Congratulations on your beautiful art pieces! I'm sure you can't wait to get them up on your walls and start enjoying them right away. Before we hang them up, let's just quickly make sure you have the basics down for caring for them to keep them in mint condition!
1) General Rules on Where to hang your fine art:
Have you ever left a receipt or piece of paper on the dash board of your car for a few weeks or months? (Whoops, I know I have!) A couple months later that receipt is no longer legible. Now of course the inks used in professional print labs if of MUCH higher quality (and a completely different chemical makeup) than a cheap store receipt, but they can still be damaged by sunlight over time.
So, for a general rule #1: Don't hang or place your art pieces in direct sunlight!
When I was younger and I would get sick, my mom would use a humidifier to help my throat and lungs feel better. Problem was, the humidity in the room would cause my papers and photographs to warp. Moral of the story: water can be extremely damaging to photographs.
Rule #2 For any paper-based artwork, don't place them in humid areas like the bathroom or kitchen.
2) Specific types of prints:
METAL: Handle your metal prints with care and protect the edges by not dropping it or placing it face down on a hard surface. Clean your metal artwork by gently wiping it using only a soft dry (or water dampened) cloth. These types of prints would do much better than paper products in humid environments, like the bathroom. I would not recommend using a photography spotlight to enhance the viewing of your metal print because it is so reflective that the light will bounce off make viewing very difficult. Make sure to handle it by the edges to avoid getting fingerprints on your freshly cleaned print! Refer to Rule #1 about hanging in direct sunlight!
Acrylic: Just like any other piece of fine art, try not to scratch or bang the corners of your acrylic print. Acrylic is very durable, but you can chip the edges if banged on a hard surface. You can use a standard glass cleaner, but I would recommend just using soap and water and a 100% cotton cloth to clean it. Make sure to handle it by the edges to avoid getting fingerprints on your freshly cleaned print! Refer to Rule #1 about hanging in direct sunlight!
Canvas: They type of archival quality canvas I print on is treated with a protective UV coating, making it resistant to fading over time. To keep it clean and dust-free, you can simply wipe with a damp cloth to maintain its brilliant appearance. Refer to Rule #1 about hanging in direct sunlight!
Paper: For floppy prints, Albums, Mounted Prints, and Folios, your main concern will be following Rules #1 and #2! Click HERE to learn more about care for paper-based photography products.
As always, I am here to answer any questions you might have! You can either comment below or email me by clicking HERE.
