
Which sheet
Walls and floors: 1/16" white
Stiffer than the 1/32" sheet, lighter than the 1/8" sheet.
Bases and site contours: 1/8" white
The stiffest sheet. Non-forming.
Skins and detail: 1/32" white
Cuts with scissors.
Our online store starts at $79. Need less? See where to buy. Need the numbers? See the spec sheet.
Quick answers
What is museum board used for?
Mounting, matting and presenting artwork, usually as archival stock. Model makers also use it for clean white walls and flat parts.
Is Taskboard a museum board?
No. Taskboard is a white fiber board made for model building and laser cutting. For archival mounting, use museum board.
How much less does Taskboard cost?
About half the cost of museum board, and about half the density.
Can museum board be laser cut?
Yes. Harvard GSD’s fab lab lists it as approved. Expect some scorching at the edge. Taskboard’s laser edge is light brown, not black, and it sands clean.
What is the difference between museum board and mat board?
The names overlap. NYIT lists museum board as an approved laser material, FIT’s laser guide lists matte board and museum board separately, and Penn Design lists matte board. Check the thickness and the maker’s description on the sheet you buy.
How do you cut museum board without tearing it?
Use a sharp blade, a metal ruler with a foam or cork back and a stiff cutting mat. Columbia’s supply list suggests #11 blades for straight and small detailed cuts and an Olfa or utility knife for thicker, denser board.
How thick can museum board be on a laser?
It depends on your lab. NYIT lists museum board on one of its cutters up to a quarter inch. Harvard GSD approves it and asks for a test cut. Ask your lab.
Why does museum board go brown at the laser edge?
A laser cuts by burning, so a scorched edge is normal. The University of Melbourne’s fab lab says laser cuts often need post-processing, and Syracuse notes that some museum boards char. Taskboard’s laser edge is light brown, not black, and it sands clean.
What glue works on museum board?
Columbia’s supply list calls for Elmer’s or Sobo glue. The ArchStudent model-making guide says to use the least glue that will hold. Too much wet glue on a broad panel can bow the board.
Is museum board acid-free?
Museum board is usually sold as archival stock, but the name alone does not prove it. Read the maker’s specification. Taskboard is not sold as archival stock.
Keep reading