From the Blog

Archival Framing

Shown above, a framed photo became discolored and faded over time due to damage from the backing and the sun. On the right the restored photo is framed using anti-reflective Museum Glass and archival materials. Now it can be enjoyed for years to come.

Archival framing and “conservation framing” are interchangeable terms referring to practices that help preserve, and avoid damaging, your art and mementos.

Non-archival quality framing materials contain acid that can discolor your photos and art. They don’t protect against ultraviolet light, allowing sunlight and fluorescent light to damage your piece. Finally, they can let in dust and even tiny insects.

For some projects, this isn’t a concern – you may only plan on having that framed photo on the wall for a few years. But for collectibles and mementos, you’ll want to consider the following materials.

What Archival Framing Includes

These are archival materials our designers will often recommend.

Conservation Quality Glass or Acrylic

Ordinary glass and acrylic lets ultraviolet rays pass through, which in turn will damage your art. To protect against this, special glass or acrylic is engineered to filter out ultraviolet rays.

Museum Glass and Acrylic by Tru-Vue offers 99% UV protection. It’s also anti-reflective. As shown in this image, the right side uses Museum Glass and the left side uses standard glass which shows reflections.

100% Acid Free Mats and Mounting Materials

In most cases, your item will be mounted to foam core or mat board and may have a mat in front of it. Mats and foam core that contain acid can cause discoloration over time. Fortunately acid-free materials are more sophisticated than ever. Cotton rag or Virgin Alpha-Cellulose mat boards are naturally 99% acid-free, and are also boosted to 100% through a buffering process. When it’s complete, the mat board actually is 2-3% alkaline in order to offset any acids that might be in the air.

Mats also provide a layer of air between the art and glazing that helps to avoid trapping moisture between them, damaging the art.

Non-Destructive Mounting

We use minimalist acid-free hinging techniques to put the least amount of stress on your art. However, it’s not a pure conservation method because the tape does adhere to the art, and removing the tape could cause some amount of damage, if not done properly.

The best conservation practice is to use mounting corners. These hold the art in place without any adhesive contact. Trust your designer to help you come to the right decision about how to treat your art.

Paper Dustcover

A paper dustcover will prevent dust and insects from sneaking into your framed work of art, while allowing the art to breathe at the same time.

Does Archival Framing Protect Art from All Damage?

No matter how your item is framed, if it’s of great value to you, you’ll want to keep it away from bright sun and moisture. If you hang a framed object in a bathroom, humidity and condensation will eventually lead to mold or buckling. Similarly, hanging art in a bright sunny window will cause sunlight to trap heat behind the glazing and start to fade your art.

Fortunately for those of us living here in the Northwest, our interiors tend to be stay pretty shady!

We look forward to working with you on your next archival framing project.