How to frame a Japanese print without damaging it

Framing a Japanese print is not complicated.
But it's not just a matter of decoration either.

I, Kogechan, will answer all your questions!

How to frame a Japanese print?
What frame should I choose for an old Japanese print?
Do I need a matboard to frame a Japanese print?
Is UV-protective glass necessary for a Japanese print?
Why do Japanese prints yellow over time?
Where should I display a Japanese print at home to preserve it well?
Can a Japanese print be glued into a frame?

Let's go through it together, here we go!

What are the sworn enemies of a Japanese print?

To properly frame a Japanese print, you must primarily avoid two things: sunlight... and humidity.

Sunlight (and UV rays)

Sunlight is the primary enemy of Japanese prints.
UV rays fade colors, but more importantly, they cause sun damage to the paper: over time, it yellows, oxidizes, and loses its freshness.

👉 Even without direct sunlight, ambient UV rays have an effect.

Humidity

Humidity is responsible for those famous brown spots, called foxing.
These are chemical reactions (and sometimes micro-molds) within the paper.

Once foxing sets in, it's almost impossible to remove.

👉 In short:
to protect a Japanese print, avoid direct sunlight or overly strong light, damp rooms, and walls overly exposed to humidity.

Japanese Print Sizes: Ōban, Chūban…

Japanese prints have "classic" formats. The most common are:

• Ōban: approximately 25 × 38 cm
• Chūban: approximately 18 × 25 cm

These dimensions are indicative. Depending on the era, publisher, or retained margins, they can vary by a few centimeters.
This is why standard frames are rarely perfectly suited for Japanese prints.

Custom framing or standard frame for a Japanese print?

Custom framing

Principle
The frame is designed for the print, not the other way around.

Advantages

• Perfectly adjusted format
• Adapted matboard (or assumed absence of matboard)
• Acid-free materials
• Ideal protection for an old print
  

Disadvantages

• THE PRICE! (can sometimes almost double the price of a print...)
• Sometimes the manufacturing time

👉 Recommended for old, rare prints, or those you particularly cherish, or if you have the budget.

Standard frame (ready-made)

Principle
A simple and accessible solution.

Advantages

• Easy to find
• Wide choice of styles
• Sufficient for many prints

Disadvantages

• European formats ≠ Japanese formats
  
• Matboard almost always needs to be recut
• Variable material quality

👉 A standard frame can work very well, provided it is adapted correctly.

• For Chūban format: at least a 20x30 cm frame
• For Ōban format: at least a 30x40 cm frame

 

Matboard or not for a Japanese print?

Without matboard

• Full view of the paper
• Visible margins with signatures, seals, and manufacturing marks
• Very direct rendering
• Greatly simplifies framing

But this is not the most protective solution in the long term, especially if the print is close to the glass, though the result can be superb. Beware of humidity trapped between the glass and the print!

With matboard

• Protects the edges
  
• Can enhance the print
• Helps to adapt the format

⚠️ But beware:
standard matboards are almost never suitable for Japanese prints. They must be recut, otherwise they hide important elements, or even the print itself... They can also generate unsightly framing marks over time if they are acidic!

Glass or plexiglass for framing a Japanese print?

Glass

• Very good transparency
• Does not scratch easily
• Available in anti-UV version
• Faithful rendering

👉 This is the best choice when possible, especially for an old print.

Plexiglass

• Lightweight
• Unbreakable

But:

• Scratches easily
• Can create static electricity
• Less suitable for old paper if chemically treated
  
• Less often UV-protective

👉 Practical, but often less respectful in the long term.

Can a Japanese print be glued?

No. Never. Are you crazy?!

We're being clear.

Gluing a Japanese print:

• prevents the paper from naturally expanding and contracting
• creates tension and deformation
• causes irreversible stains
• glue often alters colors
• makes any future restoration impossible

A print is secured, held in place, set down.
It is not glued. Otherwise, you will destroy it and cause it to lose a good part of its value!

Three ways to frame at KOGEDO

At KOGEDO, we don't all have the same approach.

• Tōma likes to frame Japanese prints without a matboard, to see the paper as it is, so we don't miss any information!
• Mikan prefers an off-white matboard, well-adjusted, for balance and protection.
• And I, Kogechan, am a luxury tanuki; I prefer custom framing, nothing better for a print by the master Kunisada!

Three sensitivities, one shared respect:
for the paper, for time, and for the journey each print has made.

And you, how do you frame your KOGEDO print?

Now that you know how to frame them, discover all our prints in our KOGEDO collection