CARING FOR YOUR PORTRAITS
To Preserve Your Image Quality:
- Handle photographs while wearing clean nitrile gloves or finger cots. Your hands produce oils even after being washed. The oils will deteriorate the photographs over time.
- Avoid touching the image area of a photograph. Whenever possible handle the photograph by its edges or its housing materials.
- Have a clean, dry, organized work area free of food and drink.
- Whenever possible, avoid marking photographs. If absolutely necessary, limit markings and write on the back and near the edge with a soft graphite pencil. It is preferable to mark the photograph’s housing materials.
- Do not use paper clips, rubber bands, or other mechanical fasteners to mark or organize prints.
- Do not use self-adhesive tape, sticky notes, glue, or other adhesives on photographs.
- Be cautious when removing dust from the surface of a photograph. Even soft brushes can scratch or otherwise damage photographs. Use a blower, such as an air bulb, (not canned air) to remove loose dust and debris.
- Use care and patience when moving collections, especially glass and heavy, large, or awkward works.
We include finger cots or cotton gloves with all of our orders, for your convenience.