Cleaning Photographs
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The photo cleaning process is done one by one, treating each print, negative, or slide according to its own unique needs. It is important to understand that cleaning carries its own risks, and it is hoped that what you do will improve the overall condition of the photograph.
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If a soiled photograph is especially important to you, then before beginning the cleaning process make a scan or copy of the original as a backup in case something unexpected happens.
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There is a certain "learning curve" to cleaning photographs. Find a photo of lesser importance that appears to have the same problems and work on it first.
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The first photo cleaning step is to thoroughly examine and evaluate the photograph--usually under low magnification (be sure you are wearing cotton gloves). Look for evidence of abrasion, cracking, mildew, mold, or insect damage to the emulsion layer. Next look at the substrate--the paper or film that holds the emulsion. Does it look healthy? Is the print paper brittle--is it soft, mushy, or falling apart? If it is a print or slide, is the mounting board of good quality; is it acid-free? What kind of adhesive is present?
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Most cleaning and stabilizing is done by blowing, dusting, washing, erasing, scraping, removing mounts and adhesives, mounting, applying adhesive, and pencil touch-up.
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If a photo emulsion or its substrate is soft, crumbling, or flaking away, then any cleaning at all, even blowing with "canned air," could damage the image in the affected area. If the softening is localized in an area that is not critical to the photograph, it would be best to cut out the bad area. If the softening or rotting has begun on the mounting board only, then it is definitely time to remove the photo from its mount.
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Except where the photo emulsion is beginning to soften, "canned air" blowing is the safest and most widely used photographic cleaning technique. It is usually a good practice to blow off photographic media prior to returning them to their archival storage sleeves. Dusting with a soft brush (camel hair or equivalent photo brush) is the next safest technique. The only situation where brushing would be less safe than blowing is in the case where abrasive dust could be pushed across the face of the photograph, scratching the emulsion. Brushing can be more effective than blowing for stubborn problems (such as a hair).
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Scraping photos with a pen knife (for cleaning) is obviously quite risky and requires a very delicate touch. One would not use such a tool to touch an emulsion itself, but under low magnification and with a steady hand, one can cut away the top bulk of some contaminant that may have been dropped on the photograph so that subsequent washing could clean the residue away without increasing the risk of staining the entire photo.
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A pen knife, spatula, or even a stainless steel pancake turner can be useful for cleaning and removing mounts, glue, etc. It is not always easy to decide when to remove a mount from a print and when to leave it alone. If a permanent mount is healthy and appears to be acid-free, leave it. If it is not permanent and the mount shows any sign of aging, uncleanliness, or is not acid-free, then remove it. Situations between these two extremes are judgment calls. Sometimes the determining factor is how difficult and risky it is to get the mount off without bending or stressing the print. Sometimes, just the unhealthy part of the mount can be cut away, with the newly exposed part of the print given new structural protection. When removing the mount, be sure to scrape away all the old glue and adhesive where possible. Sometimes a mount is designed to later be removed from its print through soaking.
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Rewashing photo media carries some risk. Generally, the photo media should be in pretty good physical condition to hold up under full rewashing. One might consider this procedure after photographic media becomes soiled, new contaminants have been introduced, or when bringing photo-finishing up to an archival-quality standard. Remove the mount and, using filtered water, follow the same washing temperatures and techniques recommended by the film or paper manufacturer. For archival preservation use longer washing, soaking, etc. and use the photographic washing salts recommended by the manufacturer to accelerate complete fixer removal. Hang negatives and slides in a dust-free location to dry. Air dry the prints in a dust-free area on fiberglass screens. To remove the curl from the dry prints, carefully slip them (individually) between 2 pieces of acid-free paper (or other appropriate substance) and flatten them out for a day or two under heavy weight.
