Fine Art Photography and Original Art by Lena Johnson Studio

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How to Handle Your Fine Art Photographs and Limited Edition Prints

Why do I need to take precautions when handling fine art archival prints?

Acid free and lignin free paper that lasts longer than other papers and holds color well is referred to as archival paper.  With a quality lifetime of 100 years or longer, archival paper is often used for critical, permanent records, such as for museums, that must be kept for many years.  Lena Johnson uses archival materials exclusively to produce her contemporary photography fine art work and numbered limited edition prints.  To maintain the investment value of fine art, care must be taken to conserve the archival qualities.  Small prints will be shipped in a flat box between several layers of protective materials to ensure that they do not bend.  Large prints are sent rolled, wrapped in bubble wrap and then sealed in a sturdy cardboard box or tube.  

When opening your package, a few precautions should be taken: 

• Keep all food and beverages away from your work area. 

• Handle your prints with clean hands.  Wearing gloves is an even better idea. 

• Slide the print out of the protective plastic bag on a large clean table. 

• Be sure the keep the print flat. 

• When lifting the print, hold by opposite corners only.  Holding the prints in other ways can cause a crease and can ruin your print and/or the future value of it.

To frame for display, the use of high quality, acid-free, lignin-free matboard is highly recommended. In general, paper objects should be framed using a window mat. Window mats provide space between the surface of the artwork and the glass of the frame to prevent the work of art from becoming stuck to the glass surface.

The document should be attached to the matboard using only acid-free paper hinges and high-quality adhesives. Staining can be caused by contact with acidic or other poor quality materials, such as scotch tape or rubber cement. The recommended adhesives for hinging paper are wheat starch paste, methyl cellulose, and the ready-made paper framing/hinging tape that is available from University Products Inc.

The use of ultra violet filtering glass and Plexiglas in frames can help to reduce damage from UV light.

Factors That Can Cause Damage

( reprinted courtesy of Mary Fahey, Head of Preservation/Chief Conservator, The Henry Ford Museum)

Careless Handling
Careless handling is by far the most prevalent cause of damage to archival materials. It can lead to tears, wear, loss of the image, creases and staining. The following guidelines are included to assist in the prevention of damage that can occur during handling.

• Clean white cotton gloves should always be worn when handling a book or document. Salts and oils from human hands can cause damage in the form of staining and can also transfer dirt to the paper surface.  If gloves are not available, care should be taken to ensure that hands are washed and dried frequently when handling the art.

• All work spaces and table tops should be neat and free of dirt.

• When moving a paper or parchment document always support it from below. The safest method for moving the object is to slide a piece of stiff paper or matboard underneath the art so that the matboard (not the document) is handled.

• Stacked paper objects should never be dragged or slid across each other. This can cause abrasion or smudging of their surfaces. It is preferable to lift them up one at a time.

• Never eat, smoke or drink in the vicinity of archival collections. Accidents can lead to irreparable staining or burns.

• It is a good rule to use only pencils when working on, or around, archival materials as pens and markers can cause staining. Never write on documents with a marker or pen. It can bleed through to the other side or can complicate future conservation work.

• Paper clips, binder clips and post-it notes should not be used on archival materials. Metallic clips can corrode and leave rust stains on paper, parchment and fabric. Post-it notes can damage the media or paper surfaces.