kcky said:
Hi,
How do you usually store your photos and photo enlargments (anything bigger than 4R)?
Get the usual photo albums off the shelves (those that can have up to 10R per page), lamination, simply stacking them up in a dark corner :sweatsm: , etc...
Appreciate for any feedback. :embrass:
kcky
If you have any photographic prints of great value or importance to you, consider archival-grade storage materials, like what museums use. They are not cheap, but offer the best protection.
Prints are best stored in individual non-reactive polyester sleeves, mylar-D being the best. These are brilliantly clear, do not bend or scratch easily, and have good slip characteristics so the print doesnt get "stuck" inside permanently.
These are not the same as most things you find in shops here, even with expensive albums sold in photographic shops. The clear plastic material used in those are mostly polypropylene, which will react with the prints over time. You made not see the fading effect until a few years later, but it will happen. Polypropylene is non-archival and should not be used for your important stuff.
If your print is bigger than 4R, it should be stored
flat. 4R and smaller prints can be stored vertically. This is important. One reputable lab here once told me that glossy prints regardless of size should be stored vertcially to avoid "sticking" onto the plastic enclusore (whether it be a sleeved album or laminated). They are dead wrong! Prints larger than 4R will risk curling if not stored flat. The "sticking" phenonmenon (anyone who has stored glossy prints will know what that is like) is due to reaction with polypropylene.
Once your print has been put in polyester sleeve, it is recommended that they be stored in a lignin-free and acid-free box. Typically, mueseums will use what is called a "drop-front box", which is sort of like a pizza-box, and variously sized for photos. Do not use board-box with lignin (eg shoe boxes). Wood must be avoided at all cost because the resin in wood leaches out over time and will react with the print. This is especially fatal for black and white. There are many types of "drop-front boxes" and variations on that theme for archival purposes.
For the ultimate in protection, there are boxes made from microchamber boxboard, or what is commonly known as "Artcare" board, made by Nelson & Bainbridge. This board has a molecular trap lined on one side to absorb pollutants both form outside the box and from within. This helps to keep the box and contents acid free for much longer. This is what the Library of Congress uses. Its is quite hard to find and needless to say rather expensive.
I doubt you can find any of this in Singapore. I order mine from companies in the USA and UK that specialise in this. You can check out:
www.lightimpressions.com
http://www.conservation-by-design.co.uk/
B&H and adorama also sell some of these products but their range isnt as comprehensive.
They are not cheap, but if you want to protect your most important prints (eg "one-of-a-kind" photos without the original negative), it is the best solution.
Framing prints is another matter, and a whole other subject of controversy and misunderstanding.