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A partial rewashing or "spotting," of photos removes localized spots, mold, mildew, or stubborn dust that is stuck to the emulsion. This technique can often be done without removing mounted photographic media. Make a mixture of 50% denatured alcohol, 50% deionized water. Using a cotton swab or cotton Q-tip carefully apply the mixed solution to the soiled emulsion area. Be careful not to use pressure--just soak, swab, and lift. If caution is not taken, you can actually watch the image of some deteriorating prints fade away before your eyes using this technique--so don't spot the unhealthy ones, and don't apply pressure! If the foreign matter doesn't lift off at first, be patient and soak it longer. This technique can also leave a ring in the area where spotting was done, which may lead to the necessity of full washing. Even with these risks, many photographs can be significantly improved using this technique.
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Attempts at removing dangerous adhesives from photos (such as rubber cement, magnetic page adhesive, cellophane tape, etc.) would depend on the condition of the photograph. If you have an original, uncontaminated negative or slide, make a new print and throw the contaminated one away. You may try scraping away excess adhesive, Q-tip/alcohol washing, then full washing. Such prints will probably still need to be isolated from the main collection on storage, because these washing steps don't completely remove most adhesives.
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Occasionally an eraser is used to remove unwanted marks from photos. This is usually needed just for pencil marking on the mounts, but sometimes a pencil mark accidentally lands on an emulsion. Let's hope it was made with a very soft pencil and is not accompanied by grooving. Sometimes a soft, white or amber-colored eraser applied with just the right amount of pressure can lift all or some of the carbon away from the print. Don't expect miracles here; a less prominent pencil line is much less distracting than a heavy dark one. If you try to get it all, you may begin to erase the image as well. Don't use the oily type erasers nor the colored ones since removing all of the eraser residue is difficult. The trade-off here is that eraser residue itself could damage your photograph over time--ironically, the pencil mark will out-live the print!
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Fixer spots and stains look like bleach marks on a print or negative. If discovered on a relatively new photograph, then rewashing will probably stop it from slowly spreading across the photo. If the stain is already spreading like leprosy across a print, it has probably also traveled the full thickness of the print, and some combination of washing and cutting may be necessary. If there is no spot on the print, but the entire image is slowly acquiring a bleached look, then the paper is contaminated with residual fixer from incomplete washing when it was originally processed. If the print can hold up to it, additional washing after the fact can stop the progress of this bleaching.
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Your freshly-cleaned photographs deserve new storage sleeves. Putting them back in their same old storage envelopes would be like taking a bath and then putting your dirty socks back on!
Computers and Photo Files
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Even if you choose not to make your own photographic scans, many people want to have a computer capable of viewing their stored digital photographs and making minor image corrections. Please remember to beef up your computer RAM as you work with large photo file sizes.
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The first thing you need to know before jumping into photo enhancement is to be sure your original digital files (or scans) are saved as "read only" files--consult your operating system help files on how to do this. "Read only" makes it impossible to change the original file, thus all changes are saved to a different file name or directory. This allows you to progressively enhance your photo, periodically saving to a new "read only" file that cannot be changed. It also makes it safe to introduce your children to photo enhancement without worrying about their putting beards on all the people in your original photograph!
Digital Imaging
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Digital imaging is already the long-term photographic preservation method of choice. High resolution scanners can convert traditional color or black and white photographs into high quality digital images. CD (Compact disk) and DVD (digital video disk) can provide good short-term storage media for these digital images but don’t trust your special digital photo images to a single disk. Not all CD writing schemes and media are created equal either. Some CDs become unusable within 5 years, while others could last for a 100 years or more.
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The real secret to the longevity of a digital image lies in the fact that it can be copied with the copy containing the exact same electronic code as the original. Each successive generation of copies can be exactly the same, making this photographic concept an archivist's dream! By putting time and resources into preserving high-quality digital images, with backup copies stored on different media and in separate physical locations, you could watch your precious originals deteriorate with time and feel secure about the images living on.
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It is strongly recommended that you make digital copies of your most special photographs. Even very inexpensive scanners will preserve your images nicely. Each time you buy a new computer, buy a much larger hard drive than you think you will ever need and copy your photo library to it.
