How to Frame Newspaper Articles

If you have a special newspaper article that you'd like to save and display in a frame, in time you can expect the paper to turn yellow and brittle unless you take a few precautions. Several different preservation methods allow you to properly frame newspaper articles and show them off for years to come – so choose your favorite technique before framing newspaper articles as a final step.

Before framing newspaper articles, ​Hints from Heloise​ advises treating the paper in a homemade solution to help prevent yellowing.

To make the solution, mix:

• One quart club soda
  
• Two tablespoons magnesium hydroxide
  

Refrigerate the mixture for eight hours to prepare it. Pour the solution into a shallow pan and submerge the clippings one by one, letting each soak in the pan for an hour. Lay out several layers of white paper towel on a clean, flat surface, and carefully place each clipping on the paper towel to dry completely.

If you're nervous about dunking your precious newspaper in liquid, you can preserve it the way archivists do.

Sherelyn Ogden, head of conservation at the society says Minnesota Historical Society, says newspapers need to be placed in a stable, acid-free environment that's dry, cool, dark and insect-free. Newsprint is made with wood fibers that contain lignin, a substance that binds wood's strength-forming cellulose together and makes the paper a unified sheet -- but only temporarily. Over time, the symbiotic relationship turns and lignin gives off an acid that degrades the paper.

The solution is to make high-quality copies on buffered acid-free paper, and test to see if you can smear the ink. If you can't, the copy will last for years, and that's the version you should put in your frame.

Lay the original article carefully on the copier or scanner bed, without pressing down heavily. Never feed the original through an automatic copier or scanner, because it can damage the newspaper. Make a copy on the acid-free paper; the light from the copier or scanner is very intense, but it's not shining on the newspaper long enough to cause damage.

Once you have your copy for framing, properly store your original newspaper clipping.

Place your article flat inside a buffered, acid-free folder and put the folder inside the archival box. You can stack several folders on top of each other, each protecting a different clip. Place smaller clippings inside polyester sleeves to keep them from moving around. Store the boxes in a dry area -- not the basement or garage.

An alternate storage method lets you use any type of box for storage.

Wrap each clipping in archival tissue and seal it with archival tape, leaving a few spots open so air can circulate. Place the wrapped newspapers inside the boxes and store them in a dry place such as under the bed.

Now that you have copied or treated your newspaper, you're ready for framing the newspaper article to frame it.

Open the frame and carefully remove the glass. Clean the glass on both sides with glass cleaner and a fiber-free cloth, and then let the glass dry completely.

Lay the article on the acid-free cardboard or paper, leaving a wide margin where the matting will go. If the article is in two or more parts, offset the clippings slightly so they are all readable but in a pleasing arrangement. Place the matting around the clipping arrangement to ensure nothing is hidden. When you're satisfied, lift the edges of the clippings and hold them in place with archival tape.

Put the glass in the frame and the clippings face down on the glass. Replace the backing on the frame and hang it in a location that won't be directly hit by sunlight.