Collector Care

Handling an unframed print

• Handle the print as little as possible and support it with both hands.
• Use clean, dry hands or suitable lint-free gloves; avoid touching the printed image surface.
• Keep food, drinks, pens, adhesive tape and household cleaning products away.
• Do not roll a print more tightly than necessary, crease it or rest it against a sharp edge.
• Pearl, gloss and high-gloss surfaces show fingerprints and fine abrasions more readily than matt papers.

Light and display

Avoid sustained direct sunlight and intense heat. Daylight changes throughout the year, so consider the route of the sun rather than judging a wall at one moment. UV-filtering glazing can reduce risk, but cannot remove every effect of prolonged exposure.

Place work away from radiators, fireplaces, vents and damp walls. Kitchens, bathrooms and spaces with repeated humidity changes are less suitable for valuable paper-based work.

Framing

• Use conservation-quality, acid-free mounts, backings and hinges.
• Ensure the printed surface does not touch ordinary glazing unless the presentation system is designed for that contact.
• Choose glazing with the paper and room in mind; reflective papers behind conventional glass can create two layers of reflection.
• Ask a professional framer about reversible methods where preservation and future treatment matter.

Storing an unframed print

Store the print flat in an archival sleeve, folder or box, protected from dust and pressure. Separate works with conservation-grade interleaving. Avoid ordinary cardboard, newsprint, plastic packaging of unknown composition and direct contact with wood.

If a print must remain rolled temporarily, use a generous diameter and seek professional advice before flattening.

Cleaning and damage

Do not apply water, solvent, glass cleaner or household cleaner to the print. Dust frame and glazing without spraying liquid towards the artwork.

If the print is marked, stuck to glazing, creased, mould-affected or otherwise damaged, seek advice from a qualified paper or photographic-material conservator.