Hanging and caring for a print at home

A good print will last for centuries if it is looked after, and fade in a few summers if it is not. Most of the care is simple, and most of it is done once, when you frame it and choose where it hangs.

Keep it out of the sun

Light is the biggest danger to a work on paper. Strong daylight, and direct sun above all, fades inks and turns paper yellow, and the damage cannot be undone. Choose a wall that does not catch the sun, or one where it only falls for a short time. If a room is bright, ask your framer about glass that filters out ultraviolet light.

Mind the damp and the heat

Paper takes up moisture from the air. On a cold outside wall, in a bathroom, or above a radiator or a wood burner, it can cockle, grow brown spots known as foxing, or dry out and become brittle. An inside wall in a room with a steady temperature is best.

The frame and the mount

Many of our prints come framed. If you are framing one yourself, ask for a mount and backing board of acid-free, conservation-quality board, so the paper is not stained over time, and make sure the print is held by hinges or corners rather than glued down. The mount also keeps the glass off the surface of the print.

How high to hang it

Galleries usually hang pictures with their centre at roughly eye level, about one and a half metres from the floor. At home, above a sofa or a sideboard, leave a hand's width or so between the furniture and the bottom of the frame so the picture belongs to what is below it. A group of smaller prints looks best treated as one shape, with even gaps between them.

Looking after it

• Dust the frame and the glass with a soft dry cloth. Never spray cleaner onto the glass, as it can run behind it.
• Every so often, look at the back and the edges for damp, insects or a loose hanging wire.
• When you move house, wrap it carefully and carry it upright.

If you have a question about a work you bought from us, or one you are thinking of buying, just ask.