PAPER ART HANDLING GUIDE

1. Be careful when opening the staples.you may damage the artwork

2. Clean and dry your hands or wear clean white cotton conservators gloves when handling your print.

3. Gently roll the paper out, keeping it covered with tissue paper front and back.

4. It’s best to do this in stages. Partially open the roll so it's not quite flat, then leave it a day to relax to avoid ripples in your print.

5. The next day, after it’s relaxed into the larger circle, lay it flat. Gently weigh it down with books or heavy objects in each corner and along with areas you feel need pressure.

6. After another 1-2 days, the paper will relax and be flat enough to frame.

7. If you’re not going to have it framed, store it flat somewhere dark, between the tissue papers away from anything that might crease it.

8. These are valuable prints, so it’s highly recommended to have them professionally framed.

9. How to Store

   1. If you’re not going to frame it you can store it in a tube.

   2. It’s more ideal to store flat, however, it’s easier to be damaged.

   How to Resolve Minor Issues

   1. Wave: If you live in an area with humidity, sometimes, the border paper can develop a wave. Fortunately, this can be easily resolved with ironing. Using a conventional iron on a flat surface covered with a cotton cloth. I prefer to use clean hair irons that work wonders. Be conscious to only iron the edges and to avoid using hair irons on the artwork itself. Framing the artwork is the best way to ensure this doesn’t appear.

   2. Crease: If the print itself has a crease, you can iron these from the paper side up, on a clean flat smooth surface, ensuring the image is against the tissue. Most importantly using low heat and moving with haste to not overheat the artwork itself. In extreme crease cases, a light mist of filtered water can be applied to the back of the paper to help the process. But this is something that should be done with great care. 

   3. Mark: If the border has a minor mark on it, these can be removed using a white eraser or soft putty eraser. 

   Framing Guide

   “Probably more art prints are destroyed in one decade by a lack of knowledge about the proper care and conservation than by wars and natural catastrophes.” - Artelino 

   1. Ready-made - Depending on which piece you have chosen, you may purchase a ready-made frame from a store as long as the dimensions fit. It may be more practical and cheaper.

   2. Custom-made - You may also choose to take it to a framing store to have more freedom with both dimensions and design. This option is more personalized but may also be expensive. 

   Note: Always look for one that contains a window mat to hold the artwork away from the glass. If any moisture condenses on the glass from humid air, then the print can become stuck to the glass and therefore ruin the print. 

   All materials used in the matting and framing should be archival. This means that matting boards are acid-free and made of all-rag fiber. Any reputable framing store will use archival materials. Or, if you decide to frame the work yourself, you can find these items in a well-equipped art supply store

   In terms of aesthetics, you should choose what pleases you. The framed artwork will become part of your everyday environment, so choose frames and mats that you will enjoy. If you don't know what you want, ask for guidance. Your framer probably has seen many different types of art and knows what works well and what doesn't. But don't let a framer pressure you into choices that are not appealing to you. 

   Common guidance is not to frame the art to match any room in your house. Choose frames and mats that will enhance the work of art itself, so that if you move, redecorate, or decide to hang the piece in another location, it will always look appropriate. 

   Lastly, avoid framing that overwhelms the artwork. Frames that are overly complex, colorful, or overwhelming can really be detrimental to the artwork itself. If in doubt, stick to simple and classic styles.