A very common problem you may face on your completed Decoupage projects is the finished surface turning yellow and yellowing over time.
This can be a problem because the materials and glues you have used on the Decoupaged surface might begin to change color and look yellow, spoiling the finish of your designs.
So why does Decoupage Turn Yellow? Your Decoupage can turn yellow if it’s exposed to a lot of sunlight or heat. Sunlight, UV light, and heat can slowly degrade the glued and sealed Decoupage surface. Your paper and materials can also experience yellowing or weathering and slowly degrade naturally over time.
If you want to avoid yellowing on the surface of your Decoupage. You should keep your items away from sunlight, UV light, and heat sources as much as possible.
When you are displaying your Decoupage items in direct sunlight or outdoors. You can use glue, sealer, or varnish that offers extra protection from sunlight, UV light, heat, and water.
It’s important to know that exposure to rain and water can also change the color of your finished Decoupage surface. Depending on the surface, glue, and materials you have used. They can sometimes turn yellow when they continually come into contact with rain or water.
How Do You Stop Decoupage Turning Yellow?
To stop your Decoupage from turning yellow. You should use a non-yellowing glue or sealer to finish your project and protect the surface. You can use a Clear Acrylic Sealer or Gloss Varnish that is non-yellowing and offers further protection from sunlight, UV light, heat, and water.
Using a Decoupage finish or sealer that offers further protection from yellowing will help to stop the surface from becoming discolored.
So if you want to stop your Decoupage from turning yellow. It’s important to use a glue, sealer, or finish for your project that prevents the surface from yellowing or is a non-yellowing formula.
If you want to further avoid getting a yellow surface on Decoupage. You should also keep your Decoupaged items away from direct sunlight, UV light, and heat sources as much as possible.
Sunlight, ultraviolet light, and heat can slowly degrade the glued Decoupage surface. So if you are planning to keep your items outdoors or in direct sunlight. You should use a glue, sealer, or finish that offers the appropriate protection against sunlight.
Gloss Wood Varnish, Mod Podge Outdoor, and Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer can be a few good finishes and sealers to use on Decoupage to prevent yellowing from sunlight.
As they all come in non-yellowing variants and dry clear whilst offering many further protections against sunlight, weathering, and water.
How Do You Fix Yellowing On Decoupage?
There is no easy way to fix yellowing on the Decoupage surface once it has dried and fully cured. It can be hard to remedy because the finished surface, materials, and glue may have formed a hard surface. The only way to fix yellowing is to start over and use glue, sealer, or finish that is non-yellowing.
Unfortunately, there is no miracle fix for yellowing on the Decoupage surface once it had dried. When the surface turns yellow after drying or begins to yellow after some time. If you are not happy with the results you will need to start over.
The best way to fix yellowing on Decoupage is by ensuring that the surface, materials, glue, sealer, or finish that you use will dry and stay clear and not introduce yellow tones to the finished surface.
However, it’s always a good idea to experiment using different surfaces, scrap materials, glues, or finishes to see what the end result will look like before working on your main project.
You can try using a Clear Acrylic Sealer Spray, and non-yellowing glues or finishes to see how they dry on scrap pieces of your chosen material.
Usually, if the glue, sealer, or finish that you use dries and cures completely clear after approximately 28 days. There’s a good chance it’s sunlight, ultraviolet light, heat, or water that is discoloring the surface and turning it yellow.
This can be especially true when you leave your Decoupaged items outdoors in the elements. As continued exposure to sunlight, UV light, and rain can make some glues or sealers with limited protection change color, turn yellow, or degrade when they come into constant contact with sunlight and rain.
Will Glued Decoupage Paper Yellow Over Time?
The short answer is yes, many types of paper used for Decoupage will turn yellow when they age. It’s a natural process that involves Cellulose breaking down via oxidation, allowing the Chromophores to emit or absorb visible light. This is why glued Decoupage paper can turn yellow over time.
So it’s a fact that many types of glued Decoupage paper can yellow naturally over time. However, it usually takes a long time and can be accelerated by sunlight and moisture.
This is why it’s a very good idea to seal your Decoupaged paper using a glue, sealer, or finish that provides extra protection from sunlight and water.
If you use a clear drying glue, sealer, or varnish that offers protection from sunlight, UV light, and has high water resistance. This can slow down the rate at which paper will naturally age and yellow on the glued surface.
