While art prints may seem less demanding in terms of storage than canvas art, you should always keep in mind that paper is a quickly degradable and fragile material. That’s why you need to take proper care of organizing a safe, professional art print storage to keep your art prints intact from environmental damage and quick deterioration. Here are the main principles of making up or finding one.
Environmental Controls
Just like with canvas paintings and other fine art objects, art prints require optimal environmental conditions to remain intact to natural degradation. You should keep the temperature at 65-700F and ensure that relative humidity in the room stays around 50%. In case your conditions fluctuate from this norm, the paper on which the art print was produced may extend or contract, which will damage the artwork.
Storage Materials
Art prints also require proper packaging for storage, as they are vulnerable to external impacts. It is recommended that you use acid-free materials of archival quality to prevent the yellowing or brittleness of art prints. It’s also vital to use acid-free sleeves for storage – you may select from acid-free polyester, Mylar, and polypropylene as safe options.
Methods of Organizing Storage
Next, it comes to choosing a method for organizing your storage space. You have several options to choose from – flat storage is a safe method that prevents art print curling and bending, while vertical storage in sturdy packaging can give you a much more optimal distribution of art prints across available storage space.
Labeling and Records
Make sure to label each sleeve, especially if it’s non-transparent, to know which art print is stored in which sleeve. This way, you will avoid repeated ejection of the art print during your collection’s review, which will reduce its wear and tear. Set up an inventory system by putting your art prints either in alphabetic order or by numbering and categorizing them by style or artist.
Fine Art Shippers Provides Secure Art Print Storage in Manhattan
If you have no spare space on your premises that matches the requirements we’ve discussed above, it makes sense to turn to a professional art storage facility that can guarantee security and proper climate control for your art prints. Fine Art Shippers offers a museum-grade storage facility in Upper Manhattan to give you convenience and peace of mind about the conditions of your art print storage. Contact us to learn more about the terms, and let us handle your art print items with due care and professionalism.