Top Tips On Looking After Your Original Vintage Posters

5th June 2015

  We’re often asked about the best ways to look after, store and display posters. Here are our “Top Tips” in a nutshell with a link to our video on packing original vintage posters:

  Storage – Unlike many antique and vintage items, posters are relatively easy to store. Just bear in mind that the paper used for many old posters can be quite sensitive and fragile. It’s important to keep your posters away from humidity, heat, moisture, dust and light. We recommend storing them flat in drawers or on shelves, or rolled up in hard and sturdy tubes. Do not use tape or elastic bands directly on the poster when rolled or write on the posters (even on the reverse). Wrap the poster in paper to protect it with some bubble wrap if needed at the ends to ensure the poster doesn't move around inside the tube, and lie the tube flat so the sides of the poster don’t get frayed or damaged by movement. Make sure you keep the posters off the floor level in a cool and dry place, away from any threat of flooding or dampness.

  Framing – As with any artwork, avoid hanging your poster in direct sunlight. Even if you use UV resistant glass, the sun will fade the colours over time. Bathrooms and other damp areas should also be avoided as the moisture will ruin the paper. Make sure your framer doesn’t use tape, glue or any non-acid-free substances on or near your poster. Dry mounting should also be avoided (a process of gluing the poster to a mounting board using heat and pressure, which will undermine the value of your poster). The style and colour of the frame you choose is entirely aesthetic. We tend to opt for non-reflective acrylic rather than glass, which is lighter and less likely to break, with simple black frames to allow our posters to convey their messages without any distraction.

  Tape – Never ever use tape. Even if you use tape on the reverse, it can still stain through to the front. Tape is also notoriously hard to remove without further damaging the paper.

  Restoration – Linen backing and restoring your poster will improve its condition and strength, help prolong its life and ensure its value is maintained. Minor restoration will smooth out creases and folds and fully reversible acid-free linen backing will ensure your poster is preserved and protected for the long-term. Badly damaged posters may need further restoration work to deal with staining, paper loss, holes, colour fading etc. Make sure you choose a reputable, professional poster restorer to avoid any further damage being made to your poster, which will then require further costly repair work and potentially decrease the value of your poster (for example, by dry mounting it to board or laminating it). Bear in mind that many posters do not need to be linen backed or restored; for example, new posters or old posters that have been kept in as-new, mint condition.

  Note: After many years of being a collector and having some of our posters linen backed and restored, we have teamed up with Poster Mountain in California. Poster Mountain prides itself on being the world’s premier original vintage poster and fine art conservation and restoration studio and, in turn, we are proud to offer their services to our clients. Please click here for more information.

  Packing – Visit our YouTube channel for Tips on Packing Posters (more coming soon). 

Please contact us if you have any queries or would like any further information. Visit our website at www.antikbar.co.uk to browse all our original vintage posters and, for more updates, follow us on:

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AntikBar is a Member of the International Vintage Poster Dealers’ Association (IVPDA), the London Art Deco Society (LADS), UK Posters Network, King's Road Curve, The Association of Art and Antiques Dealers (LAPADA) and the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA).

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