How to prevent photos from sticking to glass

A sticky situation, or how to prevent your photographs from sticking to glass

Ever had the sticky situation when a photo seemed glued to the glass of a frame? No? Well, lucky you! All the same, you should keep on reading as this is something that occurs quite regularly. Over time moisture can creep in between a photograph and the frame’s glass. This moisture can then release inks and chemicals from your photo or the material of the frame and come in direct contact with the glass. If these substances subsequently dry up again the photograph and the glass become fused together. To deal with this sticky situation it’s actually best not to try and remove the picture from the glass as peeling it off often results in heavy damages.

We have repaired these sorts of damages more than we can count, but with some foresight, you can easily avoid this happening in the first place.

How to frame your photograph –

Keep these tips in mind before you frame your photographs:

1. Distance

You know how we get a little bit uncomfortable when people stand a little too close to us? Well, actually the same goes for photographs, we all need a bit of space. There are many reasonable framing solutions. Even your local shop will offer plenty of options. After finding a frame that fits your photograph choose a type of frame which prevents the actual photograph from coming in contact with the glass. This will prevent that nasty business we spoke of from happening. Once you’ve got the frame, avoid applying any glue to your photographs as this can likewise become a source of chemical release and consequent damages down the line. Likewise if you have to mount your photograph always use chemical and acid-free materials.

2. Archival Material

If for whatever reason you can’t present your photographs with some distance between the glass and photograph you should consider using an archival-quality clear plastic sheet before putting your photograph into the frame. This not only prevents any sticking but also protects your photograph. You can find such materials online from reputable outlets.

No matter what kind of solution you end up going for it is imperative to keep backups of the originals. It doesn’t matter whether that’s an old or a recently printed photograph. You’ll never know what’s going to happen to your photographs. Sometimes it’s simply the sun’s UV rays that destroy a photograph and at other times it could be your son’s football. Creating digital backups and storing them securely will allow you peace of mind and the ability to always restore the original state of your photographs.

If your photograph is already damaged you should definitely consider our professional photo restoration service. We restore your cracked, faded, or torn photographs to their original beauty. The earlier you act the better!