The Care of a Fine Art Print

Your Iris print, or giclee, has been printed on an archival substrate, either watercolor paper or canvas. We would recommend that the following guidelines be observed in handling and display.

(Following are excerpts taken from The Care and Handling of Art Objects , a guide outlining practices employed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, written by Marjorie Shelley, with contributions by members of the curatorial and conservation departments, copyright 1987).

• HANDLING
  - Only ragboard and acid-free materials should come in contact with works of art on paper.
  - Do not touch the surface of any work of art on paper.
  - Do not lift an unmounted print or drawing by the corners. Slide a sheet of ragboard or blotter paper beneath it and hold from underneath the support.
  - If the work itself is to be handled, support the long sides of the sheet with both hands and, if possible, protect the area to be touched with folded tissue paper.
  - Never pull an individual sheet from a pile without first removing all sheets on top of it.
  

• FRAMING
  - The use of ultraviolet-protective glass is always preferred to regular glass for greater longevity of displayed artworks.
  - Where a composition is not in danger of flaking, acrylic sheeting - such as Plexiglas or Lucite (with an ultraviolet absorber) should be used in preference to glass, to protect the work of art against photochemical or light damage. Physical damage to the work will also be prevented should the piece be dropped or shaken loose from its hanging space.
  

• LIGHTING
  - Do not expose works of art on paper to unfiltered fluorescent lighting or daylight.
  - For exhibition, maintain a light level of 5-8 footcandles. Rotating pieces from room to room, in subdued light, can prolong the life of artworks on paper.
  - Works of art on paper must never remain uncovered, except when on display, or while they are being examined.
  

• CLIMATE
  - Maintain a 68-72 degree temperature and 45-55 percent relative humidity.
  - Excessive dampness, dryness, or heat, and fluctuations in temperature will have detrimental effects.