How to Care for Your Fine Art Photography Print
A fine art photography print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag archival paper is rated to resist fading for over 100 years under normal display conditions. This is not a guarantee that requires no effort on your part — it assumes that the print is handled carefully, stored correctly if not on display, and positioned thoughtfully when hung. Here is what you need to know.
Handling Your Print
The most important rule for handling fine art prints is to avoid touching the printed surface. The natural oils from human skin, if deposited on the print surface and not immediately removed, can cause localised degradation of the pigment layer over time. The oils are also attracted to dust, which can cause visible marks if the print is later pressed between surfaces.
When handling your print before framing, hold it by the edges. If you need to place it face-down — for example, when inserting it into a frame — place it on a clean, soft surface such as a clean white sheet. Do not stack prints face-to-face without a sheet of acid-free tissue paper between them.
Your Brighton Gallery print arrives rolled in acid-free tissue paper inside a protective tube. When unrolling it, do so slowly and gently on a clean, flat surface. Allow it to relax for an hour or two before framing — the paper will naturally flatten once the curl from the tube has relaxed.
Framing
Framing a print protects it from the most significant environmental threats: dust, moisture, physical handling, and UV radiation. We recommend framing your print as soon as possible after receiving it, rather than storing it rolled for extended periods.
Several framing decisions affect the long-term condition of the print:
Use acid-free materials throughout. The backing board, any mount board, and any fixings used to hold the print in place should all be acid-free. Ordinary cardboard, wood pulp board, and many adhesives are acidic and will migrate into the print over time, causing yellowing and discolouration. Acid-free materials are available from any specialist framing supplier.
Ensure the print does not touch the glass. Contact between the print surface and the glass causes moisture to accumulate between them, leading to foxing — the brown spots caused by fungal growth — and potentially causing the print to stick to the glass. The 3cm white border on our prints provides natural separation, but if you are adding a glass mount, ensure it stands slightly proud of the print surface.
Use UV-filtering glass. Standard glass transmits UV radiation that causes pigment fading over time. UV-filtering glass — available from most framers and framing suppliers — blocks the wavelengths responsible for fading without perceptibly altering the colour rendering of the image. For prints you are treating as a long-term investment, museum glass (anti-reflective and UV-filtering) is the premium option.
Display Conditions
Position your print away from direct sunlight. Even with UV-filtering glass, prolonged direct sunlight exposure will cause some fading over very long periods — and without UV glass, the effect is much more rapid. Place prints on walls that do not receive direct sun for most of the day, or in rooms where window light is diffused by net curtains or blinds.
Avoid humid environments. Bathrooms are the most obvious case: fluctuating humidity and steam cause paper to expand and contract repeatedly, which can lead to buckling of the print within the frame and growth of mould in extreme cases. Kitchens, where cooking generates steam and grease particles, present similar problems.
Maintain stable temperature and humidity. The enemy of archival materials is not any single extreme condition but repeated cycling between extremes. A room that goes from very dry in winter (with central heating running) to humid in summer creates more stress on paper and pigments than a room that is consistently either dry or humid. Good general ventilation helps maintain stable conditions.
Cleaning
A framed print behind glass requires only occasional dusting of the glass surface. Use a soft, dry microfibre cloth — do not use window cleaning products on the glass of a framed print, as vapour from these products can penetrate the frame and deposit residue on the print surface.
If the print itself (without glass) needs cleaning, use a very soft brush — a wide, soft watercolour brush is ideal — to gently dislodge dust from the surface. Do not use any liquid cleaner on the print surface. If the print has become wet, lay it flat to dry on a clean absorbent surface and allow it to dry naturally. Do not apply heat.
Long-Term Storage
If you are storing a print rather than displaying it, roll it in acid-free tissue paper and place it in its original tube, or flat in an archival portfolio box. Store in a cool, dry, dark environment — a wardrobe or linen cupboard is suitable. Do not store in an attic (temperature extremes), a basement (humidity), or a garage (both).
If you have any questions about caring for your Brighton Gallery print, contact us — we are happy to advise.