How can I keep inkjet photo and art prints from getting damaged after they come off the printer?

The primary concerns when handling prints include surface abrasion, scratching, and cracking. Abrasion is caused when a broad surface rubs across a large area of a print, causing colorant loss, ink smears, or scuff marks in the gloss. Scratches occur when a fingernail or pointed object is pulled or pushed across the surface of a print. Visible cracks can appear if the print’s surface layer becomes brittle and the print is physically flexed. Here are a few ways to prevent damage.

• Avoid touching the surface of the print area with your hand. Hold the prints by the edges or from below. Or wear white, lint-free gloves. Better yet, place a mat board beneath the print and use the mat board to carry prints from one place to another.
• Don’t roll the print or let the print flop over. The print surface can be damaged by contact with another section of the print or the image-receptive coating can be stressed.
• Wait for the print to be completely dry before laminating it, clearcoating it, framing it, or placing an interleaving sheet on it. If possible, wait at least 24 hours.
• Keep the relative humidity in the room between 30 percent and 50 percent. The print surface can become brittle when the air in the room is too dry.
• Do not stack pigment ink prints on top of each other. According to the Image Permanence Institute (IPI), even high-quality interleaving papers can cause colorants to smear. The IPI recommends using very smooth polyester sheeting as interleaving layers between totally dry prints. For smaller prints, white window mat boards can be used to separate prints in a stack.
• Limit the length of time prints on porous-coated inkjet papers are exposed to the air. They can continually absorb airborne pollutants that can later cause adverse reactions in the surface coating and paper. Use plastic films or other non-abrasive materials to protect the prints until you can store them or frame them.