6 Ways to Care for Your Art Prints and Keep Them in Pristine Condition

Art prints provide an accessible way for individuals from all walks of life to own art that resonates with their life’s journey, regardless of their financial circumstances. While posh galleries are often exclusive domains of the wealthy, platforms like DROOL allow art to be more accessible to art lovers everywhere through high-quality art prints.

 

More than mere decorations, these art prints bring personality and life into your spaces. Even if they are the more affordable types of artwork compared to the original or source pieces, they are valuable treasures nonetheless, and they deserve to be cherished and preserved for years to come.

 

As an art lover who values your art prints, you need to take extra care when displaying or storing your art pieces. Aside from displaying them in the most aesthetic ways, care needs to be taken to keep your art prints in their beautiful and pristine condition. Read the following care tips and suggestions to learn more.

 

Buy Giclée Art Prints

 

 

One way to ensure the longevity of your art prints is to buy pieces from art platforms like DROOL that sell high-quality fine art prints and not dodgy prints that will fade in a year. 

 

Whether you’re interested in a graphic design poster, illustration art print, or a print of a beautiful photograph, make sure it’s a giclée-printed art print. Giclée is derived from the French word gicleur, which means “to spray.” It describes the process by which fine art prints are produced through a special large-format inkjet printer. What distinguishes this printing process is the high-resolution printing method and the archival-grade giclée canvas or paper used to make the art prints.

 

To illustrate, most digital images are printed with 72 dpi or dots-per-inch resolution, while to be considered a giclée, the print needs to be at least 300 dpi. This results in a more detailed, crisp, and vibrant print that may fool anyone into thinking that what you have is the source artwork. 

 

At DROOL, we produce giclée art prints using the latest 12-colour large-format printers with ink that can reproduce the exact colours of the source artwork. Aside from this, we only use original UV-treated ink with a 100+ years colour guarantee. 

 

Finally, we print on either 200 gsm smooth art paper or on 308-gsm heavyweight Hahnemühle photo rag, both of which are archival grade, preventing yellowing and discolouration over time. With their smooth and matte finish, our papers serve as an excellent surface to reproduce the tone, highlights, and colour gradients of the source artworks.

 

Use Archival-Grade Materials for Framing

 

 

To have long-lasting art prints, you also need to pay attention to the quality of your framing. DROOL offers archival-grade mattings, backing boards, and frames that won’t harm the art print contained within. 

 

Since the matting or window mounts would be touching the art, we understand that it’s important to use acid-free boards that are thick enough to prevent the art from touching the glass and being damaged by condensation. Likewise, we use acid-free backing boards that are sealed properly to prevent dust and microscopic debris from reaching the artwork.

 

Limit Direct Sunlight When Hanging Your Art

 

 

Exposure to direct sunlight is a definite no-no when displaying your art prints. Sunlight can accelerate fading and discolouration, diminishing the beauty of your prints over a short amount of time. That’s why when hanging or displaying your art piece, make sure that it’s far away from windows and skylights where the sunlight can shine through. 

 

Even low levels of sunlight can fade and damage your art print over a period of time. To make sure this doesn’t happen, you can opt to add a UV-protective glaze over the glass that’s covering your art print when you order from DROOL. This premium acrylic glaze blocks harmful UV rays while maintaining clarity and visibility. It allows your prints to shine without the risk of sun damage.

 

Handle Your Art Prints with Care

 

 

When relocating your art prints, be careful about handling them. Make sure you’re supporting the frame with both hands to hang it in its new location. Then, before you let go, make sure the back attachment is secure on the wall hooks to prevent the piece from dropping to the floor.

 

If, for some reason, you need to handle the actual art print, consider wearing gloves or washing your hands first to prevent the transfer of oils and dirt on the surface.

 

Reduce Exposure to Humidity

 

 

High humidity can spell trouble for art prints, possibly leading to mould growth and warping. If you have a humidifier in the room, keep your art as far away from it as possible. And if your room is already naturally humid to begin with, consider getting a dehumidifier or an air conditioning unit to keep things a little less muggy.

 

The rule of thumb is to keep relative humidity at around 40 to 60 per cent. One of the more practical ways to reduce the humidity is to set your air conditioner to dry mode until the room has achieved ideal humidity levels. Meanwhile, if you plan to store your artwork, you can use silicon gels to absorb the humidity in your storage area.

 

Dust Your Hanged Art Piece Regularly

 

 

Keep your art prints looking their best by dusting the frames and glass regularly. Use a soft, dry microfiber cloth or brush to gently remove dust from the surfaces of your art piece. However, avoid harsh cleaning solutions to ensure you won’t accidentally damage the frame or glass. 

 

When collecting art prints that you enjoy, make sure to give them that extra bit of tender loving care to ensure they can be around in pristine condition for many years to come. With a little effort and investment in time, your art prints can retain their value and continue beautifying your space no matter if you want to put down roots or you plan to move out in the future and bring your prints with you.

 

Discover the beauty of contemporary art, printed and framed with high-quality archival materials. Here at DROOL, you can browse through our curated selection of artworks from grassroots artists, and bring home a piece of inspiration to complete your personal space.