How to Preserve Family Photos

Family photos, especially the vintage ones, should be preserved for the next generations to enjoy. Here are some tips you can use to help preserve your family photos.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Acid free photo album
• Acid free adhesive tape
• Compact discs (CD)
• Negatives
• Photos
• Acid free photo boxes
• Scanners
• Cotton gloves

1. Photo Albums, Scrapbooks and Photo Boxes: Purchase photo albums that are of high quality materials so as not to damage your family photos. Ideally use acid free and lignin free paper. If your photo album has plastics, choose the ones that are PVC-free such as Mylar, Polypropylene, Polyester and Polyethylene.
   
   Photo boxes made of acid free materials with acid free card dividers can be purchased from any photo or craft store. Avoid using rubber bands, paper clips and pins in holding photos together. If you are sticking your photos in scrapbooks, make sure to use of photo-safe glues and avoid using regular adhesive tapes and glues that may damage your photos.

2. Handling of Photos: If you are handling rare or vintage photographs, you may want to use cotton gloves. A human body excretes natural oils that can be harmful to photographs so handling the photos with cotton gloves would prevent them from transferring to the photos.

3. Labeling Photos: Do not write on your photos. When writing on the back of your photos do not use regular ball points or felt tip pens. Look for photo-safe pens that you can buy at photo or craft stores.

4. Storage: When storing photo albums and photo boxes, make sure to find a place where your photos will not be easily reached by young children, pets and pests. Store your photos in a place away from anything that can cause water leaks and fire. Avoid storing photos in unfinished or un-insulated attics and basements.
   
   Avoid exposing your photos under direct sunlight for this can cause fading. Avoid storing photos where you store chemicals such as cleaning solutions, garden solutions and detergents to name a few.

5. Storing Negatives: Do not store negatives and photos together. If you have rare photos and negatives, think of putting them inside a fire-proof safe or safety deposit box. You can buy negative cases from photo supply stores to safely store your negatives.

6. Temperature and Humidity: Store your photos in room temperature, preferably between 65 to 70 degrees with a relative humidity of about 50%.

7. Scan and Save to Discs: Scan photos or download digital images and save them on Compact Discs (CD). Since files can get corrupted and discs can get damaged overtime, ensure that you re-copy your discs every 8 to 10 years. When scanning old rare photos, ensure that you have a professional do it. They have equipment that will not damage your photos.

8. Developing and Printing: When getting your negatives developed or photos re-printed, take them to professional photo shops and not just in drugstores or department stores. A professional photo developer uses high quality chemicals that they keep fresh at all times, minimizing deposits and damage to your photos.

9. Framing: When framing photos make sure to use acid free mats and photo safe materials. Avoid displaying framed photos under direct sunlight which can cause fading. If you want to display old and rare photos, use copies instead of the original ones.

10. Record Keeping: Make a list of your photos stored in albums, boxes and CDs. Ensure that you check them regularly to ensure that they are still intact.

Tips & Warnings

• Restore old photos that had been damaged overtime. Take them to a photo studio that can offer this service.
• Some companies offer online services in restoring old photographs; do not send originals, just send them a copy so as not to risk losing your photos in the the mail.
• Do not give out your original photos. Always make copies and keep the originals.

[favefive]

on 2/27/2009 Hi marybrm, the reason why it is best to store negatives separate from prints is more of not just avoiding chemical reactions, which archival albums, as you already know can help with. However, should there be fire, theft, flood that can damage your prints, if you have your negatives stored separately, you can still replace the ruined or lost ones. You may want to scan them also digitally so you can keep copies on your hard drive or a separate disk such as USB flash drive or CDs.

[marybrm]

on 2/24/2009 Why shouldn't I store negatives with prints? There is no issue of chemical reaction is there? I would store them in archival sleeves. I know not to do that on my personal photography but for family photos it is too confusing for the rest of the family for me to be separating them since they do not belong to me. Can't I store negatives and prints together in an archival quality photo album that accepts multiple size prints as well as negatives to keep things together? I am having a hard time organizing things and scanning without needing to figure out how to keep negatives somehow indexed to prints. Is the concern just about fire losing everything together?

[Blackbear]

on 3/1/2008 I agree this article is excellent. Very helpful and informative. Thanks.

[HillaryM]

on 2/12/2008 Great Article!

[JRIngrisano]

on 1/26/2008 Thank you. This is an excellent piece. Lots of good details. Family photos are heirlooms that become increasingly valued by family members with each generation. J