Many companies now build art collections around prints rather than originals: limited editions from emerging artists, commissioned photography of the business’s own sites, or archive imagery reproduced at scale. These pieces represent a real investment, and they hang in rooms that clients and visitors judge the company by. Fading, scuffing or a cloudy glazed frame undermines the impression they were bought to create.
The conditions in a corporate building
Offices are kinder than retail floors, but they have their own hazards. Glass-fronted boardrooms and atriums let in a great deal of daylight. Meeting rooms are rearranged regularly, so chairs and whiteboards end up against walls. Facilities contractors clean on a schedule with whatever products they carry. And collections get moved during refits and office relocations, sometimes more than once.
How coating helps a collection
Landor Liquid Lamination adds a protective layer that improves durability and lightfastness, so prints last longer. The Colourjet solvent coating protects against water, chemicals and abrasion, and its integrated UV inhibitors help prevent premature fading. It suits prints from pigment fine art printers as well as latex, UV and eco-solvent devices, which covers most of the processes used to produce corporate art.
- Glass-free framing: coated prints can be displayed without glazing, which removes reflections in bright rooms and saves weight on large pieces. See framing without glass.
- Canvas reproductions: coated canvas can be wiped gently and handled more confidently during moves.
- Large statement pieces: oversized photographic works behind reception desks are easier to maintain with a protective surface.
Questions for curators and art consultants
If you manage a collection, a coating is a decision to agree with the artist or rights holder. Some artists are happy for their editions to be coated; others want the paper surface left exactly as printed. A sample of the actual paper and ink combination, coated and uncoated side by side, makes that conversation easier. Solvent coatings do not suit every substrate or ink, so testing is essential rather than optional. Our sample testing guide explains what to check.
Keep a simple record of which works have been coated and with what finish. It helps when pieces are rehung, loaned between offices or added to later.
Rotating displays
Some businesses rotate imagery to mark anniversaries or showcase projects. For temporary wall-scale pieces in corridors and breakout spaces, Phototex self-adhesive fabric can be removed in one piece without marking the wall and repositioned or reused, which suits shorter displays alongside the permanent collection. Phototex is for interior use only.
Whether you print corporate art or curate it, we are happy to talk through options. Call 01252 624 411 or write to us via the contact page.