Why is acid free so important? Heres an explanation in Plain English. Note that this is NOT a scientific description! Most paper that we use every day is made of wood pulp. Paper is often bleached to make it whiter. Wood pulp contains lignin which if not removed along with making the paper neutral pH makes the paper prone to brittling and yellowing over a few years. Worse still, some small brown dots will appear, which can then grow into circular marks, called acid bloom. This damage is permanent and almost impossible to fix. If you are an art collector, when buying artworks ask whether the surface is acid free. This means you will avoid that acid bloom problem. Artists should ask the same question when choosing surfaces to paint on. Even better are materials that are acid-free, unbleached and lignin-free. Cotton rag surfaces such as Arches watercolour paper, or archival mat board, do not have these problems. Neutral paper can last hundreds of years without deteriorating! If you have old photographs or drawings, check inside the frame as many old framers used materials that were full of acid, such as masonite, cardboard, wood etc. The best solution to preserve those precious memories and prevent further damage, is to remove them carefully from those old materials and store them somewhere safe, or get them remounted in acid-free materials. All our artworks at Art at Heart are painted on and mounted in acid-free, lignin-free materials.
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 03:02:43 +0000
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