What is conservation framing?
Conservation Framing is an important form of insurance for your valuable artwork, keeping it as lovely as it is today for your enjoyment for years to come.

As consumers, we bring our valuables in to be framed for a number of different reasons.
Sometimes we frame an item to create an attractive decoration for our home. On the other hand, sometimes we frame the very things we value most — whether that be commercial or sentimental value — in order to protect them from damage.

What is Conservation Framing?
Put simply, Conservation Framing employs the use of materials that have been proven to protect and maintain art in as close to its original condition as possible.

When should I ask for Conservation Framing?
Value is, at best, a subjective thing. If it’s worth framing, it’s worth protecting.

3 Key Steps to be sure that you are getting Conservation Quality:

1. UV Protection Glass.
Ultraviolet light rays are one of the most dangerous elements that your artwork can encounter. It will not only cause your colors to fade to a mere shadow of their former glory, but will cause the materials themselves to begin to break down right in the frame.

Conservation quality picture framing glass is specially formulated to protect framed works of art from the damaging effects of ultraviolet light. By using conservation glass, you are insuring that at least 98% of these most damaging light rays are filtered out before ever coming into contact with your valuables.

2. Conservation Quality Artboard:
Ordinary pulp-based matboard contains acids and lignins, which, over a period of time, damage the artwork they come in contact with.

We use ONLY conservation quality artboard. Conservation quality artboard is free of all acids, lignins and other impurities found in ordinary “pulp” board. The result is an inert or pH neutral board which will cause no damage to the artwork it encases as time goes by.

3. Proper conservation techniques:
For mounting the artwork (sometimes called “hinging” or ”museum mounting”) and sealing your artwork. M & M Studios is be fully versed in the specifics of conservation hinging. No matter how much the piece means to you, we always ensure that proper conservation standards be upheld.

But even if a piece has value of a more personal nature, it may deserve Conversation Framing. Most pieces you bring in to be framed should be framed with conservation in mind. As a rule of thumb, if the item you are framing is an irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind photograph, document or piece of memorabilia, or if it is an original work of art or a limited edition, it should be framed using conservation techniques and materials.
The cost premium for Conservation Framing is marginal — and certainly well worth it.

This information was provided for your assistance courtesy of Tru Vue®.