Caring for Your Printed Products

Your WHCC products are made with professional-grade materials crafted to be passed down for generations. How and where you display and store them plays a real role in how long they stay looking their best. A little care goes a long way.

What Affects Print Longevity

All printed products, regardless of the printing process and materials, are affected by the same environmental factors. The degree of impact may vary by product, but the principles are universal.

Light: 
This is the big one. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight, fluorescent bulbs, and halogen lighting breaks down the chemical compounds that produce color in inks and dyes. Even indirect sunlight may impact your prints over time. The more intense the light and the longer the exposure, the faster fading may occur. However, thoughtful placement of your prints can limit the possibility of fading.

Heat: 
Warmth speeds up the chemical reactions behind fading and material breakdown. Air vents, radiators, and fireplaces near your prints can impact the material and coloring. Consistent, stable, cool environments are easier on prints compared to rooms with frequent or intense temperature swings.

Humidity: 
High humidity or moisture can encourage mold, and may cause papers and substrates to warp, stick, or degrade. Very low humidity can make paper brittle. Consistency matters most. Steady conditions are better than fluctuating humidity throughout the day or across seasons.

Airborne pollutants: 
Ozone and other pollutants can contribute to gradual color shifts, especially on prints displayed without protective coatings or acrylic. Household cleansers, fragrances, and oil diffusers can also affect the longevity of your prints. Keeping prints away from airborne chemicals is ideal. 
 

Display & Care Recommendations for Each Product

WHCC products are created using several different printing technologies and materials. Each product has its own characteristics when it comes to longevity and care. Below, we've organized recommendations by product, with notes on the print method behind each.

Photographic Prints

Products: Photographic Prints (loose and mounted)

Also used in: Albums, Layflat Books

Our Photographic Prints are produced by exposing light-sensitive Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper that runs through an RA-4 chemical process to develop the image on the paper. This is a true photographic printing process with no ink involved, akin to traditional darkroom printing methods. This printing process delivers excellent color stability built to last generations. These papers have earned top marks in independent longevity testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research, with over 100 years of display life under typical conditions and over 200 years in dark storage.

Display recommendations for Photographic Prints:

• Hang on interior walls away from direct sunlight. Hallways, bedrooms, and interior rooms are great choices because they tend to get less cumulative light than living areas with large windows.
• Our Lustre Coating, Protective Lamination, and print textures options add a further, physical barrier that helps guard against fingerprints, moisture, and surface wear while extending display life.
• We recommend keeping prints away from heat sources like radiators, fireplaces, and south-facing windows, and away from high-humidity spaces like unventilated bathrooms to help maximize your print’s longevity.

Fine Art Prints & Canvas

Products: Fine Art Prints (loose and mounted), Gallery Wraps, Portrait Canvas, Canvas Prints

Fine Art Prints and Canvas products are printed on fiber-based print surfaces using archival pigment inks, known for their high lightfastness. Pigment inks resist fading from light exposure far better than dye-based inks. Premium Fine Art and Portrait Canvases also receive a protective laminate (semi-gloss or matte) that adds UV protection and moisture resistance. With proper care, these products will hold their color and detail for generations.

Display recommendations:

• Display on interior walls away from direct sunlight, same as Photographic Prints.
• Fine Art Prints on paper don't have a built-in protective surface, so framing is recommended for anything on long-term display (see Framing below).
• The laminate on on our Premium Fine Art Canvas and the varnish on our Portrait Canvas offers a layer of protection, but thoughtful placement is still recommended. 
• Dust canvas gently with a soft, dry cloth and avoid using liquid cleaners on the print surface.
• Avoid direct sunlight, high-humidity areas, and rooms with significant temperature swings. Very dry conditions can make canvas taut and brittle; very humid conditions can make it sag or encourage mold.
• Handle Fine Art Prints with clean, dry hands and avoid touching the printed surface.

Framing

Products: Framed Prints

Framing is one of the most effective ways to extend the display life of any paper-based print. A frame with added acrylic creates a barrier between the print and its environment, protecting against dust, moisture, handling, and pollutants.

We offer two optional acrylic upgrades. Our Standard Acrylic provides inherent UV filtering, and our Glare-Resistant Acrylic blocks up to 99% of UV rays. For framed prints going in rooms with a lot of natural light, adding acrylic is one of the best investments you can make in keeping your work looking its best for the long haul.

While Acrylic adds significant protection to your framed prints, we still recommend keeping them out of direct sunlight to help further reduce the risk of your images fading.

Metal Prints

Products: Metal Prints, Exterior Metal Prints

Our Metal Prints are produced on ChromaLuxe aluminum panels using dye sublimation. Heat and pressure infuse the image permanently into a specialized polymer coating on the metal surface. ChromaLuxe panels have been tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research and have achieved some of the highest display permanence ratings in the industry.

Display recommendations:

• No acrylic is needed. The image is sealed within the polymer coating itself, so Metal Prints are resistant to moisture, surface wear, and atmospheric pollutants right out of the box.
• Metal Prints are among the most durable display products we offer. They do well in bright rooms, commercial spaces, and even humid environments like bathrooms. They'll hold their brilliance longest when kept out of sustained, direct sunlight, but they can handle more light exposure than paper-based products.
• Dust with a dry cloth or clean with a damp microfiber cloth if needed. A non-ammonia household cleaner works for stubborn marks. Avoid abrasive cleaners, metal polishes, or rough cloths.
• Standard (indoor) Metal Prints aren't designed for permanent outdoor or direct-sunlight display. Our Exterior Metal Prints are engineered to provide more enhanced UV resistance.

