You’ve just purchased a beautiful new photography print to display proudly in your home.  You’ve taken the time to research out just the right picture and you’ve chosen a beautiful mat and frame set to keep and display it.  Do you know how to keep it in good shape for years to come?  Keep reading for some useful tips on keeping your giclée print in perfect shape for a long time.  Let’s start with fine art print protection from acid.

As with any piece of art which you spend a lot of money on, you want to know how to keep a giclée photo print beautiful.  You’ve invested some of your good money into acquiring it so it had better look good for some time, right?  That’s how we feel here at Cramer Imaging.  Here’s some tips we’ve learned will help to preserve your fine art photo print for as long as possible.

Protection From Acid

You wouldn’t keep your high quality silk or fur in any old bag, you keep it in with cedar to make sure the moths don’t eat it.  Also, you don’t keep fine china or crystal in a cardboard box.  You make sure that it is well protected.  Why would you choose to display your high end giclée photo in any old, cheap, recycled mat or frame?  The answer is very simple.  You wouldn’t.  Instead, you would protect your high end goods the best way you can.

When it comes to protecting your investment in fine art photography, acid-free and lignin-free products are the best for keeping your fine art giclée in tip top shape.  Acid eats away and discolors the paper your photo is printed on.  It makes your photograph fragile much quicker than normal.  While acid isn’t the fastest-acting threat to fine art photography, its effects are thorough and final.

Since you will probably be matting and framing your fine art, you need to think about what will be in direct contact with the photo.  This is because anything in direct contact with the paper will be able to leech into it.  This means you need to think about your mat board.

While you probably won’t see an acid-free picture frame on the market, what you will see is acid-free and lignin-free mat board available.  They will cost more than your cheap mat board, but the investment will pay off in dividends years later when your photograph is still as sharp and beautiful as the day you bought it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, making sure that your precious photos are protected from acid is only part of the battle when it comes to caring for your fine art photography.  Make fine art print protection from acid a high priority.  Acid-free will help your photos stay in good shape for years but they can sustain damage from other sources too.  Check out next week’s article to get some more tips on how to preserve your wall art for years to come.