100% UV protection?

[Kirstie]

We have a customer who purchased TruVue Museum Glass, Artcare mats, and frame from us two years ago. She admits that the sun crossed the art for a short period each day. The art, a block print, has faded. She is willing to buy another print, but she wants to be able to hang the art in the same place. She was told that it would probably happen again. She wants to know if there is anything she can do to prevent this. I can't think of a way to get that last 1% of protection. Evidently the skylights in question already have a film on them.

This is a really dumb question, but here goes. She want to know what would happen if we installed an extra piece of MG, one on top of the other. She loves the print, and she wants to hang it in the space the bought it for.

Ideas?

[Bogframe]

The problem is, it's not only UV that fades the art, it's the entire spectrum that does it. Indirect sunlight won't cause that much damage, but putting a picture in direct sunlight is asking for the sun to fade it. Your customer could put UV film on the windows and skylights and two pieces of MG on the piece and it will still fade if it's hung in the same place.

[prospero]

This sounds like a shortcoming with the art itself. Some pigments are extremely fugitive and are intended for things that are going to be reproduced and where the longevity of the original is of no consequence. Unfortunately, some artists take no account of this fact and use anything they like the color of. A good artist will test the materials he uses. It would probably still fade in total darkness.

Also, it's not only light that causes fading. Some pigments react with the atmosphere, especially one of high humity.

[Rob Markoff]

Good posts...but let's review the causes of fading:

Light (all light, not just UV light)
Heat
Humidity
and especially for digital prints, OZONE
Chemical reactions of the media and substrate on each other.

So even if one were to block 100% of the UV light (which we can't because some UV light is in the visible light spectrum - if we blocked it we would cause color changes) the piece could still have photochemical changes brought about by NON UV wavelengths.

The biggest lawsuit I ever defended was for a signed basketball jersey signed in Sharpie Marker that we framed and the signature faded. We were sued because the value of the jersey was reduced due to the faded signature.

My expert witness testified that even in a darkened closet and never exposed to any light, the signature may have faded due to the iron in the ink reacting with salts in the yellow pigment of the jersey. And, the signature was made with a "non permanent" ink which was not my responsibility. I didn't "win" the case, but the judgement was in my favor because the client failed to prove that the fading was due to something I did (or failed to do). The jersey was framed in an acrylic box made from Cryo OP-3.

Some of my collector clients have "covers" made that hang over their art to protect it when they are not home. When guests come, or they are at home, they uncover their pieces.

What is the paper/inkset used for the block print? My guess is as prior posts have said, that the ink is fading from LIGHT, not just UV light and/or a combination of heat, humidity and light. What was the piece backed with? What was the filler board?

[Jim Miller]

As noted, light is not the only cause of fading, and fading is not the only damage light can produce. Light can also cause color shift, discoloration of a substrate such as paper, embrittlement, advanced aging, and can serve as a catalyst for unpredictable chemical reactions among items within the closed-up frame environment.

For what it's worth in response to the actual question, there is one way -- and only one way -- to achieve 100% protection from light damage: Keep it in the dark.

Adding multiple layers of glazing would not improve protection from light damage.

The customer needs to understand that stopping light damage in the display environment you described would be impossible.

[Cliff Wilson]

The "two glass" question has come up before.

Think of it this way ... if you had two screens with the same size opening filtering dirt in sequence (one after the other), the second screen would have "nothing to catch" because the first screen only lets through what fits through the second screens openings. The UV filter works similarly with wavelengths of light. So, adding a second one doesn't help.

[Maryann]

What if you applied UV printguard to the print before framing with Museum glass? It may slow the fading down a bit.

Second idea - if it's an affordable print, tell them to buy 5 -10 copies while it is still available (for however long they think the decor will stay the same in the room) and replace it every year or so.

If they chose to hang a piece of artwork in the sun that's their perogative...but we're not magicians.

[Jim Miller]

Maryann, Cliff's very appropriate analogy about using multiple UV-filtering layers would still apply -- a laminate under the glass would not help.

Buying multiple copies of the print seems like a good idea.

[Framing Goddess]

To repeat a point that Rob made:
Heat is a contributing factor, as well.
Even if this piece were kept under cover when the sun hit it directly (not a bad idea- I have a curator customer who keeps his entire framed collection of prints under shrouds,) the heat from the sunlight would hurry up the fading process.

