A giclée print is tougher than it looks — twelve pigment inks sunk into heavyweight paper, rated to a century indoors. But a little care goes a long way. Here are the five rules we give every collector.
1. Mind the midday sun
Indirect light is a print's best friend; direct midday sun, year after year, is its slow enemy. Hang bold pieces on walls that get morning or evening light, and use UV-glazing for the sunniest rooms. Our frames include anti-glare UV glass as standard.
2. Keep humidity boring
Paper loves stability: normal room humidity, no bathrooms, no unventilated kitchens. If your print ripples slightly with the seasons, don't panic — it usually relaxes back. Never iron a print, however tempting.
3. Handle by the edges
Fingerprints contain oils that show up years later as faint ghosts. Handle unframed prints by the edges or with clean cotton gloves, and let a fresh print acclimatise flat for a day before framing.
4. Frame it within the year
Unframed prints are happiest framed within twelve months. Until then, keep them flat between acid-free tissue, out of tubes — tubes are for travel, not storage.
5. Dust, don't wipe
Clean glass with a dry microfibre cloth, never spray near the frame's edge. The print itself needs no cleaning at all — that's rather the point of hanging it behind glass.
Follow these and your grandchildren will argue over who inherits the monster. If anything ever arrives less than perfect, our 30-day promise has you covered.