How to Look After Your Fine-Art Prints So They Last 100+ Years

Your Real World Art photographic prints are made with proper archival inks and museum-grade papers, but even the best prints need a little love to stay perfect forever. Here’s my no-nonsense, drama-free guide (with a few “don’t be that person” moments thrown in).

Handling – treat it like the Crown Jewels

• Wash your hands first (or pop on some white cotton photography gloves – yes, we’re fancy like that).
• Always support the back with both hands – no bending, no creasing, no “just a quick fingerprint”.
• Never, ever rub the surface with a finger or fingernail. That’s how tiny scratches happen and I cry.

Light – sunlight is the enemy

• Direct sun = fading and cracking (even through windows).
• Normal bulbs = fine. Fluorescent tubes = sneaky UV villains.
• Gentle, indirect daylight is your friend. South-facing window with no curtain is not.

Location – avoid the danger zones

• No kitchens (grease in the air)
• No bathrooms (humidity)
• Nowhere near cigarettes, open fires, or that one radiator that sounds like a jet engine.

Framing – do it right once

• Use UV-protective, non-green-tinted art glass (99% UV block is the gold standard).
• Always add an acid-free mat so the print never touches the glass.
• Cheap frames from the high street? Lovely… for photos of your auntie’s cat. Not for archival prints.

Storage (when it’s waiting for its forever wall)

• Flat, separated by acid-free paper (never stack naked prints).
• No plastic sleeves long-term – they trap moisture and invite mould to the party.
• Transport? Acid-free sheet on the front + stiff cardboard sandwich.

Cleaning – less is more

• A soft, clean microfibre cloth or gentle feather duster every few months is plenty.
• NEVER water, never glass cleaner, never your breath (yes, spit droplets are a thing).
• Compressed air? Short bursts, 12 inches away, at an angle – think “gentle breeze”, not leaf-blower.

Follow these rules and your print will easily outlive both of us.

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