Safe Print Handling

Your print has been made with the highest-quality equipment, materials and processes. However, in the end it’s ink on paper; the ink itself (many millions of tiny dots) is delicate, as is the paper surface. Please protect the print surface accordingly – consider it a “no fly zone”.

• Take care not touch the print surface with your fingers, as you may leave fingerprints; natural skin oils and moisturizing lotions may damage the ink or paper. You also may scuff the ink or the paper surface. If a print must be handled to any significant degree, wear clean cotton gloves.
• Avoid dragging anything across the face of the print. Glossy and matte papers are subject to different forms of damage, but all prints can be fairly easily scratched or abraded.
• Don’t put anything heavy on top of the print, or place any uneven pressure on it, to avoid crushing or denting the paper.
• If the print is rolled, try not to grip it too tightly or with any heavy pressure points, as this will dent or crease the paper.
• Be careful when rolling or unrolling the print so that its own cut edges or corners don’t scuff or scratch the inked print area. Some papers have a stiff curl, and may “spring” when being unrolled. Keep control of both ends of the rolled prints; use soft, non-scratching weights for the corners to keep it flat on a table top.
• Don’t bend or fold a print, as this will crease the paper, and potentially crack or flake off the ink. Also avoid rolling a curled print against the natural curl of the paper, to avoid creasing it.
• Keep the print surface clear of dust, dirt, or liquids of any kind. If the print surface has dust or loose fibres, clean it only with gentle, low-pressure compressed air. Never use direct contact such as brushes or wiping with a cloth. Be aware that “canned air” may contain propellants that could damage the print surface.
• If you wish to sign or annotate your print, avoid using solvent-based inks or paints, as these may damage the print, and also may fade quickly. A print on matte paper is best annotated with a fine graphite pencil. A glossy print can be annotated with light-fast, archival pigment pens.

Being mindful of possible sources of damage to your print will ensure that it can be enjoyed for a very long time.

A hard copy of this document, along with our “Safe Print Storage” and “Safe Print Presentation” guides, is included in every package we ship from the studio. We would also be happy to go over print handling techniques with you in person when you pick up your print.