It's important that you should care for your fine art prints just as you would any delicate and valuable artwork. With proper handling, your prints will remain in pristine condition for many years to come. Based on feedback from our customer’s, we’ve highlighted some simple tips on how to look after your art from Southsea Studio
Where is the best place to hang my art?
Keep your print out of direct sunlight. Even the best quality materials are subject to cracking or fading if exposed to prolonged periods of sunlight. Even with the UV protection offered by most frames (particularly acrylic glazed frames such as ours which offers a higher UV protection than glass) prints will fade over time if faced with direct sunlight. We would suggest you hang your art in a place that won’t reflect too much light like a south-facing wall that is flooded with light.
In order to ensure your artwork remains as good as new Avoid extreme fluctuations in moisture and temperature. As such we would recommend that you do not hang it near a heat source such as a radiator or boiler. We would also discourage you from hanging the print in a bathroom where evaporation and condensation may ruin the print and frame (though we have had one of our prints hanging above the bath for years and it has not faded!).
Location location location
When hanging your art be mindful of the location. If you have hung your art securely this should not be a problem, but if you are using less permanent methods like command strips it is worth choosing more carefully. From experience, as good as command strips are, we would recommend not sticking the frame to the wall above anything valuable or easily broken (ie a record player like I did), as occasionally – probably due to not following the instructions completely – you might get one fall off the wall. Also stick to using frames with Perspex fronts rather than glass. This not only reduces the load on the strips but eliminates the risk of broken glass in the event your frame does fall off!
Cleaning framed art
Any wooden frame can be gently cleaned or dusted with a soft cloth or brush. To clean the glass or acrylic glazing within the frame, wipe very gently using only a clean, damp and non-abrasive cloth. You can use water or a mild cleaning solution but please do not apply either to the artwork!
Packing framed prints for transport
Bubble wrap and a big box! Take the most care with the corners of the frame as these are the most easily damaged while moving. Also avoid putting any weight on the frame as this risks damaging or cracking the glass/acrylic.