Acid damage
- At May 10, 2014
- By steve
- In Conversation
- 0
So you somehow ended up with a paper mat or cardboard backing, what happens to your art? Maybe you ended up with an inexpensive frame from a department store, or the clerk at a craft store talked you in to saving some money, by telling you “they are all the same”. So what is it going to do to your art? How do you know if it’s going to damage your artwork?
So here is a diploma that has been in contact with a paper mat for about 10 years. You can see how the bevel on the mat has changed from white to yellow. The yellow indicates acid is present, and it is breaking down the paper fibers. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t in contact with your art work. When a paper mat is in contact with your artwork it transfers the burning process to your art work, and also starts to break it down. It will first cause a staining of your artwork, and with continued contact it will break down the fibers of your art work.
If this has happened to something that you value, what can be done?
- First thing is to get it away from the products contain the acid. This can be the mat on the front and/or the backing products. If you’re backing product is made from cardboard, or the mat has acid it needs to be removed as soon as possible.
- Have the artwork re-framed with conservation grade materials.
- If the artwork has great sentimental or monetary value, then we can consult with a conservator to have the acid damage removed. Do realize that this is not an easy process and can be quite expensive.
- If the acid damage is quite extensive, we can try to make the new mats smaller in an attempt to cover the staining. The new conservation mats will not remove the existing stains, but they will help halt anymore damage. The covering of the stain is really just an attempt to improve the appearance of your artwork.
So, if paper mats and cardboard are so damaging why are they even used? To put it simply, to save money. The cheap frames at the department stores are produced overseas, and if they are making 1000 of them per day and they can save a $1 on each one, that adds up for that factory.
Why did the clerk talk at the craft store talk you in to something that would damage your art work? Many times it’s out of shear ignorance (lack of proper training) or the store makes better profit of the cheaper products. It’s not cheap to properly train sales clerk to become a professional framer, especially if they are just doing the job to get thru school.
If you are ever worried about what might be happening inside of you’re framing, bring it by and we will be glad to take a look, even if you didn’t get it here. There’s no charge to bring it by, and its better to find out if there’s a problem early, before the problem gets worse.