Picture Framing Care for Protection

Caring for your newly framed work of art is very simple, keep it in a well-ventilated area, avoid steamy bathrooms, try and choose a spot that avoids prolonged direct sunlight and if it gets a little dusty simply wipe over with a microfibre cloth or duster. If you find any marks on the glass, use an ammonia free glass cleaner with a cloth and your frame will look as good as new. Aftercare on your frame is really that simple. But if you are wanting your frame to stay in a pristine condition, it is very important to spent the time and in some cases, money, on choosing a professional and reputable picture framer, like Portfolio Picture Framers, and also choosing the right products to protect your piece for years to come. The research and effort you put in before you frame your piece is what will really benefit the maintenance and protection of it in the long run. 

Choose the right framer

Firstly, choose some time researching picture framing Perth. Look for one with multiple five star online reviews and spend some time on their website and see what information they offer about their products that they use. A reputable framer would not risk one star reviews or their pristine reputation by using inferior products just to save some money. A reputable and quality picture framer will only use the very best materials like acid free foam core, matboard, tapes, paper etc. Use of acid free materials means that your artwork, print, poster or any other item will not turn yellow in years to come. When you see old paper or material that has discoloured, this is due to acid leeching into it. By using acid free materials, this will not happen and your item will stay in pristine condition. 

Choose the right glass

The second factor you may want to consider to protect your frame and item in years to come is the type of glass that you choose to cover your artwork, print, poster or item. Typical glass which is just a plain, reflective glass usually stops around 45% of UV light getting to your item, so if it’s in a dark theatre room, hall way or even in a bedroom away from direct sunlight, standard glass is more than enough to keep your item in good condition. However if the frame will be in direct sunlight for a part or all of the day there is a high chance that it will fade over time. So, therefore, you may wish to consider a UV glass to help protect against fading. There are different levels of UV glass, with the highest blocking 99% of UV light, so fading is fairly well guaranteed not to happen. The hardest decision to make though with UV glass is, do you actually need it? As UV glass is quite expensive, and in some cases can be as much as the framing itself, at Portfolio Picture Framers we will only recommend UV glass if the item that you are framing is a family heirloom, irreplaceable, or worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. UV Glass is a preventative maintenance measure and it follows art gallery standards however standard glass will still protect your item to a degree, you just need to keep it away from direct or near direct sunlight. 

Choose the right size frame

The third factor that you need to consider to keep your frame in pristine condition and protect it from falling off the wall is to choose the right size frame for the size of your item. There are a lot of home renovation shows on the television at the moment and the styles are tending towards very minimalistic thin frames. Whilst these look fantastic, if you have an item that is, for example, a 150cm x 100cm, with a 20mm wide frame and glass, the frame would not be strong enough to hold the weight of this item and there is a potential for the frame to fall of the wall and get damaged. Always listen to the advise of your picture framer and choose a frame that is appropriate for the size of your item. This is another example of why it is important to choose a reputable framer that is knowledgeable in all aspects of framing, not just giving the customer what they asked for. This will go along way in protecting your item for many years to come. 

Hang it correctly

Finally, the last factor to think about in caring for your newly framed item is how you hang it. There are a lot of people that use the wall hangers that simply stick to the wall and are removable. Whilst these are handy for light items that are not likely to break should they fall, like canvas framing, they are really not appropriate for picture frames with glass. Many customers tell us they have never had an issue and they have used them for many years however they are definitely not a permanent solution and they will give way off the wall eventually, usually in the hot summer months. We normally see an influx of people requiring new glass for their picture frames, or even require a complete reframe, in the summer due to the use of these hangers. The safest and most secure way to hang your picture frame is to drill into the wall and place a plug and screw into the wall. If done properly, your frame will not fall off the wall. 

So if you are keen to protect your picture frame investment and want a reliable, honest and reputable picture framers Perth, come and see the team at Portfolio Picture Framers.