I think it is important to make it clear to customers that UV glass and acrylic do not stop fading, they merely slow it down. I tell customers that we are buying a little bit of time with it. It does not make artwork impervious to the damaging effects of light and heat.

edie the itiswhatitis goddess

[Wanta B.Framer]

An interesting sidenote: I had an older customer in her late 70's come in with a very faded (almost magenta) framed print. She had bought a new print to replace the old one. I had suggested buying UV glass to reduce this process. After I gave her the price she decided it would be more cost effective to have it replaced annually. She also alluded to the fact that she didn't have much time left (in life) and ultimately it didn't matter much that it be preserved. When I was able to finally open the frame, there were four of the exact same print layed one on top of the other. I don't recall whether I returned the numerous copies or simply slipped the newest one on top (?) :confused:

[UzZx32QU]

I think it is important to make it clear to customers that UV glass and acrylic do not stop fading, they merely slow it down. I tell customers that we are buying a little bit of time with it. It does not make artwork impervious to the damaging effects of light and heat.

edie the itiswhatitis goddess


I second that and also drive that point home to all clients. You have no clue to what conditions the piece will be placed.

framer

[Rick Granick]

How about this for a way to shield the framed piece from both light and heat during critical parts of the day, or when not being viewed:

Make a shield out of light sheet metal- maybe galvanized or aluminum- just larger than the overall size of the frame, and either bend the top edge into a squared upside-down "J" flange, or affix some kind of hardware to hang it over the top of the frame when in use. It would be important to have the frame hanging by two points, such as with d rings or wallbuddies, to keep everything level and in place. I'm just thinking out loud here, but it seems like metal would deflect both light and heat. A lighter weight solution might be that metalized bubble-wrap type material you sometimes see electronic components packaged in.
:cool: Rick

(Or you could use the ceramic material that they use to make the Space Shuttle's heat-shield tiles. I think it's the same substance used as icing on Frosted Pop-Tarts. ;))

[Cavalier]

Transparent aluminum!

Ultimately, there is no 100% UV protection, especially if the woman is insistent about hanging it in the same place. Light is one of those things where we can get into quantum physics with in its properties and ability to exist in two places at the same time, but let's not because I don't want to be the one sued for people's heads exploding, and I'm digressing from the subject again.

Museums are kept low-lit for a reason.

BUT if your client decides to move the artwork to indirect sunlight -- or no sunlight -- then she can expect a longer life to her print.

I'm curious: I would think it actually be less effective adding another layer of conservation glazing; where did this come from all of a sudden? It seems like in the past couple of days, there's been more questions about this subject.

[Bob Doyle]

Amy, its a seasonal thing. In other parts of the country the golden ornb shines brighter this time of year. I have heard that the hours is glows up there actually increases by hours! Around Maine the snow melts, well melts quicker and the clouds part a little more often.

Being seasonal when the customers see the sun they think about it. In the 9 winter months around here our customers don't see enough sun to think about it affecting their art.

Yep, Maine in the summer months is dismal. So STAY AWAY!!!!



OK we love our tourists, so you can come.

[Bill Henry-]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what kind of glazing they use in the National Archives to protect the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence?

I know it’s about three inches thick and bullet proof, but what kind of UV protection does it have?

[Cavalier]

Bob, at least you get the summer wind on the coast. We get the really nasty 80+ degree weather and the mugginess and grossness inland.

...okay, I'm not a summer advocate. Give me the autumn and winter over summer and mud season -- erm, spring. :D

[Bob Doyle]

Bill you're gonna have to watch "National Treasure" again to find out that answer! :)

[MikeO]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what kind of glazing they use in the National Archives to protect the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence?

I know it’s about three inches thick and bullet proof, but what kind of UV protection does it have?

The room is very dimly lit, like a few candles in your living room at night. The documents themselves are illuminated by yellowish LEDs (might not actually be LEDs, but look like them) and those are blocked from directly illuminating the document by an aluminum lip in the case which is filled with either nitrogen or argon gas, can't remember which. Ohh and that's not from "National Treasure", I actually went to the Archives.

[RoboFramer]

where did this come from all of a sudden? It seems like in the past couple of days, there's been more questions about this subject.

I posted a link (http://www.thegrumble.com/showthread.php?p=482187#post482187)to this topic a few days ago.

[more_so]

There is a spray which can completely eliminate detectable fading from all sources of light.

It's called Krylon Matte Black spray paint, available at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Works great, highly recommended for all customers wanting to display my art pieces on sunlit walls.

