Most of looking after art is choosing the right spot when you hang it. After that it needs very little: a dusting now and then, and a bit of care when you move house. Every product page lists the care for that piece in the Care row of Product details; this guide is the general version.
1. Does art fade in sunlight?
Yes, everything does over time, even prints made with archival pigment inks, which are among the most lightfast there are. Direct sun is the main cause: a patch of sunlight that falls on a piece for a few hours a day will fade it over years, and unevenly, so one corner goes first.
Before you hang, watch the wall through a sunny day. If direct sun reaches it, choose another wall, or draw a sheer curtain during the brightest hours. Bright daylight that doesn't fall directly on the piece is fine.
2. Where shouldn't art hang?
- Above a radiator, heating vent or baseboard heater. Rising heat dries paper, warps frames and pulls canvas.
- Above a fireplace that heats the wall. Check with the back of your hand after an hour of a fire; the fireplace guide has the detail.
- In steam. Bathrooms with a shower, beside a kettle, above a cooktop. Bathrooms and kitchens covers where art can go in those rooms.
- On a damp exterior wall, especially in a basement.
3. How do you clean a framed piece?
Dust is the only regular job. For each finish, the rule is dry first:
- Glass: a dry microfibre cloth. If it needs more, spray a little glass cleaner on the cloth, never on the glass, so nothing runs down behind the frame and into the print.
- Acrylic: a dry microfibre cloth only. Acrylic scratches easily, so no paper towels, ammonia or glass cleaner.
- Canvas, framed or wrapped: a soft, dry brush or microfibre cloth. No water or cleaners on the canvas.
- Textured, relief and mixed media: a soft, dry brush, getting into the ridges and recesses. No water or cleaners.
- Metal: a soft, dry cloth. No water or cleaners on the finish.
- Frames: a dry cloth. Wood frames don't need polish.
Our finishes has the care for each medium beside a close-up of it.
4. What does a Canadian winter do to art?
Indoor air gets very dry in a heated Canadian home in winter and humid again in summer. Wood frames and canvas stretchers move a little with those swings; it's normal. Two things help: keep art off walls with heat sources, and if you run a humidifier, keep it away from the art rather than pointed at it.
If a canvas looks slightly slack in winter, it often tightens again as the air gets more humid. Don't try to tighten it yourself; email me at diana@blankwall.ca, or use the contact page, and I'll ask the studio.
5. How do you move or store art?
- Carry it by the sides of the frame, with two hands, never by the wire or the top edge.
- Wrap the corners first: they're what hits doorways. Keep the original box and corner guards if you can; ours come with them, and they're the best way to move a piece.
- Store it upright, on its edge, not flat with things piled on it. Put a sheet of cardboard between pieces leaning together, and keep glass facing glass.
- Somewhere dry and stable: a closet in the house, not a garage, shed or basement.
Ready-to-ship pieces can only be returned in their original box, which is one more reason to keep it for the first 30 days.
Next step
Check the Care row in Product details on any piece you're considering, and read Our finishes for each medium up close.
Questions we get asked
Don't open the frame yourself; it's easy to mark the print. Email me a photo at diana@blankwall.ca, or send it through the contact page, and I'll tell you what we can do.
I wouldn't hang anything you care about there. Sunrooms get direct sun from several sides through the day.