Best Way to Store Photographs
We all have photographs that are precious to us, and many of them are very old and are often extremely fragile. Even recently produced photos can be easily ruined if care is not taken to avoid damaging them. However, if stored properly, even the oldest photos can be preserved for generations to come.
Things You'll Need
- Clear, plastic food storage bags PVC-free photo sleeves PVC-free photo storage boxes Black markers Acid-free paper Acid-free mats Acid-free backboards
Instructions
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Carefully remove the photographs from album pages that will eventually damage them, if they haven't already. These albums and their pages are composed of glues, papers and plastics that contain acids and other substances that are harmful to photographs. Any of the "peel and stick" or "magnetic" pages and sleeves fall into this destructive category.
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Gently remove any foreign matter or materials from the photos. Scratches, dents, grooves and cuts will be caused by things like paper clips, staples and rubber bands. Glues, inappropriate cements and tapes will result in stains on and deterioration of the photos.
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3
Identify each photo with names, dates and descriptions by writing on the backs with a soft-tipped felt marker, or with a flowing-ink fountain pen. Do not use pencils, ballpoint pens or "roller ball" pens. Eventually, writings done with graphite in pencils, and ball type inks tend to disappear anyway, and the pressure required to write with them will probably damage your photos.
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Place each photo into its own clear sandwich or food storage bag, such as a Zip-Lock. Push the air out of the bag, and seal it. These bags do not contain PVC, are manufactured to accommodate a large variety of sizes. If the photo that you wish to store doesn't fit any of the available food storage bags, you can buy specially-made clear, plastic PVC-free photo sleeves from any photography shop to use instead.
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Place the first plastic-sealed photo into a metal or PVC-free, acid-free photo storage box. Now put a piece of the acid-free paper on top of that.
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Continue to layer all the remaining prepared photos by repeating Step 5 until you have boxed all of them. Be sure to cover the photo on the top with two or three sheets of the acid-free paper.
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Prepare a framed photo for storage or for display by using an acid-free mat. This will prevent the glass from coming into contact with the photo. Make sure that you also use an acid-free backboard to mount the photo on, which will help to delay or even eliminate deterioration. Should you choose to have a professional frame the photo for you, be sure to specify the use of acid-free materials. Be prepared to pay extra for this.
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Choose a cool, dark closet inside the relatively controlled environment of your home in which to store your boxed photographs. It is perfectly fine to stack the boxes in the interest of using available space wisely.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not store your precious photos in the garage, basement or attic. The high humidity levels and extreme temperature fluctuations present in these places will damage your treasures. Store photos where you are comfortable. If you are not too wet, dry, hot or cold, then they probably won't be, either. The optimum temperature is 68 degrees F, and 30 to 40 percent humidity is best. Humidity levels higher than 30 to 40 percent actually can accelerate deterioration, while prints my peel, curl or crack in very low humidity. Photos may stick to plastic enclosures if the relative humidity is not consistently maintained below 80 percent.
Be sure to buy albums which are made of high-quality materials. Do not use albums that have pages made of sticky adhesives. Do not use acidic papers or boxes, low-quality adhesives like pressure-sensitive tape or rubber cement, PVC plastic materials, paper clips or rubber bands. Exposure to other substances which should be avoided include fresh paint and cleaning solution fumes, sulfur, peroxides and acids, or plywood.
