Conservation Framing is framing using the highest quality material designed to protect the art subject. Special techniques and procedures are used to protect the work and a process that is reversible is used to leave the artwork in its original state.

When Should Conservation Framing be used?

While Conservation Framing is generally used for paper borne art and documents of high monetary value, Conservation Framing should be used anytime a high degree of protection and preservation is desired for a framed piece. Examples of the latter are:

- Family photographs
- Historical documents or photographs
- Important momentos

What does Conservation Framing Do?

Everything will deteriorate given time and exposure to the earthly environment. Conservation framing is designed to minimize deterioration by the environment and to avoid contributory deterioration by the materials that surround the artwork. Some of the factors of this deterioration are:

Handling
Use common sense when handling artworks on paper. Carelessness can lead to serious damage, especially if the paper is fragile or degraded.

Paper easily absorbs skin oils and perspiration so wash your hands before handling any type of valuable artwork. Never touch the surface of a picture.

When handling unframed artworks, support them from underneath or place them in a folder. Use both hands. When carrying a framed work, grip both sides of the frame.

Never use pressure-sensitive tapes such as Sellotape and masking tape, or adhesives such as PVA (white glue) or rubber cement to mend or mount an artwork. Much damage can be caused by well meant, but inappropriate repairs or mounting. If cleaning or mending are necessary, consult a professional conservator for advice.

Humidity and Temperature
High temperature and humidity levels can accelerate the growth of mold inside the frame. Mold is often seen as a ghostly image on the glazing material. Mold formation cannot be totally eliminated and as a result the frame should be disassembled every 3-5 years to remove mold that has formed.

Artwork should be spaced from the glazing materials to provide an air space to prevent the condensation of moisture onto the paper and allow a small air space for the inside frame atmosphere to adjust for increased levels of moisture in the air. Spacing is achieved by the use of a mat or spacer between the glazing and the artwork. Sudden changes of temperature and humidity should be avoided as heavy condensation may wet and damage the artwork. Foxing is red or brown spots that appear on the surface of the paper. While the exact cause of foxing is not totally understood, it appears to accelerate under high temperature and humidity conditions.

Dirt
Atmospheric pollution or dirt or dust may combine with moisture in the air to form harmful acids that will attack the paper. Normal dust and dirt may also be absorbed by the paper over time.

Light
The effect of light on art is insidious and not readily apparent. Ultraviolet rays damage artwork in two ways. Color may be faded by strong florescent lighting or direct sunlight. Paper also tends to absorb high energy photons which causes a chemical reaction in the paper , breaking it down and causing it to turn brittle. The effects of light on materials can be reduced by the use of glazing that filters out harmful ultraviolet rays.

Storage
Pictures in storage should be kept in a dark, clean, dry location with adequate air circulation. Temperature and humidity levels should be moderate and constant.

Ideally, unframed pictures should be matted and stored flat. Loose items may be kept in folders and interleaved with acid-free tissue paper to separate them from each other and to protect the surfaces from abrasion. The exception includes any work with a fragile or delicate surface, such as unfixed charcoal or chalk drawings. In this case, framing provides the best protection as nothing should be allowed to touch the surfaces of these images.

Framed works in storage should not rest directly on the floor. If shelving is not available, raise the frames off the floor by resting them on padded blocks.

Avoid rolling oversized artworks. If this is the only option, roll the artwork onto a large diameter tube which has been covered with an appropriate barrier layer. Use an interleaving material, such as acid-free tissue, to isolate the artwork from contact with itself on the roll.

Display
Light can cause discolouration and brittleness in paper and fading of media. Watercolour, gouache and dye-based media such as felt pen and coloured inks are particularly light-sensitive. Keep lighting to a minimum. Tungsten light bulbs provide a less damaging type of light than fluorescent or natural light sources. Do not use frames with clip-on light fixtures. These create "hot spots" which can desiccate the paper.

Do not display pictures near sources of heat or moisture. Avoid hanging artworks on damp walls or above the fireplace.

Frames should be dusted regularly. The backs of framed pictures should be periodically inspected for dirt, dust and signs of insects or mould activity, and to ensure that hangers and hardware are secure.

How Does Conservation Framing Work?

The theory behind conservation framing is to enclose the item in a non-hostile environment to give it protection from the general environment. The general components of a conservation framing job consist of the frame, the glazing, the mat (if used) or spacer, the backing and the hinging.

Mats, backing, hinging and glazing must consist of 100% acid free material of conservation quality approved by the Library of Congress. Hinging should be of acid free, materials with a water based activated adhesive. Under no circumstances should pressure sensitive adhesives be used on paper as these adhesives change character over time and the adhesive is known to migrate into the paper. To retain the original state of the artwork, it should not be cut, folded or mounted or glued to to backing boards.

Matting
The primary purpose of matting is to separate the artwork from the glass. Since paper expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes, the mat allows room for that inside the frame. Mats should also enhance the beauty of the artwork.

A conservation "package" consists of the acid free backing to which the artwork is hinged, the hinge and the window mat(s). Artwork should be hinged only at the top (with certain exceptions) to allow for expansion and contraction. Although many mats are touted as acid free, only mats made with rag fibers or lignin free wood pulp mats which have been properly buffered are acceptable as true conservation quality. These mats are readily known to your framer and he can identify these for you.

Endnote
Conservation framing techniques cannot be fully covered here. Your framer has the knowledge and expertise to properly advise you regarding the choices available in regular and conservation framing. They will help you select the best materials to balance the decision of the value of the artwork vs. the cost of the framing, as well as creating a framing design that is asthetically pleasing.

This information, in part, is contributed by the National Library's Conservation and Preservation Services.