Protecting & displaying your Rare Comics & original Comic Art

[King Suck]

This thread was inspired by the "Your most prized TMNT possession" thread. Some of you have some really nice original art and older comics! To be honest though the way some of them were displayed ran shivers down my spine.

Ive seen a piece of original comic art framed with normal clear glass brown in as little as 2 years. This was in an area that DID NOT receive direct sunlight. Artificial light can be as damaging as natural sunlight.

I collect a lot of original comic art and prints and with things that valuable or rare I always go with archival framing. Its expensive but I figure if its worth having on my walls its worth properly taking care of.

Below is some info Ive compiled that will help your treasured TMNT art and comics last for many many years.

A Consumer Guide to Materials for Preservation Framing and their Display

Is a great resource to understanding the basics of proper archival framing and protecting your Art from the elements.

When I first started buying original comic art I got it all custom framed. That ran about $150- 200 a piece. As I bought more it became cost prohibitive. I found the below links to be a great alternative as they are excellent quality and a lot cheaper.

Archival Comic Art Frames

Archival Comic Frames

Unless they are advertised as archival avoid from craft store or Target/Wal mart type massed produced frames as these will offer no protection from the elements.

If choose to make your own frame or have your piece framed by a professional the most important thing is going to be the type of glass your using. Below is a rundown of the different types of glass used for framing.

Ive never used anything less then non glare conservation and the past few pieces have been museum. The below was taken from several sources but mostly from my local custom framers website.

Different Types of Framing Glass

Clear glass is the most common type of glass used in picture framing. It offers no protective qualities for preservation of your art and blocks less than 50% of ultraviolet light.

Non-glare glass consists of an acid etched surface that scatters light rays for a non-reflective finish. Non-glare glass offers no protective qualities for your artwork and the etched surface, when used with mats, may create a “fuzzy” appearance to the art.

Conservation (UV) glass is coated with a protective film that blocks 98% of harmful ultraviolet light rays that normally cause fading of artwork. Conservation (UV) non-glare glass is also available.

Plexi glass is a high quality acrylic that will not shatter. It is used primarily where size and weight of glass could be a problem or in areas where the chance of breakage could occur such as a high traffic area or a child’s play room. Plaza Artist Materials offers plexi glass in clear, non-glare, conservation (UV) and conservation (UV) non-glare finishes.

Museum glass utilizes the latest technology for superior protection of your artwork. Museum glass blocks 98% of harmful ultraviolet rays and has a special non-glare finish that is far superior to a typical non-glare glass and practically makes it invisible while safeguarding your treasured work.

What is conservation mounting?

To begin with, not every piece needs to be conservation mounted. Sometimes it is important and other times it is not important. So how do you know when to have something conservation mounted?

Conservation mounting is designed to provide your art on paper with the best possible protection that that will slow or prevent deterioration to the piece. Typically, conservation framing is used when framing anything that is considered an original, a limited edition, something of sentimental or monetary value, or something historical. The materials used in conservation framing must be acid free and allow for the piece to be removed from its mounting in the same condition as it was first mounted.

There are three components to conservation framing. They are matting, mounting and glass. The mats used need to be 100% acid free and lignin free (lignin is a naturally occurring component of plants that is believed to contribute to chemical degradation in paper), as well as bleed and fade resistant. This gives the maximum amount of protection required for works of art on paper. The second component, mounting, utilizes archival quality backing materials that when combined with conservation mounting techniques is completely reversible. The last component is glass. Conservation (UV) glass protects artwork from damaging ultraviolet light by blocking 97% of harmful ultraviolet light which significantly reduces fading of mats and artwork.

Paper is sensitive to its surroundings and can be adversely affected by changes in temperature, humidity, dampness and exposure to light. Original Art and prints should never come directly in contact with the glass regardless of the of glass in question. Changes in temperature and humidity can result in the paint & ink flaking and/or permanently sticking to the glass. Humidity can also result in the paper sticking to the glass, making it impossible to remove without damaging the piece.

Never allow a framer to dry mount an original, limited or rare piece of art. This form of mounting is generally used on pieces that are not considered valuable or are damaged in such a way it is the only option available for proper display. Dry Mounting will permanently glue your piece of art work to a backboard and will significantly decrease its monetary value. If your framer offers dry mounting make SURE they understand that this is not an option for your art.

Dry Mounting artwork, posters, or photographs uses a heat and pressure method, in contrast to a spray (or wet) adhesive. In the dry mount process, a thin, tissue like paper is cut and placed between the piece to be mounted and the backing, and then all are placed in a special machine that applies pressure along with heat and seals the pieces together. Dry mount is a rather quick process that prevents the artwork from bubbling, while saving the time needed for adhesive to dry. It is used in advertising primarily for the making of posters or other display pieces.

If you have something of value that you would like to have framed, and kept in its original condition. Discuss the details with your framer. Don't be afraid to ask questions and when in doubt go for more protection then you think you will need.