For all artwork on paper, an appropriate framing solution can be vital and in the hands of an experienced adviser the finished job will exceed your expectations. All you need to do is make informed decisions at the beginning. Whether you have a watercolour, an etching or silkscreen print, a pen or pencil drawing or other work on any type of paper, the first thing to consider is the level of conservation your artwork deserves. The work itself can sometimes dictate this – if it is valuable or could potentially become valuable, then the highest level of conservation should be chosen. For works on paper this means ‘museum’ or cotton fibre mount board, both in front and behind the artwork, archival backing board and the best UV barrier glazing.
Budget – visually pleasing but no long-term protection Minimum – putting economy first. The professional framer will only recommend the top three categories. Membership of the Fine Art Trade Guild is a good indicator that your framer will “know his or her stuff”, so look out for their logo and ask if they are a Guild Commended Framer, indicating a recognised professional level of knowledge, the ability to advise, and a high level of skill.
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Once you are aware of the principles of conservation framing you will always be able to make considered decisions and suggest to your framer which level of materials you would like to use.
The board that you choose is probably the most important decision: it’s the only thing in direct contact with your artwork so unless you are using archival backing board, it is also advisable to use the same board as a barrier board behind your picture. Mount board comes in two basic types, made from either wood pulp or cotton fibre, the latter is also sometimes called rag or museum board being completely inert and the only thing you should use on valuable artwork. Wood pulp boards come in high specification conservation varieties. Alphacellulose are the best, having been purified chemically to make them permanently ph neutral. All companies who make mount board have a basic conservation range. It is what any good framer would recommend for limited edition prints and items of medium value, and should also be the minimum acceptable quality for any artwork or photograph. Non-conservation mount boards go gradually yellowy-brown or even dark brown in the bevel edge of the window as the bleached wood pulp returns over time to its natural state. As it darkens it is also getting more and more acidic; this acidity eventually bleeds into the artwork making a brown line on the edge of the bevel and sometimes a general yellowness behind the mount. It usually also makes the paper very dry and brittle. The only way to reverse this damage is to send
Caring for on paper Even if it is only a poster or cheap print it is still advisable to ask for conservation mount board, as cheap standard mount board is only suitable for short-term temporary presentation. The Fine Art Trade Guild has a number of recognised levels of framing: Museum – the ultimate long-term protection Conservation – preserves artwork for your lifetime and future generations Commended – guarantees a degree of protection but takes cost more into consideration
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RWA magazine Autumn 2012
Once you are aware of the principles of conservation framing you will always be able to make considered decisions and suggest to your framer which level of materials you would like to use. At its most simple this means that all of the materials should be conservation quality and assembly techniques used must be reversible, so any piece of artwork framed by whatever method can be deconstructed or taken apart back to the original artwork without damaging it.
your artwork to a paper conservator for restoration, a process that can make a serious dent in your wallet, but highly recommended if such damage is present. Conservation mount boards have only really became available and widely used in the last 15 years, so have a look at your pictures over 10 years old and make an assessment of their condition. If the bevels on the edge of the window look brown then upgrade the mounts; if you are extremely lucky then someone may have chosen cotton rag board in the past,