Expert Advice on Archival Preservation

The Number One Tip of All Time: Get Prints Made, Always
In an age when technology makes it so easy to take, store, upload and print your photos, the future of your photographs is at risk. We don't mean to sound dramatic... no, actually we do. It is the most important thing you can do to save your digital photos. Technology shifts, computers crash, web sites shut down. Prints last – 200 years if properly cared for – so safeguard your photos by making a physical print. read more about digital photography here.

Mounting Photographs
“Reversible” mounting using photo corners or sleeves is the purist method in terms of archiving. Reversible means the process can be reversed without affecting the photo in any way – no adhesive or paper sticks to the print. But if you're looking for a more permanent solution, use acrylic adhesive or double-stick photo mounting tape and tabs. Always look for “acid free” or “pH neutral” – never use rubber cement or cellophane tape.

Using Pens and Pencils
The best way to add that special touch to your album is to write a little bit about your photos – the date, place or subject. For writing on the back of photos use a Stabilo All pencil. The pencil’s pigmented lead adheres to surfaces that most conventional pens, pencils, or markers cannot, including glass, plastic, metal, rubber, paper and all photographic materials. For writing on the album pages use pens with pigmented inks, which will last longer than dye-based inks. We recommend Sakura Pigma Micron pens or Sakura gel pens – they come in a variety of colors and tips and resist fading and moisture better than other inks. Both are available at most art and craft supply stores.

Avoid Heat and Humidity
Store your negatives and prints in a cool, dry place with consistent temperatures and humidity levels. Attics and basements are the worst places for your negatives and photos. We suggest keeping them in the rooms where you live.

Separate Negatives and Albums
Accidents happen, plan for a back up. Keep your negatives in a separate location from your prints or albums, preferably in acid-free negative envelopes or proper sleeves. That way, if something happens to your prints, your negatives are still safe. And if your negatives get ruined, you can always scan and make copies of the prints.

Store Negatives In Sleeves
Negative sleeves, when made from either polyethylene or polypropylene (which most are), do a great job of protecting your negatives from the acidic paper and plastic in the folders from the lab. Cheaper processing, however, usually means less sleeve material – or even paper sleeves. If this is the case, transfer your negatives to either polypropylene sleeves or to special negative holders.

Use a Metal Edge Storage Box
Shoeboxes often contain materials harmful to photos – including acid, lignin and harmful dyes. Instead, store your photos in archival, acid-free boxes. The best archival boxes are constructed without glue and feature metal edge corners that give the box physical integrity – meaning if you stack them, they won’t buckle or fall apart. Surprise! – every one of our 100-page sewn bound albums comes with a custom metal edge storage box.

A Word About Film
When film goes bad, the colors can shift, get muddy, wavy or disappear. What’s worse, you never know whether your film’s been damaged until after you get your prints back. To avoid problems due to damaged film, make sure to check the freshness date and store all your film (developed and undeveloped) in a cool, dry and dark place – the freezer works well for undeveloped film. Just make sure you let it come to room temperature before you put it in your camera (about one hour).

Frames and Photographs
Photos should be framed behind glass that absorbs ultra violet light. UV light is the enemy of photographs because it causes photos to fade – including those printed on ink jet printers. Archival frames that use UV absorbing glass will help protect your photos from light and can be found at reputable art and craft stores.

Do you have questions about archival preservation? The internet is a wonderful resource for tips and advice beyond what is offered here. Try searching for "archival preservation" in your favorite search engine, or e-mail Jenni for help and advice specific to your situation.