Heat and humidity are two timeless foes of artworks. Throughout the centuries, they have been some of the primal reasons behind the irreparable damage and even destruction of paintings, prints, drawings, photos, and other forms of visual art. With the lack of professional restoration services in the past, even pieces that had the chance to be saved were doomed to be thrown away or rejected, which meant extinction. The situation is starkly different nowadays when you not only have a lot of dedicated restoration experts, but you can also learn how to protect art prints by yourself. Here are guidelines that will help you guard them against heat and humidity.
The Impact of Heat and Humidity on Art
Let’s start with the humidity. When its level rises, the water condensation lands on the surface and can start a corrosive reaction, which will influence the chemical composition of the paint. As a result, it causes molding, foxing (brown spots on a print), and even discoloration. To know how to protect art prints, you also shouldn’t forget about heat even for a minute because it is the opposite side of the high humidity level. The thing is that rapid temperature changes, high temperatures, and direct exposure to the sun are something that can make the level of humidity too low, meaning that your artwork will lack water. As a result, the paper or any other material will weaken and become irreversibly brittle.
How to Protect Art Prints if You Are Not an Expert
To protect your belongings, you don’t need some special skills or pieces of equipment. The only thing required is consistency in following the rules. To keep heat and humidity at bay, you should create appropriate conditions for art storage and then keep it the same over time.
First and foremost, your humidity level should be between 40% and 60%, which is usually optimal. It automatically means that some garages and basements are bad storage options. Second, keep heating elements and devices further from the artworks. Direct sunlight and proximity to radiators are things everyone needs to avoid. And if by any chance you want to change the environment of the storage, always do it gradually. As mentioned before, rapid temperature fluctuations are bad for your valuables.
Hopefully, the information above has satisfied your curiosity and answered the question of how to protect art prints from heat and humidity. Take care of yourself and your art!