Dawn asks:
What is the best way to handle a photo stuck to its frame window, specifically if the window is plastic or acrylic?
The absolute best way to deal with this is to get the photo into the hands of a trained paper/photo conservator for consultation. In the absence of an expert, here’s what you can do.
At a very basic level, photos have several layers: a base material (glass, metal, paper, plastic) and one or more emulsion (image) layers. Digital prints are comprised of a base layer and one or more ink, toner, or dye layers. Photographic prints may get stuck to glass or acrylic for many reasons:
- High humidity and/or moisture exposure. Moisture can cause the image layer(s) to soften and adhere more readily to adjacent materials. Moisture can also cause the growth of fungus or mold that penetrates the photograph and binds it to other objects nearby.
- Heat can lead to softening of the image layers with the same effect as above.
- Photos can get stuck if pressure is applied to the surface long-term – such as in a frame with no mat separating it from the viewing window.
Attempting to detach stuck photos carries many risks, including:
- Physical distortion of the image and/or base layer
- Introduction of creases, cracks, folds, and tears
- Changes in color or sheen to photo surface
- Loss of the image, either partially or entirely
If you want to attempt to remove the photos yourself, first take a high quality scan of the photograph through the glass/acrylic. You can also take a high quality digital photo. This is your insurance – if the photo is damaged or destroyed while attempting to unstick it, you’ll have this scan/digital photo to make future prints from.
Try these methods in the following order:
- Gentle force can sometimes pop a photo off of its frame window with no further intervention.
- If the photo doesn’t pop off easily with gentle force alone, try putting the photo in a humid environment for a couple of hours to soften the stuck bits before trying to gently pry them apart.
- Finally, if neither of the above methods work, try freezing – put the photo in a freezer for an hour or two.
- The low temperature causes materials to contract, and it may coax the adhered surfaces away from one another just enough to let them break free easily.
- Be careful when handling a frozen photograph and especially frozen glass – the freezer makes these materials more brittle and thus more prone to cracking.
If you tried the above and still have a photo stuck to its frame, reach out to us at preserve@iastate.edu, and we’ll send you a list of professionals that you can consult with.
To prevent this from happening, always use a quality mat between your photos and the frame windows, and keep your photos out of very humid environments.
More resources:
Care, Handling, and Storage of Photographs from the Library of Congress
Caring for Private and Family Collections from the Northeast Document Conservation Center
Preserving Photographs from the American Library Association
Graphics Atlas by the Image Permanence Institute – an extensive reference of photographic processes
Library and Archives Preservation 