Things You'll Need
Large pot of water
2 pieces of flat board lightly larger than your art (Masonite or Linoleum)
2 oven mitts
Heavy book
4 clamps
Sheet of cardstock
Wrinkled artwork can occur for a number or reasons, such as rain damage, flood damage, excessive handling or transportation or even poor framing. Whatever the cause of the wrinkles in your artwork, there is a single consequence: Your art looks bad. Fixing these wrinkles should be an immediate undertaking as soon as you discover the problem. Fortunately, the procedure is virtually cost free and easy to do.
Step 1
Fill a large pot with water and bring the pot to a boil. Remove the paper frame of the artwork by gently pulling off the back board. If this is taped in place, place oven mitts on your hands and hold the taped section over the steam coming from the pot. This should loosen the tape and allow you to peel it off gently.
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Step 2
Remove the picture and place it about 1-1/2 to 2 feet above the steaming pot. Hold the top and bottom edges of the artwork snugly and pull just a tiny bit with your hands as you move the picture over the steam. Do this until all the wrinkles have been removed.
Step 3
Immediately place the damp picture onto a hard, flat smooth surface that is larger than the picture itself. Sheets of Masonite or scrap linoleum are excellent for this. Place another similar surface on top of the picture. Clamp each corner of the material firmly shut and place a heavy book on top of the boards. Leave this overnight.
Step 4
Unscrew the clamps and remove the heavy book. Very slowly remove the board. Use a piece of cardstock to lift the art up almost like you are flipping a pancake with a spatula. Place the art back into the frame. Secure the paper back board to the back of the frame with masking tape. Wipe the surface of the boards you used for pressing with a paper towel to make sure they are dry. Place the entire picture, frame and all, into the boards and set the heavy book back on top of it for another full day.
Tip
If you don't want to use a pot of water, you can set your illustration on a flat surface beside your shower and run a hot shower for 15 minutes.
Warning
Be very careful to keep the picture from dipping into the water itself. Only allow steam from at least a foot away to hit the picture.
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