[prospero]

Another side note. Matboard surface papers. They probably all fade to some extent. Most of the time it's no problem if the change is even across the whole area. But I have had some instances where a price label has been put on the glass, resulting in a slightly darker patch where the label was. This is noticable especially on an Ivory Ingres that I use a lot of.
Funny thing is, if I try to salvage the mat by putting it in sunlight in the expectation that the dark patch will fade to match the rest, it never does. :confused:

[wpfay]

The use of a shroud or drapery has its merits. I've seen Winslow Homer watercolors with linen drapes in our local museum. Compared to the piece from the same time period, the draped piece had preserved much of its original color.
I've also seen a frame with a built in rolled shade, much like a tambour desk top. The rolled fabric was concealed in the upper frame rail attached to a section of the frame face's detail. The ends of this detail were in shallow grooves that ran the length of the vertical rails. The detail could be pulled down to the bottom rail bringing the rolled fabric along. There was a key mechanism and a hand crank to raise the blind back up.

On a more practical approach...I made bonnets for framed Polaroid portraits (20"x24", like Wegman uses to photograph his dogs) from foam board not unlike the metal ones mention by Rick. There was no direct sunlight, but Polaroids will fade if you look at them funny.

[Wanta B.Framer]

There is a spray which can completely eliminate detectable fading from all sources of light.

It's called Krylon Matte Black spray paint, available at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Works great, highly recommended for all customers wanting to display my art pieces on sunlit walls.

^ What a smart a$$! A drape would help to curtail the affects of sunlight.

[davidagladish]

Such great measures are taken to display artowrk that will ultimately decay. Some of the oldest preserved art works are only preserved because they are hidden and kept protected for centuries, like the Bodhisatsva in Japan that were only brought out of their ceremonial tombs and unwrapped one day a year. Taking them out of this and putting them in a museum only served to destroy them faster, now the paint and gold leafing has completely faded and the wood has begun to split and fall off, but they can be seen by millions more people every year. So there's a trade-off. Thank god we have cameras. If someone is really concerned that their priceless artwork will fade in direct sunlight, no matter what archival measures are taken to preserve it, then don't display it. Keep it wrapped up and hidden in a tomb of argon gas and then mat and frame a photograph or reproduction of it. If you're not satisfied with a picture and you have to display the real thing, then your artwork will die faster.

Personally, I believe there is a happy medium. Postponing the inevitable decay can be fun. It keeps us on our toes. I'd rather the work be seen by millions and fall apart, but not from a lack of trying. Even those Japanese monks would clean, resurface, repair, and re-goldleaf the statue before rewrapping it in clean rags every year. So do the best 99% protecting you can and call it a day. You can always take it out of it's temporary (but visible) tomb when the archival preservation technology gets better and re-monkify it. Art was made to be seen, even if for a short time.

[mainesully]

A true UV Filtering acrylic glazing will filter out a very high % of the light below the 400 nm (nanometers) wavelength. This means that the glazing blocks out all of the harmful UV (ultraviolet) light. The UV portion of the spectrum are those wavelengths that are most damaging to art. A standard acrylic will block about 80% of the harmful UV light.
A true UV filtering acrylic designed for framing, like CYRO's ACRYLITE OP3, blocks out over 99.5% of the harmful light.

Standard disclaimer; I work for CYRO Industries (the above are factual & I can send really technical UV spectrophotometer charts if you want).

[mainesully]

If you saw the movie National Treasure then you know that security and UV protection are key with those documents. Anyway, the Smithsonian and the National Archives use UV filtering acrylic sheet. They use CYRO's extruded OP3 for framed documents and OP2 for vitrines and more "hands on" displays. I'm sure that they may use some other products as well but we know for sure about OP3 & OP2 in both museums.

[Paul N]

Mainesully:

Good to have you here and thanks for your information.

Whats' the difference in UV filtering between OP2 and OP3 by the way??

[Cavalier]

A true UV Filtering acrylic glazing will filter out a very high % of the light below the 400 nm (nanometers) wavelength. This means that the glazing blocks out all of the harmful UV (ultraviolet) light. The UV portion of the spectrum are those wavelengths that are most damaging to art. A standard acrylic will block about 80% of the harmful UV light.
A true UV filtering acrylic designed for framing, like CYRO's ACRYLITE OP3, blocks out over 99.5% of the harmful light.

Standard disclaimer; I work for CYRO Industries (the above are factual & I can send really technical UV spectrophotometer charts if you want).

But there's still that .5% getting in there and having a rave on someone's signed and numbered Kinkade print...

Woo--mainesully, you're not in the Sanford area, are you? And actually, I would be interested in the techspecs of the OP-3 for my reference, if you don't mind. :D

And, as an added observation, if we're basing the information of the national documents on National Treasure, does that mean Hoover Dam really does have a super-secret installation housing a giant alien robot? Because that would be so many levels of cool.