A stretched canvas print is more robust than framed glass and less forgiving than you would expect in exactly two places: direct sun, and damp.
Everyday care
- Dust dry. A soft, dry cloth or a clean makeup brush, wiped in one direction. Once a month is plenty.
- If something more stubborn lands on it — a fingerprint, a splash — use a clean cloth barely damp with plain water, press rather than scrub, and let it air-dry fully.
- Never use glass cleaner, alcohol, solvents, polish or any household spray. The matte coating is what holds the detail, and these strip it.
Where to hang it
- Out of direct, sustained sunlight. Pigment inks are stable, but nothing survives a west-facing window in May indefinitely. Diffused daylight is fine.
- Away from steam and damp. Bathrooms and the wall directly above a stove are the two rooms canvas does not enjoy. Cotton-poly canvas can slacken in high humidity.
- Off exterior walls that sweat in monsoon or winter. If the wall is cold to the touch, use a small spacer behind the frame so air can move.
If the canvas ever looks slack
Seasonal humidity can loosen a stretched canvas very slightly. It almost always tightens again as the air dries. If it does not, tapping the small wooden wedges at the inside corners of the frame gently inward with a hammer will re-tension it — a light tap, then wait a day before deciding whether it needs another.
Hanging
Sawtooth hardware is fitted before the print ships, so a single nail or picture hook rated for the weight is all you need. On plaster or concrete, a small wall plug is worth the extra minute.
Moving house
Face two prints toward each other with a sheet of card between them, then wrap the pair. Never stack anything on top of a canvas lying flat — pressure on the unsupported centre is what causes permanent dents.