Ultraviolet rays can be a factor that leads to your artwork becoming damaged. Although not all materials deteriorate the same way, some materials can be more sensitive to light than others. An example of a material that is highly sensitive to light is textiles. UV protective glazing can be a good solution as it also prevents colours from fading.
Minimising your artworks exposure to direct sunlight is crucial when it comes to protecting your art. Other framed materials such as oil paintings, family photographs, children's drawings and other pieces that may have taken you hours to create also need to be protected... but what is the best way to do this?
Where you place your artwork in your home will either have a positive or negative effect on how it lasts over time. Framed prints need a lot of protection from not only direct but reflected sunlight too. The sunlight that can be most damaging to your art pieces is sunlight that comes through south-facing windows. And to make matters worse, a lot of people have their south-facing walls painted white, which can also reflect a lot of UV light, making it even more damaging.
UV glazing can help preserve the appearance of your textiles, however, this on its own will not be enough to stop it from fading from direct or reflected sunlight over time, so you need to think about whereabouts you are going to hang them within your home. There is an exception, however, and that is for canvas prints that use UV inks. These inks, in most cases, are fade resistant rather than paint or dye on another type of fabric.
Paintings that tend to fade the most from UV light are oil and acrylic paintings. Intense afternoon sun is considered to have the worst effect. Materials such as varnish can add an element of protection such as UV glazing, however, the most damaging aspect with oils comes from the heat that's given off - from direct sunlight rather than the UV rays. To give your oil paintings the best chance, the ideal temperature of the room that you are hanging them in should be around 16-26 degrees.
Watercolour paintings are also susceptible to fading from sunlight and from high amounts of moisture in the air. Direct sunlight over a sustained period is likely to cause irreversible fading. The best way to stop your watercolour paintings from fading is to place them in rooms where the humidity level is under 60% - so you should be ok putting them anywhere apart from the kitchen, bathroom or any room where the humidity can fluctuate drastically.
Canvas prints that are naturally resistant from Ultraviolet rays don't need any UV protection, with that being said, however, it still isn't a good idea to have them in direct sunlight for a sustained period. Oil paintings are best placed in areas where there is stable room temperature and humidity levels - places such as dimly lit hallways, landings, staircases or a shaded area of a room will be ideal.
Textiles will always be a tricky material to shield from fading even if you are using UV protection. To gives your textile creation the best possible chance to be preserved over time, don't hang them in places where they can be exposed to indirect sunlight or from exterior heat sources such as fireplaces or radiators.
Other materials that can deteriorate from too much exposure to direct sunlight is anything on paper with ink, either drawn or printed. For that reason, it can be a good idea to rotate your prints seasonally. For example, when the summer months arrive, try displaying your canvas prints and in the winter, where there is less sunlight, display your watercolour paintings and family prints.
Light will always be the enemy of all prints, whether it's a cherished print of a family photograph or a delicately painted watercolour art piece. Even in the lowest of light, repeat exposure can cause damage over time.
Any good framers will be able to show you a vast range of different solutions and advise on what might be the most suitable given the work and its proposed location.
You can contact EasyFrame on 01234 856 501 and / or sales@EasyFrame.co.uk and they'll always chat even if you don't want to buy!
Article Posted: 06/05/2021 11:12:26