Storing your printed pictures

What do photographs mean to you? On a basic level, they record our day to day events-a visit to a restaurant or a day at the beach.  They also record major life events, like weddings and first communions, baby's first year, grandma's 100th birthday. So what can you do to make sure your printed pictures stick around for future generations to enjoy?

Although pictures are important to us, we take them for granted.  We keep those old prints in shoeboxes and plastic containers or cheap photo albums.  Prints decay and change color for a variety of reasons:  Color photos from the 60s to the 80s were very unstable and often suffer from “color shift”, taking on a magenta hue.  Shoeboxes are made of cardboard which contains acid which eats away at the prints.  Damp and mold cause blotches and stains.  Cheap photo albums used to have pages covered in PVC.  Not only does PVC break down and generate acid, but they often stuck to the prints.  When you buy an album today, look for the words “acid free paper” and “No PVC”.  Not to mention disasters-from flooded basements to tornadoes and earthquakes.  Have you noticed, when a tornado rips though a town, flattening homes, people who have lost everything talk about losing their family pictures?

Store your printed pictures and film negatives in a dark closet, in a part of your home that does not experience dramatic temperature and moisture swings. Don't put them in the basement or attic or garage. It is very easy to have a press printed book made on line, to record a special vacation or family event. You can put these on a book shelf and bring them out to enjoy with family and friends. Of course, you can frame them and display them on your walls. If you frame them under glass, be sure to use an acid free mat to create a gap between the print and the glass. This will prevent the print from sticking to the glass.

If your precious prints are damaged, all is not lost. The picture above was one I restored, using digital technology. If you would like to know more about my restoration services, check out this page on my website. https://www.joannasdigitalimages.com/Restoration/

I will have more tips on how to keep your photo memories safe in a future post!