Print Care

Enigmatic Drawings prints and editions should be handled, displayed, and cleaned with care. The artworks contain detailed symbolic, geometric, and line-based structures, and the quality of the print surface, glazing, colour, contrast, and framing can be affected by light, moisture, heat, abrasion, and unsuitable cleaning products.

These care notes are intended as practical guidance for Premium Prints, Fine Art Limited Editions, canvas prints, acrylic or aluminium prints, framed paper prints, and framed works with glass, acrylic, perspex, or similar glazing.

1. Display environment

Display artworks in a stable indoor environment. Avoid placing prints or framed works in locations exposed to strong sunlight, dampness, steam, condensation, high humidity, fireplaces, heaters, radiators, vents, kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry areas, or direct air-conditioning flow.

Light exposure can fade colours over time, and heat or humidity changes can affect paper, canvas, frames, glazing, mounts, adhesives, and printed surfaces.

2. Sunlight and lighting

Do not hang prints in direct sunlight. Avoid strong indirect sunlight where possible, especially near windows, skylights, and glass doors.

If using picture lights or accent lighting, keep lights at a safe distance and avoid heat build-up on the artwork surface, frame, or glazing.

UV-protective glass or acrylic may reduce light damage, but it does not make artwork immune to fading. Lower light exposure is always safer for long-term preservation.

3. Handling prints and editions

Handle prints with clean, dry hands. For unframed paper prints or limited editions, cotton gloves or clean nitrile gloves are recommended where practical.

Avoid touching the printed image area. Handle paper prints by the edges or borders. Do not bend, crease, roll tightly, drag, stack against rough surfaces, or place objects on top of unprotected prints.

If a print arrives rolled, allow it to relax gradually before framing. Do not force-flatten it under heavy or abrasive objects.

4. Canvas prints

Canvas prints should be dusted gently with a clean, dry microfiber cloth or soft artist’s brush.

Do not use water, damp cloths, cleaning sprays, glass cleaner, alcohol, solvents, household cleaners, soap, detergent, abrasive cloths, paper towels, or chemical cleaners on the printed canvas surface.

If a canvas print is marked, stained, scratched, dented, or contaminated, do not attempt aggressive cleaning. Contact a professional framer, printer, or conservator for advice.

5. Acrylic prints

Acrylic prints should be handled carefully because acrylic surfaces can scratch. Dust with a clean, soft microfiber cloth using light pressure.

Do not use abrasive cloths, paper towels, scouring pads, ammonia-based cleaners, acetone, alcohol unless specifically recommended for the material, solvents, kitchen cleaners, or harsh sprays.

If cleaning is required, use only a cleaner suitable for acrylic surfaces, applied sparingly to the cloth rather than sprayed directly onto the print. Test cautiously and avoid excess moisture around edges, mounts, or backing materials.

6. Aluminium prints

Aluminium prints should be dusted with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Use light pressure only.

Avoid abrasive cloths, scouring pads, solvents, strong chemicals, ammonia-based cleaners, and excessive moisture. Do not drag items across the surface.

If the surface requires cleaning beyond dry dusting, use a barely damp soft microfiber cloth and dry immediately with a separate clean cloth. Do not allow moisture to sit on edges, joins, mounts, or hanging hardware.

7. Framed paper prints

Framed paper prints should be kept away from direct sunlight, damp conditions, heat, and unstable humidity. Paper can react to moisture, temperature changes, pollutants, poor-quality framing materials, and light exposure.

Do not open a sealed or professionally framed artwork unless necessary. If dust appears inside the frame, or if the print slips, wrinkles, waves, foxes, or appears affected by moisture, consult a professional framer or conservator.

8. Glass glazing

For framed works with glass, use a clean, soft, lint-free microfiber cloth. If a cleaner is needed, use a small amount of ammonia-free glass cleaner sprayed onto the cloth, not directly onto the glass.

Do not spray liquid directly onto the frame or glazing, as moisture can run behind the frame, mat, mount, or artwork.

Avoid abrasive cloths, dirty cloths, paper towels, excessive liquid, and harsh cleaners.

9. Acrylic, perspex, or plexiglass glazing

Acrylic, perspex, and plexiglass glazing can scratch more easily than glass. Use a clean, soft microfiber cloth and light pressure only.

Do not use ammonia-based glass cleaners, abrasive cloths, paper towels, scouring compounds, acetone, gasoline, lacquer thinner, strong solvents, or harsh household sprays.

If cleaning is required, use a cleaner specifically suitable for acrylic glazing, or follow the framer’s instructions. Apply cleaner to the cloth rather than spraying directly onto the glazing.

10. Frames

Dust frames with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Avoid excessive moisture, harsh cleaners, and abrasive cloths.

Do not spray cleaner directly onto frames. Liquid can seep into corners, mat boards, glazing, backing boards, or the artwork itself.

For timber, painted, metal, or specialty frames, use minimal dry cleaning unless the framer has provided specific care instructions.

11. Storage

Store unframed prints flat where possible, protected by acid-free or archival materials. Avoid basements, attics, garages, bathrooms, damp rooms, or areas with heat and humidity fluctuations.

Do not store prints in direct contact with cardboard, newspaper, masking tape, adhesive tape, rubber bands, plastic of unknown quality, or acidic materials.

If storing framed work, keep it upright, protected, dry, and away from direct heat, pressure, and impact.

12. What not to do

• Do not hang artwork in direct sunlight.
• Do not hang artwork in bathrooms, damp rooms, or near steam.
• Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive cloths.
• Do not spray cleaner directly onto artwork, frames, glass, acrylic, or perspex.
• Do not use glass cleaner on acrylic or perspex unless confirmed safe for that material.
• Do not touch the printed image area unnecessarily.
• Do not scrub printed surfaces.
• Do not attempt stain removal on canvas or paper prints without specialist advice.
• Do not place artwork near heaters, fireplaces, vents, or strong artificial heat sources.
• Do not reframe, trim, mount, laminate, or alter limited editions without professional advice.

13. If damage occurs

If a print or framed artwork is damaged, stained, scratched, exposed to water, affected by mould, warped, or otherwise compromised, do not attempt aggressive cleaning or repair.

Contact a professional framer, printer, or conservator. For recent orders or delivery damage, contact Enigmatic Drawings as soon as possible with photographs of the item, packaging, and shipping label.

14. Contact

For print care questions, order concerns, or damaged delivery reports, contact:

Enigmatic Drawings / George Allan
Email: info@enigmaticdrawings.com

These care instructions are general guidance only. Specialist materials, framing systems, glazing, coatings, finishes, and environmental conditions may require professional advice from a qualified framer, printer, or conservator.