Framing Advice
Caring for Works on Paper
by Nancy Muldowney
Prolonging the life of works of art on paper, requires proper care and handling. There are various elements in our environment, which can easily damage a print or a watercolor if certain precautions are not taken.
The conditions of light, temperature and humidity all affect paper and extremes can cause damage. Just as ultraviolet rays of the sun can be harmful to your skin in excessive amounts, ultraviolet rays either direct or reflected can cause some papers to discolor. Papers that are made from unbuffered wood pulp are especially vulnerable to discoloration and you can see the acid burn marks where accelerated deterioration has taken place.
Too much humidity, as well as too little, affects your artwork just as it does every other part of your home or office. High humidity causes the growth of mold that destroys the composition of the surface and causes discoloration. The reddish brown freckle-like staining of paper called foxing is considered a fungal infection. Once this unsightly staining has happened, only a conservator is trained to correct this. So you are well advised to make a periodic check of your framed pieces to make sure they are not developing foxing. We have had many dismayed people come in with this problem and we cannot undo the damage that has already occurred.
In the reverse as humidity is pulled out of the paper by heat and dry conditions, the papers can become brittle. Variations in temperature can affect the paper just as the changes in humidity. Along with mold, insects also like damp undisturbed dark conditions that can be consistent with the inside of a framed artwork. For this reason, cleanliness is essential for the materials surrounding the work. Also, keeping the air moving in a room where the work is hung helps to keep the air from being "still".
Acidic conditions and materials can also cause degradation, embrittlement and discoloration in paper. Acidic material used anywhere in framing may be a source of acid burn or damage to the arts. Many of the pieces that we take apart that were framed prior to 1990 having corrugated or pressed board backings which are highly acidic and very harmful to the art on paper. They discolor the paper and make contribute to its increasing brittleness. We also find an array of tapes that have been used to hinge the paper to the matboard of the backing. There are special non-acidic tapes to be used to hinge artwork plus a non-acidic paste, like wallpaper paste, and mulberry paper not "masking tape", scotch tape or worst of all "duct tape"!
We have seen holes burned right through the middle of a painting because of improper framing materials. Burn marks can also creep into the image of the picture from the edges, whether it be from tape or paper mats. All materials around the artwork should be non-acidic if you intend to keep the artwork for a long time or if it is valuable. It really comes down to how important the piece of artwork is to you as to how much care and money you want to put toward protecting the work.
Just remember to periodically really look at your framed artwork to make sure it is staying in good condition.