Many people refer to paper aging or yellowing in Decoupage as “weathering”. As it describes the process and rate at which paper begins to show the visible signs of degrading, aging, and turning yellow.
Also, there are certain types of Decoupage projects that require you to deliberately weather or age the paper before it’s glued down. This can give a very unique style or weathered look to the finished surface.
Does Sunlight Turn Decoupage Yellow?
Yes, sunlight can turn Decoupage surfaces yellow if they are not sealed using a sealer or finish that protects against sunlight and ultraviolet light. Sunlight and UV light can accelerate the rate at which materials such as paper or glues, sealers, and finishes degrade over time. Also known as weathering.
Whether or not sunlight will turn your Decoupage project and items yellow will depend on the surface, materials, glue, and finish you have used. Also, where you are keeping your Decoupaged items such as outdoors.
If you keep your Decoupage projects outdoors, or in direct sunlight. You should seal your project using a finish that protects against sunlight and UV light.
In many cases, you can use a Clear Acrylic Sealer, Gloss Varnish, or Decoupage glue that’s suitable for the outdoors. As most of them will offer sunlight protection and provide a highly water-resistant surface.
Will Humidity Make Decoupage Turn Yellow?
The short answer is yes, high humidity environments can re-introduce moisture to the surface of Decoupage causing many problems. These problems can include yellowing, stickiness, and wrinkles once the glued surface begins to absorb water vapor from the air.
A lot of high humidity can be fairly damaging to many Decoupage projects. As humidity can affect how some glues, sealers, or finishes dry and fully cure on the surface.
In some cases, when using certain glues and materials. Humidity can cause the surface to continually be wet and not dry correctly. This can make the materials and glue shift or move, and make wrinkles appear on the surface.
Yellowing on the Decoupage surface can be caused by humidity when the surface, glue, sealer, and materials stay too wet, warm, sticky, and moist for a long period of time.
So to avoid yellowing on the surface and any other problems that come from high humidity. You should Decoupage your items indoors, in a dry or air-conditioned room to ensure the finished surface dries and cures correctly.
Does Mod Podge Yellow Over Time?
Mod Podge does yellow over time, especially if your podge project is continually being hit by direct sunlight. Sunlight and ultraviolet light can gradually turn Mod Podge yellow, but it can take years to occur. You can avoid this problem by using Mod Podge Outdoor.
If you are planning to use Mod Podge in your projects. It’s a good idea to consider using Mod Podge Outdoor as this offers further protection against yellowing, sunlight, UV light, and water.
Usually, to stop Mod Podge from yellowing you should keep it away from direct sunlight, water, and heat sources as much as possible. You should also use a non-yellowing sealer such as Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer.
It’s important to know that it can take a very long time for any Mod Podge project surface to turn yellow. It can also be caused by the materials and surface you have used, such as paper glued on terra cotta.
Most of the time you should be able to use most Mod Podge products without worrying about yellowing on the surface. As they are a good multipurpose glue, sealer, and finish to use for most projects.
Does Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer Yellow?
The short answer is no, Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer will dry clear and is a non-yellowing, no-run, quick-drying sealer and finish. When used on many surfaces and materials, it will leave your project with a smooth, durable, non-yellowing sealed surface.
If you use a sealer such as Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer. It’s a great way to seal the finish of your project giving it a high-gloss finish that won’t turn yellow.
There are also many other Mod Podge Sealer Spray formulas and finishes you can choose from that include non-yellowing as a key feature of the product.
So it’s best to consider the type of finish you are looking for on your projects when using a Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer and any other spray-on sealer. Many of them will be non-yellowing, quick-drying, but offer different finishes such as glossy or matte.
Does Varnish Turn Yellow On Decoupage?
When you use a Varnish to seal your Decoupage project. Most Varnishes that are Acrylic, Water, and Solvent based will be non-yellowing and dry clear. Oil-based Varnish is a lot more likely to give you a yellowish coat or tint on the Decoupage surface once it has dried.
If you want to use a Varnish to seal your Decoupage project you should use any Varnish that drys clear, glossy, and provides a protective non-yellowing surface.
There are many non-yellowing Acrylic, Water, and Solvent-based Varnishes you can choose from which are fine to use for Decoupage. Two examples are Minwax Polycrylic Clear Gloss and Liquitex Professional Gloss Varnish.
Even though many Varnishes are intended for use on Wood and other surfaces, many of them are fine to use for Decoupage as they can be quick-drying, dry clear, and leave you with a glossy non-yellowing durable surface.
