How to hang giclée prints without spoiling them

Welcome to my blog, I am a professional cartoonist, illustrator, artist and writer. My site here is intended to promote a range of works that I think will look good on the wall. Included on my site is not just my own work, but some works by other artists whose work I love and hope to bring to a wider audience. I hope you enjoy your tour of my site and welcome any feedback. Prints are fulfilled by The Print Space for prints on paper, they are one of the UK's premier fine art print companies, and there is also the option of buying some images printed onto canvas, these are fulfilled by Printumo. All prints are available worldwide.

A good giclée print can hold an extraordinary amount of detail: the grain of a charcoal mark, a wash of weather over the Gloucestershire countryside, or the hard, graphic shape of corrugated iron on an old shed. How you hang it affects how much of that character survives. The aim is not to turn your room into a gallery white cube. It is simply to give the image enough space, protection and decent light to do its job.

How to hang giclée prints properly

Start by deciding whether the print will be framed, mounted, or displayed in a more informal way. For most fine art paper prints, a frame is the sensible choice. It protects the paper from knocks, cooking vapour, fingerprints and the slow damage caused by sunlight. A print pinned straight to a wall can look great in the right setting, especially in a studio or relaxed hallway, but it is more vulnerable and will usually ripple with changes in temperature and humidity.

If you have bought an unframed print, handle it by the edges with clean, dry hands. Put it on a clean flat surface and keep drinks, pens and enthusiastic pets away from it. Do not roll it tightly after it has arrived. Let it rest flat beneath clean tissue or a sheet of acid-free paper if it needs time to settle.

Choose a frame with breathing room

The best frame depends on the image and the room, but one rule rarely changes: the artwork should not sit directly against the glass. Use a window mount, sometimes called a mat, or a frame with a spacer. This creates a small air gap and stops condensation or pressure marks damaging the surface over time.

A white or off-white mount gives a drawing, photograph or landscape room to breathe. It can make a smaller work feel more deliberate on a larger wall. A black frame can suit strong black and white line work, charcoal drawings and industrial subjects. Natural wood often works beautifully with rural scenes, lino cuts and quieter colour pieces. There is no need to overthink matching every frame in the house. A little variation looks lived-in, provided the choices feel intentional.

Ask for acid-free backing and mount board when having a print framed. These materials cost a little more than basic board, but prevent discolouration and are worthwhile for a print you want to keep looking good for years. UV-filtering glazing is useful near a bright window, though it cannot make direct sun harmless.

Find the right height before making holes

The usual advice is to hang the centre of a picture at roughly eye level, around 145 to 150 cm from the floor. It is a useful starting point, not a law. In a room where people mainly sit down, such as a living room, art can sit slightly lower. Above a sideboard, sofa or bed, leave a visible gap so the print does not appear to be balancing on the furniture. Around 15 to 25 cm is often enough, depending on the scale.

Before reaching for a drill, make a paper template the size of the framed work. Tape it to the wall with low-tack masking tape and live with it for a day. You will quickly see whether it is too high, too near a lamp, or being swallowed by a large empty wall. This is especially useful with an image featuring a large Los Angeles advertising sign, where the bold shapes need enough clear space to read from across the room.

For a group of pictures, lay the arrangement out on the floor first. Treat the centre of the whole collection as the point to position at eye level, rather than hanging every individual print at the same height. Keep the gaps between frames consistent. It gives varied work - photographs, drawings and colour pieces - a calmer rhythm.

Use fixings that suit the wall and frame

A small framed print may sit happily on a quality picture hook. Larger framed work needs two hooks or screws so it does not tilt every time someone brushes past. Check the weight of the finished frame rather than guessing from the paper size alone. Glass, solid timber and substantial mounts soon add up.

Plasterboard needs the correct anchor or fixing for the load. Masonry walls generally take a plug and screw. If you are renting and cannot drill, removable picture strips can be useful for lighter frames, but follow the stated weight limits and do not use them on fragile paint, damp walls or textured surfaces. The trade-off is simple: temporary fixings are convenient, but a proper hook is more dependable for work you genuinely care about.

Use a tape measure and spirit level, then mark both fixing points in pencil. If the frame has a wire on the back, remember that the wire will pull down when it takes the weight. Hold the frame up and measure the distance between the top edge and the tensioned wire before drilling. It avoids the familiar frustration of hanging a picture, stepping back, and finding it 5 cm lower than planned.

Keep light and moisture in mind

Giclée printing gives fine art images rich colour, subtle tones and excellent detail, but paper still dislikes prolonged direct sunlight. Avoid the wall directly opposite a south-facing window if possible. Bright indirect daylight is much kinder, and a lamp placed nearby can make a print feel part of the room after dark without blasting it with heat.

Bathrooms and kitchens are difficult places for paper prints because steam and changing humidity can encourage cockling. A well-framed piece may be fine in a large, well-ventilated room away from the cooker or shower, but an unframed paper print is better elsewhere. Canvas is often the more practical choice for spaces that need a bolder, less delicate solution, although it should still stay clear of sustained damp and direct sun.

Dust frames with a soft, dry microfibre cloth. Never spray cleaner directly onto glazing, as liquid can creep inside the frame. If the print itself has somehow been marked, resist the temptation to rub it. Fine art papers have textured or matt surfaces that are easily damaged. A professional framer can advise if there is a real problem.

Let the image lead

The most successful hanging choice is usually the one that serves the work, not a fashionable rule. A quiet Gloucestershire field may benefit from a generous pale mount and a spot with softer light. The artistic qualities of old industrial buildings, sheds, corrugated iron and industrial metalwork often suit a simpler, darker frame that lets their structure take the lead.

Some of my photographs of large advertising signs in the Los Angeles area are available both as photographic images and as canvas prints. Paper behind glass gives a sharper, more reflective finish and rewards close looking. Canvas has a more immediate presence on a larger wall and can work well where you want the image to feel bolder. Neither is automatically better - it depends on the room and what you want the picture to do there.

There are new charcoal drawing images and new photographs on the site, alongside new exciting works by Steve Parker. The works are not limited editions, so there is no need to treat choosing one as a high-pressure event. Pick the picture that keeps catching your eye, frame it properly, and give it a place where you will actually see it. That is when a print starts earning its space on the wall.