BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING YOUR PORTRAIT.  Although all artworks are sprayed with a fixative, they will still smudge if touched.  Handle the portraits around the edges so that fingerprints are not left behind.  Please note that smudges or fingerprints cannot be removed and will become a permanent part of your portrait.  Trying to remove a smudge or fingerprint will only further damage the image.

HAVE THE PICTURE FRAMED AND MATTED BY A PROFESSIONAL.  Most professionals are very helpful and will assist you with your choice of mat and frame.  Request acid-free matting boards and tape be used to suspend your artwork properly.  If your framer does not understand this request, take your artwork elsewhere for framing to ensure it is framed correctly.

Use acid-free matting boards and mounting tape for best conservation of your artworks.  Acid in the matting boards or tape will eventually damage your artworks by staining the artwork yellow.

Never use glue or rubber cement to fasten your artwork to matting board.  These will turn the paper yellow and damage the artwork.  They will also not allow the paper to breathe properly and the paper may wrinkle, especially when humidity is high.

Do not place the framing glass directly on top of your artwork.  Use spacers so that the charcoal or pastel will not adhere to the glass and damage your portrait.  

Moisture or humidity will degrade the artwork so make sure the frame is properly sealed.

If hanging your portrait in a sunlit area, consider using UV protective glass so the the sunlight does not degrade the artwork.

Remember these works of art are high quality portraits deserving a corresponding quality of frame and mat.  They are an investment and they should be treated as such.  If framed and matted properly these portraits can become heirlooms for future generations to cherish.  A cheap frame is just that - a cheap frame that will not protect your portrait sufficiently.  

Some of the larger size portraits will require over-size matting boards which are available from a quality framing store.  Two matting boards should not be combined to create one mat.  In other words, each matting board used in your framing should have one central cut piece with all of the four edges forming a "window" behind which your artwork is adhered.  If your framing store does not offer over-sized mats, take your picture to another framer who does.

Most of the pictures should be matted with at least a 3" border along the top and sides of the picture.  The bottom section of the matting board border should be slightly wider then the other 3 sides so that it gives visual weight to the picture.  If the bottom border is the same width as the other 3 sides, it will appear to be thinner.  This is an optical illusion that all good framers know and understand.   So, for example,  if the top and sides are 3" wide then the bottom border should be 3 1/2" in width.

The matting and framing needs to be in proportion to the artwork being displayed.  The larger the picture, the wider the border needed so that the framing compliments the artwork.  The width of matting and framing directly affects the appearance of the artwork.  A thin border (matting board and frame) will make the work appear less substantial and allows the artwork to "float" in space instead of anchored to your wall.  I recommend a 4" matting board on the top and sides with a 4 1/2" bottom border on large size portraits.

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