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Consider buying a scanner and make your own digital copies of everything you want to preserve. Maintaining your digital photo library is mostly a matter of upgrading, copying and moving digital images to newer massive storage media. Don’t ever forget that digital files are not secure without following the rule of 3 – keep 3 reliable copies of every image stored in at least 2 locations. Share your favorites with all your friends and family in digital format.
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If a digital photograph appears to lack detail when printed or viewed on the computer monitor, then the viewing size is too large for the total number of pixels in the image. With monitors, this problem is remedied by increasing the screen resolution (which makes everything smaller). For a printed photograph, packing in more pixels per inch (ppi) also requires that the print dimensions become proportionately smaller. For 600 dot per inch (dpi) laser and ink-jet prints, 150 ppi is a medium resolution, but professional lithographers prefer 300 ppi.
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Many digital cameras come with the option to shoot in one of the non-destructive formats such as “Raw,” which makes for greater latitude in using imaging software. Digital camera images created and saved in one of the destructive formats such as jpeg should be stored, copied, and backed up in their original format before allowing digital imaging software to alter the original images in any way. For special digital images where touchup is desired before sharing the images, store the improved image as well as the original. Maintain a filing system that allows you to know the original from the improved image.
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In planning to scan a digital collection, it is recommended that we store a digital file for the largest print size that we are likely to need for a given photograph. So, if our largest print size is 8 x 10 inches, and high quality prints contain 300 pixels per inch, we would store 2400 x 3000 pixels. This digital photograph would create an uncompressed file size of over 20MB (megabytes) for full color. This is not an uncommon file size for high resolution digital photography.
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Though it is relatively easy to do, high resolution photo scanning is an art that many people prefer to leave to the professional service bureaus. Do-it-yourself photograph scanning has also become popular. Scanning your own photos may save a little money but is rather time consuming. To effectively work with 20MB and larger file sizes, please be sure your computer hardware is designed to easily handle photo files of that size. Believe me, with the right hardware and software your whole attitude will change about working with large photo files!
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For scanning photo prints, the scanner type is often not too important. Most color flatbed scanners of today are capable of scanning 300 dpi in 24 bit color. However, most flat bed scanners are designed to scan high-contrast documents, so look for a photograph setting. Even without a photo setting a scanner can still be used, but the resulting scan may require tone range adjustments with photo editing software (otherwise all the people in your photo have that "unshaven look").
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One could determine a proper scanning resolution based on three things: the maximum resolution rating of your scanner; the size of the print, slide, or negative you are scanning; and the maximum print size you would prefer to make from it. As a general rule, you don't try to make a copy print larger than double the size of a scanned original print. So, if you are scanning a 2 by 3 inch print, you should not expect a copy larger than 4 by 6 to be pleasing to the eye. To produce a 4 by 6 you should scan the 2 by 3 at a resolution of 600 dpi (scanner dots per inch can be thought of as interchangeable with pixels per inch, but printer dots per inch are different). Scanning at 600 dpi will give you the preferred 300 ppi for a 4 by 6 print.
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If we scan a negative or slide instead of a print, we can typically produce a pleasing looking print that is much larger than double the size of its scanned original. We would also reap the benefits of increased tone range that come from working with a transparency. But, unfortunately, increased problems with dust, scratches, and the need for a specialized scanner or adapter, often become the limiting factor. A 1 by 1.5 inch (35mm) slide should be scanned at 2400 dpi to produce an 8 by 12 inch print. For this job you would pretty much need a special photo scanner or photo adapter, and even if you choose to get one, remember that each particle of dust on that slide will be magnified 8 times also!
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Copying original non-copyrighted magnetic videos for day-to-day use is a good way to preserve them too. They should be stored on edge away from electric motors and other magnetic radiation sources. They may be more vulnerable to ultraviolet light damage than other photographic media, otherwise most of the same preservation suggestions apply to magnetic video as to film.
Digital Movies
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In recent years new technology has emerged that has removed most cost limitations for high-quality digital movies. Copying old film and video movies to digital media could render these images subject to no further degradation in time.