Albums & Layflat Books

Products: Albums, Layflat Books

Print method: Photographic printing on Fujicolor Crystal Archive papers.

Albums and Layflat Books contain the same photographic papers as our Photographic Prints, so the same longevity and light-sensitivity characteristics apply. The main difference is in how they're handled and stored.

Storage and care recommendations:

• Store flat. This keeps pages aligned and prevents stress on the spine and binding over time.
• Store in a cool, dry spot away from direct light. Typical indoor conditions work well, roughly 65–75°F and 30–60% relative humidity. Consistency in your environment matters the most.
• Open gently and support both covers. Handle pages by the edges rather than touching the printed surface.
• For long-term storage, a closet shelf is ideal. Avoid attics, garages, basements, or anywhere with wide temperature and humidity swings. Sealed plastic bins in non-climate-controlled spaces can trap moisture and should be avoided.

Cards, Hardcover Books, Softcover Books

Products:  Flat Cards, Folded Cards, Promotional Cards, Business Cards, Hardcover Books, Softcover Books

Our press-printed products are produced on HP Indigo digital presses using a dot printing process (referred to as a liquid electrophotographic process or digital offset) that delivers sharp, vibrant color on both coated and uncoated paper stocks. These prints hold up well to everyday handling, but like all paper-based products they benefit from a little care.

Display recommendations for Cards:

• If framing a Card, follow the same placement guidance as other paper prints: interior wall, away from direct sunlight, and consider adding acrylic for long-term display.
• Unframed Cards on a mantel or shelf will be more exposed to light and environmental factors. Rotating what's out or keeping them away from direct light helps them stay vibrant.

Storage and card recommendations for Hardcover & Softcover Books:

• Store flat, in a cool, dry spot away from direct light.
• Follow the same temperature and humidity guidance as Albums: roughly 65–75°F, 30–60% relative humidity, with consistency in your environment. Avoid attics, garages, basements, storage bins, and other non-climate-controlled spaces.
• Handle with clean, dry hands. Be gentle when sliding books on and off shelves to avoid scuffing covers.

Acrylic Prints

Products: Acrylic Prints, Acrylic Blocks

Acrylic Prints are produced by face-mounting a fine art quality Glossy inkjet print to the back of ¼" thick, crystal-clear acrylic. The acrylic provides UV filtering and physical protection for the image, and the result is a stunning, modern display crafted to look outstanding for decades.

Display recommendations:

• Hang on interior walls, ideally away from direct sunlight. The acrylic adds UV protection, but prolonged direct sunlight will still cause gradual shifts over time.
• Keep away from high heat. Acrylic can warp or soften in extreme warmth, so avoid placement above fireplaces, in uncontrolled sunrooms, or in direct contact with hot light fixtures.
• Clean with a soft microfiber cloth, slightly damp if needed. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners and anything abrasive that could scratch the surface.

Wood Prints

Products: Wood Prints

Wood Prints feature your image printed directly onto a ½" Maple wood panel. The natural wood grain shows through and is part of the charm, but it also means these products are a bit more sensitive to their environment than metal or acrylic.

Display recommendations:

• Hang on interior walls, away from direct sunlight and moisture.
• Wood is hygroscopic, meaning it naturally absorbs and releases moisture from the air. Significant humidity or temperature swings may cause subtle warping or movement in the substrate. A stable indoor environment keeps wood prints looking their best for the long run.

Mounted Display Products

Products: Standouts, Float Wraps, Bamboo Panels

Standouts, Float Wraps, and Bamboo Panels feature Photographic Prints or Fine Art Prints mounted to a rigid substrate with finished edges. Care recommendations follow the print surface used. See the Photographic Prints or Fine Art Prints & Canvas sections above and apply the same principles. Bamboo Panels have natural bamboo along the exposed edges, which responds to humidity much like wood, so a stable indoor environment is best.

General Best Practices

For products on display:

• Interior walls away from direct sunlight are your best bet. North-facing walls and interior hallways are great spots.
• In rooms with lots of natural light, UV-filtering window films help protect everything in the room, including your prints.
• Use LED lighting to illuminate your work. Unlike fluorescent and halogen bulbs, LEDs produce virtually no UV radiation.
• Consider rotating what you have on display. Giving pieces some rest time in lower-light conditions extends their life even further.

For products in storage:

• Store prints in cool, dry, and dark environments. Interior closets and bedroom shelves are safer for prints compared to attics, basements, garages, and storage bins.
• Keep everything off the ground in case of water.
• Don't stack heavy items on top of prints, albums, or books.
• If you’re storing multiple Framed Prints, Metal Prints, or Acrylic Prints, we recommend storing them face-to-face to help avoid scratching on the print surface.

A Note on Longevity

Print longevity ratings, like those from Wilhelm Imaging Research, come from standardized accelerated aging tests under controlled lab conditions. They simulate typical indoor display at moderate light levels with standard temperature and humidity to estimate when noticeable fading would first appear.

These ratings reflect the quality of the materials in your WHCC products, and they're impressive. But real-world results depend on real-world conditions. A print in a dimly lit hallway will stay vibrant much longer than the same print on a sun-drenched wall. Neither scenario means your print won't last for a long time. It's about how long it looks its absolute best.

We use some of the finest materials in the industry, crafted to last for generations. How long they look their best is a partnership between the quality we build into our products and the care on the other end.