Care and handling of your digital giclee print

1. Remove all tape that was used for packaging. Even the smallest piece can find its way to your print and damage the surface.
   
   
2. To remove a print from a tube, start by uncapping the top end and carefully removing the packing bubbles if we shipped it to you.Your print(s) will be rolled against the inside wall of the tube. Make sure you have enough space for your print(s) to uncurl. Gently reach in for the corner of your print(s) on the inside most curl. Very gently move the corner in the direction of the curl (you're making your rolled up print slightly smaller to get it out easily) and slowly pull the print out of the tube.
   
   
3. Handle the print only by the edges, preferably with clean white cotton gloves. The oils from you hands can affect the PH of the paper and reduce the archival qualities. Fingerprints on dark areas will show up as sheen.
   
   
4. Use two hands to support the print, so it will not bend. A crease in the print is permanent.
   
   
5. Do not use your hands to wipe off any dust, this can scratch the surface. Use canned air gently and always keep the can upright so no Freon comes out.
   
   
6. Be gentle. Some of the fine art papers we use are a fibrous media. if you rub your print, it will pill, and the ink on the surface can scratch off. This applies to both glossy and matte/watercolor prints.
   
   
7. Keep moisture or condensation from getting on the print. Although the ink is somewhat water resistant, water can still cause damage. A water drop on the print surface will be permanently visible when dry.
   
   
8. If possible, allow a few days for your print to breathe before framing so the inks can completely set and any outgassing can escape.
   
   
9. When framing, use only archival (acid-free) supplies. Wood frames treated with chemicals or paints can omit harmful gases that can attack the ink and paper.
   
   
10. DO NOT USE the cardboard materials we package our jobs in or the cardboard tubes for long-time storage of your print, they are NOT archival. However, the clear plastic sleeves we use are archival. Tubes and hard envelopes can be reused and/or recycled.
    
    
11. Use common sense--storing or exhibiting a print in bright sunlight, or in a setting that might have chemical outgassing (from freshly painted walls, new rugs, and other fumes) may cause fading or discoloration.
    
    
12. If the print was made on canvas, we recommend spray coating it after it has been stretched. This will add richness to the darker areas and enhance the texture of the canvas. Several light coatings in opposite directions works best allowing for drying between coats. Krylon brand Kamar Varnish works great but there are many others out there too.