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Unless they are hardly ever viewed, home movie films will not survive much more than a generation without significant scratches. To help reduce this normal damage caused by the viewing process, copy your original film movies to another media (digital is the best) and let these stand in for the originals to bear the brunt of the frequent wear and tear.
Digital Photo Storage and File Formats
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Storing digital images for long-term preservation requires some knowledge and planning. An important question to ask is how do I want to preserve the captions? The photo archivist might store the caption within the file name if practical, so it doesn’t get separated from the image. But that may not be a good idea in some cases such as when privacy is needed. There is some pretty good photo cataloging software popping up out there and most collections will eventually grow large enough to require it. But since your images could well outlast the software, a second text file captioning method is recommended.
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Even if you use another captioning method, it is suggested that your photos deserve a backup or second captioning method and sometimes simpler is better. So first, change the file name of your photo to something that will help in identification, maybe even the whole caption. If this is impractical because you shoot a hundred images at a time, then change the electronic folder name to the identifier. Second, move the image or folder to the electronic folder where you want to store it for long-term storage. Store a more lengthy digital caption right with the image file(s) and give it the same identification name as the image, but with a “txt” or “doc” extension. Alternatively, you could make one master caption for all photos within a given folder. I prefer the “txt” extension because it seems simpler and more generic to me for anyone to harvest the caption out of.
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An important rule for preserving any computer files is to back them up. If your digital image files are accompanied by original slides, negatives, or prints, these may be considered backups too.
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Compact disks (CD) and DVD were once thought of as an excellent medium for storing image files, but today we don’t usually think of them as reliable enough for long-term storage. Instead consider using a series of computer hard drives for storage. What kind of hard drive? Use the one that represents today’s matured technology and as that changes, change with it (even after hard disks are replaced with some other mass storage device). When it is time for you to buy a new computer, buy it with a significantly larger hard drive than you think you’ll ever need. Buy the one where the storage volume per unit cost is at the maximum – you know, the big one just before the price begins to soar off into outer space. That will usually be the largest disk that still represents mature technology. Later when another family member buys a new computer repeat the process with the later technology.
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You can copy (backup) all photos from one hard disk to another through a network, or even better, through your off-site external hard drive or Internet backup service – that’s the one you are keeping all your important computer files on in case of fire or theft. Be sure to honor the rule of three – three copies of each file in two or more locations. Remember, it is maintaining a good copying scheme that makes digital imaging the best hope we currently have for preserving photographs long-term.
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Remember that storing too many pixels has its problems but not as many as storing too few. Therefore, store enough pixels to produce the largest printed image you might want made from that image. Today, calculate the total pixels based on 300 pixels per inch. Generally, it is better to store more pixels and do file compression when needed than to not store enough pixels.
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Get to know the advantages and disadvantages of any new digital photo format that you encounter. JPEG and other popular compressed formats are also evolving and taking over the digital photography industry. TIFF is still among the format leaders. Keep migrating your photos to the most successful formats. The goal of permanence can only come through conversion.
Fire and Flood Damage
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Much of the damage from fire is really water related. When fire or flood strikes, it is usually accompanied with shock to you; thus your photographs may not be the first thing on your mind. Do you have an "in case of emergency..." list or plan somewhere that would remind you of your photographs? The importance of this lies in the fact that with water damage, time is the major factor. Even a one-day delay in action can greatly increase the damage to your collection.
Handling and Storing Photos and Videos
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Please remember to always identify the names, dates, and important details of a photograph. Store the basic information with the photo itself. Sometimes, when more detail is needed, such as for large-group photos, it helps to make a photocopy of the photo and store it in another place with all the details written on it.
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Where do you store your most precious photographs? How would you feel about inviting your photographs into the same clean, dust-free living conditions that you enjoy so much? Bring them into your study, your office, your bedroom, your living room, your winter-heated and summer-cooled space. Be sure the temperature and humidity are low. Be sure they are away from any smells, dampness, plumbing, heat, direct sunlight. If you don't want them near you because they smell or are dirty, there is something drastically wrong with how you are caring for them. Never store photographs in a damp basement or near the floor (especially cement floors).
