Tips for Collectors: Framing Works of Art on Paper

Works of art on paper, such as watercolors, etchings, silkscreens, lithographs, pastels, pen and ink or charcoal drawings, photographs and important family documents, are delicate and require special care. This includes ensuring that these items are framed to conservation standards, to protect them from the effects of dirt, dust, light, moisture and insect damage.

Improper framing can lead to:

• Mat burn caused by exposure to mats or backing boards made from acidic ground wood pulp
• Foxing (scattered reddish-brown spotting) caused by exposure to extreme changes in temperature and humidity conditions in frames that have been improperly sealed
• Cockling (isolated rippling of the paper surface) caused by expansion and contraction of the paper surface in response to extreme changes in temperature and humidity
• Veiling dirt and particulate films settling on artwork in frames that have been improperly sealed
• Flyspeck and other insect damage in frames that have been improperly sealed
• Mold growth caused by condensation forming in frames exposed to extreme changes in temperature and humidity conditions
• Image transference caused by direct contact between the image surface and the glass or acrylic glazing material
• Fading and color change caused by exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays from sunlight or fluorescent lighting
• Staining through use of damaging tape or glue hinge materials

To ensure that your pieces will last for generations:

• Make sure that your framer uses only high-quality conservation materials that will not have a lasting, negative impact on your artwork, including
• Acid-free mats and backboards
• Japanese tissue-paper hinges
• Reversible and neutral conservation adhesives
• Dustcovers applied to the back of the frame to protect from environmental damage
• Appropriate UV-filtering glass or acrylic glazing materials (While acrylic can offer greater protection from ultraviolet rays, it can also create static electricity that can harm materials such as pastels, chalk or charcoal)
• Use mats or fillets to separate the artwork from the protective glass or acrylic surface
• Ensure that any mounting techniques used are reversible; avoid mounting with heat or glue, that can permanently bind the paper to the backing surface
• Use a hinged window mat to protect the item inside the frame
• Never cut an artwork to fit an existing frame; instead, choose a new frame better suited to the size of the piece.