If you're interested in collecting art, but just don't have the money to be buying original paintings, you should consider looking into fine art prints. Often, these are near perfect recreations of the original, but they cost nowhere near as much. However, sometimes these prints are limited editions, meaning there are only a certain amount available, and they will probably cost more than others would.
You might wonder how people are able to create these recreations of art without damaging it. There are three basic methods, the first being lithography. This makes use of chemical processes to print and has come a long way in modern times. There's also serigraph, where ink is pushed through a screen, creating an image formed by a stencil.
Finally, there's a more high tech option in giclee, which uses digital images and six colors of ink. Obviously, it just came about more recently and has brought with it some of the sharpest images that can be created. There's actually another option in serilith, but it blends together the technologies of the previously mentioned options. It's used largely for the rarest prints you're going to be able to find.
It's easy enough to go out and buy the prints you want. However, then you must take the time to keep them looking nice. Like with real art, there are a lot of things that can damage the appearance. Before you do anything else, you should get a frame to put the print in. This will protect from all human and environmental factors that could hurt it.
What are some of those factors? One is light, especially UV light. Paper in general will be damaged by these and lose its color or strength over time. The more light there is, the faster the effects will occur and the more noticeable they will be. You'll need to counter this with glass made specifically for blocking UV and does the job much better than normal glass.
Even if you have the glass frame, your prints are going to be subject to the effects of moisture. However, if you're storing them somewhere, you need to be extra aware of humidity. You should never store them in plastic bags as they trap the moisture in with them, but in general you should avoid any sort of damp area with water in the air.
Sometimes the mats or backing that come with the paintings will have high acidity levels. In this case, you want to remove them as quickly as possible. The acid will transfer to the print itself and cause more damage. There are materials you can find that don't use any acid, so replace whatever you're using now with one of these to avoid further harm.
Of course, above all, make sure you're never just shoving prints away, even when you don't have them on display. Basements, attics, and garages are all easy places to put things, but they aren't good environments for your pieces. Just because they aren't hand painted themselves doesn't mean you shouldn't take as much care of them as possible.
Annie Deakin is a journalist, fashion and furniture expert and editor at mydeco.com and is currently very impressed by the great range of
bed frames,
beds and
sideboards.