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Remember that photographic materials are easily scratched, especially the emulsion side of the print or negative. It’s best not to rub them with anything. Don't store them in such a way that abrasive dust can be imbedded in them. Keep them clean, especially when viewing them.
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Try to keep food and fingerprints away from your photographs.
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Make up your mind that you will no longer store your photographs in cardboard boxes or wooden cabinets. Please transfer them permanently to baked enamel metal file cabinets or any of the increasing variety of safe, acid-free, archival storage containers available.
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In a single, careful, pass through your photo collection, remove any of the obviously harmful items from your photo storage box. Remove all paper clips, staples, pins, adhesives, and anything with an odor. Carefully hunt for original newspaper clippings and store them away from your photograph cabinets or boxes. Also, remove all rubber bands and manila envelopes.
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Always handle photographic materials by the edges only, and then touch them as little as possible. Fingerprints contain acids and oils that will eventually begin to appear as stains on prints and negatives, which will always remain on them. Cotton gloves are recommended when handling photographs.
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Do not store photos in cedar chests or anything giving off an odor. In fact, nearly all wooden containers (even albums with wood), leather products, and fabrics become acidic.
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Keep photos, negatives, etc. away from direct sunlight and ultraviolet radiation sources (such as fluorescent lights). You should even store your photos away from photocopiers and laser printers that emit ozone, which is harmful to photographs.
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For video (camcorder type) images, always store them fully rewound, on their edge in a cool, dry place. Rather than depending on home video movies alone, have your movies digitized and stored on hard disks and DVDs.
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Many photo products do attract dust and insects, so be sure the storage container can be sealed.
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Prints can be stored in archival plastic sleeves or pages. This is usually a good compromise between maximizing safe storage conditions, yet still keeping the prints in an attractive display for viewing purposes. If albums are used, be sure to get only those pages, mounting devices, etc. that are totally acid free. Protect photos from face-to-face contact. Do not overlap photos on album pages.
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It is preferred not to mount photographs to mounting boards in a permanent way. To do so adds a new dimension to potential problems, namely any chemicals introduced by the adhesive and board. If dry-mounting tissue is used to mount a photographic print to an acid-free mounting board, be sure to use low-temperature mounting tissues so as not to damage the emulsion during application.
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In preference to using adhesives in mounting, use archival plastic sleeves or mount photographs on acid-free paper by cutting small slits for the corners of the photos to be tucked into. Be careful not to damage the corners of photographs by tucking them in.
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When framing a photo, there must always be a sealed air space between the photograph and the glass, otherwise the normal swelling of the gelatin layer will eventually etch it to the glass. Be sure that frames used are made of aluminum, stainless, or archival plastics. These products are becoming more common. A desiccant (such as silica-gel) can be used to bring the humidity of a print down prior to framing it. It is not recommended to use desiccants for archival storage as they can actually increase dust.
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The ideal archival photo storage facility would be extremely clean and dry, with dust, humidity, and air temperature controls. The floor would not be of cement. The floor, walls, and ceiling would be well sealed, easily cleaned, and free from chemical smells, exposed wood, acidic products, and plasticizers. The lighting would be incandescent, the windows not too large and shielded from direct sun-rays. If a fire-emergency sprinkler system is installed then provisions must exist to handle water runoff and some kind of water-protective shell installed around the photo storage. Food and liquids would not be allowed in the storage facility. This would not only reduce the risk of direct damage but also secondary damage from attracting insects or rodents, which could also be attracted to gelatin. Use of cotton (or better) gloves would be mandatory in such a facility.
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Photographic materials would be screened prior to admittance to the ideal photo storage facility, and those items not meeting the proper criteria would be stored elsewhere. The photographic storage cabinets would be of baked-enamel-coated steel (or higher quality). Since maximum photo life is the goal, viewing of photographs would get little consideration in the ideal facility. Very good quality digital copies, copy negatives and prints would be made from all originals in the collection and stored separately. The copy prints would be used for viewing purposes while the originals are properly stored away. Each original would be stored in its own separate sleeve or archival envelope, isolated from dust, etc. (in other words, albums and multiple storage sleeves would not be used).
