Foam board[Foam board?:foam board] is a composite made by layering styrofoam between paper[paper?:paper sample maker cutting machine] or plastic[plastic?:Plastic sample cutting machine] to create a lightweight, sturdy material which can be used for a variety of things. It is also sometimes seen marketed as foam core, and comes in a variety of colors, thicknesses, and strengths. Most art supply stores carry foam board, as do some home and office supply companies. As a general rule, foam board comes in standardized sizes which the end user must cut down to fit.
The styrofoam core of foam board can be made in varying degrees of density. More dense styrofoam will hold up longer, but will make the foam board much heavier. Lighter styrofoam is favored for most projects. The outer layers of foam board are usually made with a heavyweight paper, although lightweight cardboard may sometimes be used. Both matte and glossy variations are available and white and black are the two most common colors.
A sheet of foam board is much sturdier than a comparable sheet of paper or cardboard. However, foam board can still bend or warp. For this reason, a supportive backing is needed for extremely large pieces of foam board. Foam board is also not considered to be archival, since the papers used may be acidic, so it should not be used as a backing for valued artwork.
