Caring for works on paper
Jerry Polizzi · · Updated
Works on paper fail slowly, and almost always for the same reasons: light, heat, damp, and acids in the frame or the storage. A lithograph opposite a window will fade. The same sheet on an interior wall, under UV-filtering glass, fades much more slowly.
The handling and storage notes here follow the practice published by the Library of Congress for works on paper. They are the same cautions we give across the counter.
Light
Keep paper out of direct sun and out of intense light. Ultraviolet-filtering glazing slows the damage. It does not make a sunny window safe, because visible light fades color too. The glazing choices are in glass, museum glass, and acrylic.
Heat and damp
A cool room, below about 70°F, with relative humidity around 30 to 50 percent, is the range that suits paper. Hang it away from a radiator, a fireplace, or an air-conditioning vent. Bathrooms, attics, basements, and garages are poor rooms for it. If a house is closed up for months, do not leave the frame flat on a basement floor.
If a sheet gets wet, lay it on a clean surface and let it air dry. Leave the iron and the hair dryer in the drawer, and keep it out of the sun. If you see furry mold, or the sheet was soaked through, call before you do anything else.
Handling
Handle a sheet by the edges, with clean dry hands, and keep food and drink off the table. Do not use paper clips, rubber bands, or ordinary household tape. A small piece of tape on a tear becomes a stain that costs more to undo than the original repair would have.
If you must roll a linen-backed poster, roll it with the image facing out. An unmounted print is happier flat, in a folder, off the floor. A brittle sheet should not be rolled to fit a tube.
When the frame is the problem
If the glass is against the ink, or the mat is brown and brittle, or you can see foxing, the small rust-colored spots that damp and impurities encourage, the frame is part of the problem. Bring the piece in. Most of the time the sheet can come out safely, and we can tell you whether it needs conservation or only a better frame. Restoration is the place to start.
These notes are the advice we give across the counter. They are not an appraisal and not a conservation report.
Questions
Can I hang a print in a sunny room if the glass filters UV?
It will fade more slowly. It will still fade. An interior wall is the better place. Ultraviolet glass is not a permit for a south-facing window.
What is foxing?
Small rust-colored or brown spots on the paper. Damp and impurities encourage them. The frame is often part of the cause. Bring the piece in before the spots spread.
Should I store a print in a tube?
A linen-backed poster can be rolled, image facing out, if it must be. An unmounted print should stay flat, in a folder, off the floor. Do not roll a brittle sheet to make it fit a tube.