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How to frame and care for your print

Although all Mike's prints are created to a high standard, printed onto archival, exhibition-standard paper with the best quality pigment inks for long-lasting quality, no artwork is completely invulnerable to inadvertent damage or long-term natural effects.

Here are some ways in which you can handle, store and display your print to maintain its quality and longevity.

The Towers of London print 50 x 70 cm

Handling your print

It's very important that you handle your print with great care and above all, with clean or protected hands.

Avoid touching the image surface with your bare hands as much as possible. Oils that are found naturally in the skin can soak into the paper's surface and cause long-term damage.

Storing your print

If you intend to store your print in a drawer, box or other archive, ensure it is wrapped carefully with acid-free tissue paper and stored flat.

Framing and displaying your print

For the best framing results, Mike recommends using a professional picture framing service.

All of Mike's prints* are designed to fit ready-made frames that are widely available at home furnishing stores such as IKEA or Habitat.

Before framing your print, remove the curvature caused by the packaging by carefully unrolling it onto a tabletop or other large, flat surface (not the floor!), covering it with tissue paper and weighing it down with heavy books or paperweights. Leave it in this position for at least 48 hours.

Be aware that over time, the combination of gravity and fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels over the course of a year can cause ripples or even sagging to appear in your print, especially larger-sized prints. There several ways you can help to avoid this:

  1. Ensure your print is mounted with adhesive spray onto a firm cardboard support. Never use glue or double-sided sticky tape.
  2. Alternatively, or in addition to the above, use a passe-partout. Attach the print on the reverse side by sealing the edges with gum tape (not masking tape or any other type of sticky tape).
  3. Seal the reverse side of the frame with gum tape to ensure all the parts are held firmly together.

N.B. Accessories such as adhesive spray and gum tape are widely available online or from art supply stores.

Finally, it's very important that you avoid displaying or hanging your framed print in places where there is direct sunlight. Exposure to sunlight can cause the colours in the inks to fade over time.

Framed 70 x 50 map of Valencia, courtesy of Mike Catalfamo

Photo courtesy of Mike Catalfamo

If you would like further information about displaying or framing your print, please get in contact. Please note that Mike is unable to provide frames himself.

* Not including all size variations of A Panorama of London.