How to Unroll and Care for Your Print

Your unframed print will likely arrive rolled up in a tube. This page explains why, how to relax it, and how to handle it safely. If you ordered a framed print, skip to the last section.

Why your print arrived rolled

Unframed fine art prints are traditionally shipped rolled in a rigid tube. A flat parcel can be bent, creased or crushed at a corner in transit, and a crease in fine art paper is permanent. A rolled print inside a tube is protected on every side. The curl is temporary; a crease is not.

Before you open the tube

Leave it unopened in the room where you will unroll it for a few hours, longer in winter. Cold paper is stiffer and more likely to mark.

Unrolling it, step by step

Wash and dry your hands, or wear clean cotton gloves. Clear a clean, dry, flat surface bigger than the print.
Slide the print out gently and unroll it slowly, image side up. Let it open at its own pace. Never force it flat or bend it backwards.
Lay the protective tissue it came with over the image.
Place a few books on top, on the corners and along the edges. Put them on the tissue, never directly on the print.
Leave it for 24 to 48 hours. It will be flat, or close enough for a frame to finish the job.

Handling Hahnemühle paper

Our prints are made on Hahnemühle German Etching, a heavy cotton-based art paper with a soft, textured surface. That surface gives the print its depth, and it is also why it needs care.

Hold the print by its edges, with two hands.
Wear clean cotton gloves if you have them. Otherwise wash and dry your hands first.
Keep fingers, nails, sleeves and jewellery off the printed area. Skin oils and fingernails can mark it.
Never rub or wipe the surface. If dust lands on it, blow it off gently.

What not to do

Do not force it flat or roll it backwards.
Do not use water, steam, an iron or a hairdryer.
Do not place weights directly on the image.
Do not leave it unrolled and uncovered where it can be knocked or splashed.

Framing

A framer can take the print straight from the tube; they do this every day. If you are framing it yourself, flatten it first and use a mount (mat) so the glass does not touch the paper. See our guide: how to frame art prints in 4 easy steps.

Once it is on the wall

Hang it out of direct sunlight and away from damp. Bathrooms and the wall above a radiator are the usual culprits.

If you ordered a framed print

Framed prints arrive wrapped in bubble wrap with edge protectors, and the hanging hardware is already installed. They are ready to go on the wall right out of the box. Open the box on a flat surface and lift the frame out by its sides.

If something is not right

Tell us first. Reply to any of our emails, write to support@9artprints.com, or text Kazi on 1 (647) 455 2253, and we will make it right.