Framing lithographs

[Maarten Brands]

Some good comments here regarding framing. Just to chip in.

The most important factor that determines archival quality of the print is the paper & inks used. Glass & framing is just extra protection.

Most game lithos we at C&B have seen are really offset prints in the CMYK spectrum not made using archival inks (which is a bit of a misnomer anyway as 'archival' is bandied around a lot and is not a protected term or anything so it can mean a lot of different things). A lot of the lithos are also on paper that contain whiteners and other acids which impacts durability.

So even if you UV coating afterwards or use UV glass I would still be careful exposing these prints to too much sunlight as it is anyones guess how long these lithos stay pristine and when they start to fade. It can be anything between 2 years or a 100.

- UV glass or plexiglass is defnititely preferable, also has better light refraction and more accurate color representation. And saves in weight , and if you drop the artwork normal glass can break an damage your print. Acrylic glass or plexiglas is more resistant.
- You can frame using a matte without a permanent fixture to a backboard. A nice option imo.
- A Dibond mount with Diasec (which is the front mounting glue) and acrylic glass is also very nice. And a standard for most museums who collect contemporary photography etc. What is difficult though is that ideally you want to test with a bit of the paper and ink before you undertake this process.
- In terms of mounting, framing etc. there a so many options now and most of them are great. Ideally you want a recommendation from the artist that made the work (something that we're adding to C&B)
- If you don't know anything about the paper and inks your safest bet is traditional frame + matte with non-permanent fixture and UV glass.

P.S. The Dibond plate is almost impossible to crack. The worst that can happen is that it would chip on a corner if you drop it down the stairs. Same goes for a tradition frame of course so just don't do that