Outer Size
16.75 x 20.75 x 3 inches
Fits
16 x 20 inch mats and sheets
Construction
Drop-front
Color
Gray
Best For
Unframed works on paper
Pros
- Museum-style archival box from a conservation brand
- Drop-front side lets you reach the bottom of a stack without lifting everything above it
- Standard sizing stacks cleanly on shelves or in a flat file
- Closed box blocks light and dust completely
- Other sizes are available for smaller and larger work
Cons
- Standard sizes only; odd formats need folders inside
- Large sheets still need careful two-handed handling
- Stacking more than three full boxes compresses the bottom one
If you only buy one storage product, buy this box. Unframed work stored in cardboard, plastic bins, or old portfolios is exposed to acid migration, light, dust, and handling damage. An archival box addresses all four, and it is the format museums and print rooms use for exactly that reason.
The drop-front design is the feature that justifies the price. Works slide in flat without bending, and the front folds down so you can take out pieces from the bottom of the stack without disturbing what is above them. A conventional lidded box makes you lift every sheet to reach the bottom one.
Our Pick
The standard storage box conservators and galleries use. Archival board with a drop-front side, so you can slide work in and out without bending or scuffing it. This size takes 16 x 20 inch mats and sheets.
Buy this if you have works on paper (prints, drawings, photographs, watercolors) that are not framed and need long-term protection. Also buy it if you have inherited a stack of unframed work and need somewhere safe to keep it while you decide what to frame.
What we don't like
It is sized to standard mat dimensions, so odd sizes need their own folders inside. The drop front helps, but large sheets still need two hands to lift out. And full boxes are heavy; do not stack more than three or the bottom one starts to compress.
