IAP Guide to: Looking after your art print
So you’ve just purchased your special art print from IslamicArtPrints.com and now you are thinking about how you’re going to get the most from it. We’ve put together a few practical tips on what to do once your art print has arrived and how you can maintain it for longevity.
If you have ordered a fine art giclee print, your print should have arrived rolled up in a tube. Because we use archival grade paper for our prints, you will find that the paper is much thicker than your average printer paper.
You will most probably need to flatten your print to make it easy for framing. Carefully remove the print from all external packaging and place it on a flat surface such as a dining table or desk. You can then stack some books on each corner to and leave them there for day or so. You should find your print will be easier to handle when it is flat, especially if you are framing yourself.
Your print should arrive in pristine condition so you should have no requirement to dust it down, but if it has collected a small amount of dust whilst you’ve laid it flat, simply use a sheet of kitchen tissue or a DRY, clean cloth (with no detergent) to dust it down before framing.
If you are wishing to clean a framed print, remove the frame from the wall and again place on a flat surface. Once again, use a dry cloth to wipe the frame if the frame is wax-stained, or a damp cloth on plastic frames. In the latter instance, we would recommend dampening the cloth with water first before wiping down.
Other hints and tips:
Try to avoid hanging any art near heat sources such a boilers or radiators, or in places where condensation can collect quickly - such as bathrooms or near steam rooms (if you have one!).
As per our previous post, it is also never recommended to place artwork on spaces that are constantly exposed to long hours of direct sunlight as even the best and most robust of inks will break down after a while.
Worried about pets or kids? If you have dogs and cats or little children running around the house, we would suggest that you hang your print on a wall so it doesn’t get knocked over. Having prints resting against walls, unsecured, or on low level shelves and book shelves could be unstable and frames can easily break or smash if they fall to the floor - especially if they fall onto corners. And if you are mounting on a wall, make sure you do it at a height which is impossible for little hands (or paws) to get to.
If you have any further questions on looking after your print, please do not hesitate to get in touch on salaam@islamicartprints.com
