If you just purchased, or are thinking of purchasing a print on paper, here are some tips to help you get the most from it and to avoid damaging it before it's installed into a protective frame.
Modern giclée prints can provide much better looking color and tone than typical photographic processes or office-quality inkjets but they are also more susceptible to damage from handling or moisture.
No photo should be handled directly as skin oils and moisture can damage the image, this is even more important for a giclée print.
Keep the print inside the protective transparent envelope until it is ready to be mounted or framed. When handling the print it is best to wear soft, clean cotton gloves to handle it. Even with gloves, handle the print by the edges as much as possible. Work in a clean and dry area.
Frames and glass should be thoroughly clean and dry before installing the print. Any leftover glass cleaner can quickly ruin your giclée print if it comes into contact with it! (learned that the hard way!) Also keep this in mind when your framed print might need the glass cleaned; any liquid that can work its way around the glass and into the frame can damage the print. Use only a dry microfiber cloth to clean the glass. If a stubborn smudge resists the dry approach, use only a drop or two of glass cleaner, applied to a clean cloth or suitable paper tissue, to gently remove the smudge. Do not apply glass cleaner directly to the glass.
When framing, do try to have a matboard or other method of spacing the print away from the frame and front glass. Although my personal preference rarely includes matting, a mat will provide some protection to the print from possible acids in the frame material itself and spacing it away from the glass can protect the print from any moisture which may condense from environmental changes like a sudden drop in temperature or increase in humidity which could cause condensation to form INside the framing system.
These prints are made with UV-resistant pigment inks. They can withstand exposure to sunlight without losing any of their color qualities for many years. That said, it is still prudent to frame and display them to minimize exposure to strong sources of light which may contain some UV because the paper itself will be somewhat susceptible to yellowing over time if exposed to UV.
Varnished canvas prints are more physically robust than paper-media prints. Still, it's best to treat them as though they are similarly fragile to avoid the risk of damaging them.
Related Topic - FRAMING OPTIONS