Each product delivered to our clients is cropped, meticulously color corrected, and custom-designed just for you. In addition, all photo products (except cards and press-printed items) are rated as an archival grade, meaning they will retain their luster and brilliant color for decades. This will help ensure that your investment stays beautiful for generations.
Debra prides herself on offering her clients the highestgrade photo products money can buy. Photographic Prints and Products are printed from labs that sell only directly to professional photographers.
I have created this little guide to help you care for your prints & products. If you have any questions or need advice on how to care for a product, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, and we’ll be more than happy to help!
Caring For Your Album Storage
Always store your album closed and in an acidfree protective bag or box. This is considered “dark storage” and is ideal for preserving photographic prints.
Do not store your album where it may be subject to extreme heat, direct sunlight, excessive Humidity, or contact with moisture. Such conditions may cause warping of the cover or pages.
What if I notice my book is beginning to warp?
Place it on a clean table with several heavy books on top of it until warping has disappeared.
What is the proper way to view an album?
The best viewing method is to rest the back cover on a clean tabletop or your lap, supporting the front cover with your left hand as you flip through the album. Never suspend your album by only its cover; the page block is very heavy, and this can stress the flush mounting.
Caring For Your USB Drive
Making a Duplicate
Our first recommendation when you receive your archival thumb drive is to purchase a duplicate drive at any electronics store and create a backup copy of your files on this as well as your computer’s hard drive. Having a duplicate drive will prove very useful in transporting your files to share with others without worrying about damaging your original!
Transporting your USB
When transporting your thumb drive, keeping it stored in a safe, secure position will ensure longevity. Although many like to dangle the USB drive from a keyring or attach it to larger objects, this can stress the USB drive and increase the chances of banging, bending, or crushing.
Proper Storage of a USB
Always store your thumb drive with its protective cap on and in a soft bag or container. Leaving the drive’s connector exposed will attract dust and sediments, rapidly decreasing its functional ability. In addition, it is not recommended to store your drive in a hot place or direct sunlight; cooler temperatures and dark storage are ideal.
Copy Your Images to the Computer
We recommend keeping a copy of your images on your personal computer to minimize the wear and tear on your USB drive due to repeated insertion. Only plug your USB drive in with ample light sources to ensure the drive is inserted correctly on the first try. Many drives have been irreparably damaged due to being plugged in upside down or forced into the computer incorrectly. If the drive won’t plugin for some reason, don’t force it; doublecheck to make sure its positioning is correct. Forcing the drive-in improperly will not only damage the USB but your computer as well!
Caring For Your Archival DVD
Making a Duplicate
If you ask any archivist for the first step in preventing DVD data loss, they will tell you to make a duplicate copy of your original. We highly recommend making a “working” copy or two of your delivered DVD of images that you can share and use frequently without damaging the original—handling.
Only touch the disc’s outer rim or center hole when handling your DVD.
Even light contact with the disc’s surface can produce fingerprints or small scratches, interfering with its functionality. Only bring the disc out of its case to be inserted directly into the computer’s DVD drive. Bending or forcing your DVD into the drive may cause permanent damage and should be avoided. As soon as you are finished with the disc on your computer, gently place it back into its storage case. The fewer times the disc is handled, the longer it will last.
Storage Never leave your DVD out of its protective case!
Even tiny bits of dirt and sand sitting on your desk can scratch the disc’s surface. Leaving the disc in your computer for long periods can also cause unnecessary wear. Ideally, your DVD should be vertically stored in its archival case, like a book on a shelf. Place your DVD case in an area that isn’t prone to extreme temperatures or humidity changes (such as a basement or attic). Direct sunlight can cause the material to disintegrate, so the darker the storage area, the better! Leaving your DVD stored in its proper protective case will ensure longevity.
Cleaning your Disc
Only clean your disc with isopropyl alcohol, methanol, or a special DVD cleaning agent. Use a soft, clean cotton cloth and wipe from the center hole outwards like rays of sunshine; never wipe in circles around the disc. Only clean your DVD when absolutely necessary!
Caring For Your Gallery Canvas
Temperature & Humidity can damage your canvases. It’s imperative to hang your gallery canvas in a place where it will be kept free of moisture and extreme temperatures. Moisture can cause molding in cracks of the artwork as well as the hardwood framing, which is bad news for a beautiful canvas art piece! Extreme heat and cold, or fluctuations between the two, can cause permanent warping of the wood, preventing the canvas from lying flat against the wall. Cool, dry rooms, away from open windows, are the ideal location for your canvas wrap.
Dust & Cleaning
Of course, anything hanging on a wall for an extended time will collect dust and soot from the air surrounding it. Wiping the canvas gently with a damp, supersoft towel periodically will ensure your lovely artwork continues to look incredible year after year.
Placement
Your beautiful new gallery canvas is archival grade, which means it may last for generations with proper care and storage! However, as with any print, it’s important to follow a few guidelines for hanging to ensure its brilliant color will stay that way over time. Hanging your canvas in direct sunlight or under direct artificial light will cause the colors to fade more quickly than in darker areas. We recommend choosing a hanging space under softer artificial light or bouncing the light out of the sun’s direct rays.
Caring For Small Prints
Storage
Small prints are one of the most common gift items purchased from our studio. Unfortunately, they’re also some of the first photo products to get scratched, banged, and faded as they are displayed casually in various settings around the house. If you have or are planning to gift small prints without an immediate plan for display, storage in an acidfree box will protect them from dust and yellowing. A mylar plastic sleeve will add additional protection for longterm storage.
Display
The casual display of tiny prints is a classic household tradition. Pinned to a corkboard, held up by a fridge magnet, or taped to a desk, small prints can brighten the gloomiest of days. Unfortunately, they deteriorate quickly from adhesives, sunlight, and dust if not displayed properly. To encourage their longevity, we highly recommend ordering small prints mounted to styrene or framing loose prints behind glass or plexiglass immediately upon their arrival. Please make sure that anything the photo touches is acidfree this will prevent yellowing over time!
Caring For Large Prints Large
Prints are investment pieces that should be treated as museums grade works of art. When you order a large print from our studio, you have the option of purchasing it as either a wall-ready mounted piece or a loose print delivered for immediate framing.
Large Mounted Prints
Wall ready mounted prints are crafted by hand with acidfree adhesives to archival grade backing, which supports the print against bending and damaged corners. The prints also have a protective anti-scratch coating to assist with longterm display. When your mounted print arrives, handle it very gently with clean hands (or preferably soft gloves) to prevent any scratching or oil marks. Choose an area in the house where the print will not be in direct sunlight at any point during the day; this will cause fading over time. Mount on the wall as directed in a place that will be inaccessible to children or pets. With proper care, your mounted prints will last for decades!
Large Loose Prints
Large loose (unmounted) prints call for immediate framing upon arrival. In fact, if possible, the print should not be removed from its original packaging and delivered directly to the framing company. We highly recommend having your beautiful print framed professionally with acid-free materials to ensure a longterm preservation of your investment. In addition, museum grade glass or acrylic protection is necessary for your print to remain in beautiful condition throughout the years.
Most professional framing shops will guide you through the process of choosing the right colors and materials to fit your home decor and your budget. If you need recommendations for framing companies, just ask! We’ll be more than happy to help you out.