The Best Way To Lengthen The Life Of Your Framed Picture

Many factors can affect the length of time your pictures can last in the picture frames. A mix of factors contribute to just how long your framed art will last, like properly framing it to protect it from damage because of environmental issues while it is on display.

Things That Can Hurt Your Framed Art

Handling - hands, poor storage or faulty repairs may cause fingerprints, creases, and stains on your artwork. Framing can offer complete protection if your art is correctly protected with glazing (glass or plastic).

Insects - these guys like to consume the wood frames and also the paste utilized to place them together. The harm that insects could cause includes holes along with deterioration of the frame. When the insects aren't already sealed inside your frame, then properly framing the image can protect against the bugs.

Moisture / Humidity - damp areas such as kitchens, porches, bathrooms, boats, and homes located near bodies of water could cause your artwork to warp, buckle, or grow mold. You cannot completely protect your art from moisture, but proper framing can slow down the absorption. The easiest way to control this cause of harm is with proper placement of the framed artwork or by manipulating the environment where the art is hung.

Air Pollution - pesticides, cooking grease, chemical substances, ashes and smoke from your fireplace can all harm and cause discoloration and stains to your artwork. If you cover your artwork with acrylic or glass, then the framing can help to protect your art from these sources.

Light - sunlight, fluorescent, incandescent, and picture lights can all cause fading. Proper framing will help, but it's wise to protect your art from fading by avoiding exposure to strong light.

Heat and Cold - extreme temperatures and extreme changes in temperature may cause warping and/or buckling of artwork. This potential damage can be controlled by proper framing and proper choice of hanging location.

Acids and Gases - framing materials or even the art itself can contain harmful acids or gases that can cause discoloration and deterioration. Mitigate internal weaknesses with proper framing which can prevent damage brought on by materials.

Have The Picture Professionally Framed

If any of the above-mentioned factors that can harm your artwork causes you concern, then you might consider consulting an expert. When selecting an experienced framer, be an educated consumer. Your decision making will likely be easier if you go in with a general notion of what the framing standards, color choices, and styles might be. It will help to understand the primary difference between ornately jeweled picture frames and, say, ornate vintage picture frames.

The expertise and experience of professional picture framers varies, so make certain you are searching for indications of professional standards. A framer that is interested in maintaining current standards and staying in the industry might indicate membership in the Professional Picture Framers Association (this is known as PPFA in the U.S. and Canada) or, if you are in the United Kingdom, the Fine Art Trade Guild (FATG). You can search for certificates or signage that indicate training.

An alternative choice should be to just talk with the framer about how exactly they became involved in the profession. Some excellent framers learned their job merely by working for a long time in great frame shops, or some might have learned by growing up into the framing as a family business.

Word of mouth is often another good way to discover a reputable framer, since many people won't recommend a professional or a business unless they're satisfied enough to be proud of their choice.


------

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Display your favorite photos in one of our beautiful 5x7 picture frames. Shop online and see our photo frames online now or call 800-780-0699.