Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

What is the best way to care for and maintain my custom giclee print?

Proper Care and Handling of Giclee Fine Art Prints

Many of my clients have been asking me how best to mount and display their Giclee prints.
Of course going archival is the best.  For this kind of maximum permanence this means that
everything that touches the print itself should be acid free.

To begin with inkjet prints have a tendency to scratch easily. Consequently, it is advisable to use
cotton gloves when handling prints to protect them from scratches and fingerprints.
For fine art papers and canvas, you can also use a spray to protect your print.
It is best to let your print set for at least 24 hours before using them.
Lumijet Protective Spray from Hahnemuhle and Premier Art Shield from Premier Imaging Products are
both very good options. They will seal and protect your print from moisture, scratches,
and fingerprints and they will not yellow as your print ages.

Heat can also damage a print so it is advisable not to heat mount your print to any kind of backing board,
especially foam core. The mount board should really be acid free as well. I use a minimum amount of
museum quality acid free linen, hinged mount tape to secure the print.

 For the fine art nature reproductions that I do, for both Giclee and digital prints, I prefer non-glare matte finish papers. 
I feel they look better under glass than a gloss finish paper. This is just a personal opinion.
It makes me feel that my prints do not communicate as well when viewers struggle to read
a print because of reflections. I do use a gloss finish paper for some of my photojournalism prints,
depending on how they will be displayed or for client requirements.

Non-reflective glass has a tendency to dull the print colors. It is also much more expensive.
Giclee prints have a great range of subtle colors and sometimes non-glare glass does not do the image justice.
While at times with regular glass the viewer still has to move around some to read a print the distraction is kept to a minimum. Non-glare UV glass will however add a few more years to the prints life span.

Additional print protection should continue with storage and display methods. For storage, it is best to
keep your prints flat. It avoids unwanted curling, bending or warping and it makes handling much easier.
Use a protective acid-free tissue sheets between each print. This tissue is available at most art stores or
you can get it online at Light Impressions, is an inexpensive way to keep your prints from rubbing against each other.

So in review, for the best longevity, use archival acid free mounting and matting materials. Frame your print and
place it under glass, not touching it. Keep it away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.
Your Giclee or digital print should last 90 plus years.