How to Store and Protect Acrylic Paintings

How to Store Acrylic Paintings

Artists and acrylic painting collectors alike all need to store their paintings at some point. Read these tips before stashing away your precious art pieces to ensure your paintings are safely stored.

How Do You Store Finished Acrylic Paintings?

If you want to store finished and dried-out acrylic paintings quickly, then here are a few tips to follow: 

• Avoid placing them face-to-face: Remember to put them facing away from each other to avoid them sticking together.
• Use ideal storage boxes: Finished acrylic paintings need to be packed and stored in ideal boxes, probably in a metal storage box available conveniently in any store nearby. The metal is safe and will not ruin your paintings.
• Avoid cardboard and wood boxes: These are less ideal as they can be susceptible to mold, dampness, and bugs.
• Store in the right environment: Do not store paintings in places with lots of sunlight or light in general; this may turn your acrylic painting yellow or remove its solid finish.

For more detailed guidelines, check out our articles on How to Store Paintings and How to Store Canvas Paintings.

What to Put Over an Acrylic Painting to Protect It

If storing and preserving your fine artwork is important, you know the hassle you must go through to keep the painting looking fresh, protected from dust, and not turning yellow. Follow these tips:

• Varnish your paintings: All artists should ideally varnish their finished acrylic paintings. Varnish acts as a protectant, keeping the painting dust-free, protecting it from UV rays, and preventing it from turning yellow.
• Enhance your painting: Varnish is also helpful in adding shine, pulling the painting together, and adding that final touch to it. Plus, it brings out all the beautiful colors in your paintings.

How Do You Wrap Acrylic Paintings for Storage?

Wrapping acrylic paintings is relatively easy and a pretty effective way to protect the artworks from all sorts of pollutants and harm’s way. Use the following steps to ensure your beautiful art piece remains safe and sound. 

1. Wrap it in plastic: This helps maintain that glossy finish and prevents the painting from getting damaged.
2. Use styrofoam: After wrapping and sealing the acrylic painting, you can quickly get a custom-made box with styrofoam tailored to the measurements of your artwork to keep it all snug and tight so it doesn’t come out from the packaging.
3. Store in a cardboard box: Finally, store your paintings that are all stuffed in styrofoam inside a cardboard box. It’s now ready to be stored away or shipped to the gallery owner or client! Don’t worry; it’ll be safe and protected.

For additional tips on storing watercolor paintings, visit our How to Store Watercolor Paintings guide.

How Do You Store Acrylic Paintings So They Don’t Stick Together?

Preventing your acrylic paintings from sticking together can quickly be done if you line them with glassine paper or some readily available greaseproof paper. These papers are smooth and easily removable if, by chance, they stick together.

Preserve Your Artwork

You’re all set now, and don’t worry because all your paintings will be stored safe and sound if you’ve followed these tips! Now you know how to preserve your artwork, you can start exploring original paintings for sale online and in galleries.