It’s the way your finished artwork is presented that makes all the difference. Although it’s tempting to simply place your drawing in a ready-made frame, there are several things to consider before framing your artwork to ensure it’s adequately protected over the years.
Use acid free materials
Any matting, tape or adhesive, barrier or backing you use to frame your art or drawing must be completely acid free. Acidic materials, after long periods of time, can damage the artwork in the frame by distorting the actual paper or turning it yellowish.
use mats
I prefer to use mats with the framing of my drawings.
If an acid mat is used, it should be backed with an acid free material that will act as a protective barrier between the mat and the drawing. There is a standard thickness that is required and preferred in the industry for this damper or barrier. The same consideration should be given to the backing of your drawing. If your drawing or art is backed or mounted on an acid-free material, the barrier is not necessary. Some framers use a foam core board as a backing.
stay away from black
As a general rule of thumb, I always stay away from black, especially solid black, although it can work if it’s part of a color scheme with a particular trim and doesn’t dominate the drawing. It’s nice to have something that has a variety of values, including trim and mats, that work as a whole. Even with the values and gradations created within the graphite medium, the mat(s) and frame can be chosen to complement, tone down, or emphasize any particular value or aspect of your drawing.
Always frame with glass
I would always frame with glass, but I would also spend the extra money on the UV protection glass. However, I would never use non-reflective glass or plexiglass.
The drawing must be cleaned well, removing stains, dust or eraser fragments. To see if there are small fragments on your paper or drawing, you need to look at the surface closely from a severe angle, so that you can see them contrasting with the surface of the paper as they rise. You can use a brush or compressed air to remove bits of frame material.
Glass must be exceptionally clean and tested for fingerprints, dust, hair, or other foreign material, before being permanently secured in the frame. You may have to do this more than once.
Let your artwork breathe
When attaching the drawing to the backing or whatever will secure its position within the mats or frame, it should only be secured at the top and allowed to hang if an adhesive or tape is used. It should not be secured tightly at all four corners or around its perimeter, because the humidity is continually changing and the paper must be free to flex, expand, and contract. Otherwise, the paper will curl or develop waves if it is restrained in any way. These ripples in the paper become very apparent when the lighting is directional or at an angle to the framed artwork. Light causes reflections and shadows due to the contours of the paper. Some framers are using a large photo type plastic corner that allows the paper to slide on and secure in all four corners and still allow for flexing of the paper. It seems to be working quite well, as a number of my drawings and illustrations using other paper media have been framed this way for a number of years.
Add a protective dust cover
After the art and framing materials are placed in the actual frame, a dust cover should be used on the back to prevent further dust, spiders or insects from entering the framed image compartment. This is usually done by using a double-sided tape on the back surface of the trim around the entire perimeter. Then, a piece of brown paper is placed on the sticky surface while being stretched and pressed onto the sticky surface. You then trim the outer edges of the brown paper to fit and then you’re ready to attach the hanging wire, before putting your artwork on display!
Have fun drawing!