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In the ideal photo storage facility it is important to isolate contaminants and prevent them from spreading to adjoining photographs. It is generally thought best not to totally seal the photographs away from the atmosphere but to allow clean, cool, dry, dust-free air to circulate naturally around the cabinets and storage envelopes.
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For the sake of photo longevity, it is hoped that most of your mounting chores will be removing old mounts rather than adding new ones. Sometimes mounting in a non-permanent way can improve the stability of a fragile photograph or unite torn parts. Be sure to select the right weight and texture of archival mounting board for the job.
Photo Editing, Restoring and Touchup
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It doesn't take long in working with photo editing software to discover how easy it would be to alter historical integrity. In an effort to preserve your photographic heritage, be careful not to alter it too much. Cleaning the photos up a bit is just great, but when we begin adding new people to a photograph or even removing natural birth marks, we begin to cross the line from reality to fiction. Decide what your policy on this issue will be and then stick to it very consistently.
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In digital photo editing we must "learn to avoid the one-way streets" that come with destructive file formats. As used here, "one-way streets" are touch-up techniques that rearrange the pixels of an image in such a way that adjustments made later with some future technique could lead to serious image degradation. A good way to avoid these problems is to use the non-destructive file formats. Examples of significant pixel rearrangement techniques (for file formats like jpeg) which should not be done until after storage images are made include: resampling (changing the image size), sharpening, and use of dust/scratch removal tools (use of the cloning tool at high magnification is considered ok).
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Rotating a digital image saved in jpeg, and even jpeg compression (saving) are examples of techniques having an additive effect problem – in other words, once is fine but don’t keep doing these through multiple sessions with the same image.
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In their efforts to sell software and to cultivate interest in image enhancement, software vendors don't always make it clear what image "side effects" come with using what tools and techniques. This is one reason why you don't want to throw away your original "read only" digital photo or scan.
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Besides the original, the ideal digital image for the photo archivist to store for long-term preservation would be an enhanced (touched-up) image where enhancement steps did not include pixel changing that leads to image degradation. If you can't be sure, then always return to the original. You could even store some step-by-step directions with the image on how to enhance it with certain software. As time goes on, image enhancement is becoming more automated. It may well be that within a few years so much more improvement might be done for your original images and scans that you'll be glad you stored them.
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Restoring and touching-up photographs is a sophisticated art, but sometimes, with the right tools, even a novice can improve on a damaged photograph. Check with your local photo supplier for literature and supplies in this area. Be sure to use pencils and markers designed for archival photographic restoration. Consider computer restoration instead, because it can be completely reversible.
Photo Preservation
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Through dedicated computer storage and media rotation techniques you can maintain your special digital family photographic library. Preserving your photographs requires knowledge together with a bit of patience and hard work, but the results are well worth the effort.
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In some ways learning about photographic preservation can be a bit frustrating. It can also actually be harmful rather than helpful to your photographs. After a little study a person commonly becomes horrified at all the things they have been doing wrong. Sometimes, they will over-react and hurriedly do something harmful, such as handle all their negatives to look for damage! Please plan carefully before you act.
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Remember, it's almost never too late to begin preserving your old photos. Please take the time to thoroughly study this web site and then decide on a preservation plan. If you don't understand, ask before you experiment.
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Unless your photographs were just in a flood or fire, you have a few weeks and months to carefully produce your own personally-tailored plan for photographic preservation. This plan should be personal enough to adapt to your own needs, including time and budget limitations. If you get frustrated at how slowly your plan progresses, keep in mind that you did not build up your photographic treasures all at once, and you may not be able to take all the preservation steps at once either.
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Two of the most critical factors in how long a photograph will survive are: what quality of processing or photo-finishing did it originally receive, and how long was it neglected before being brought into archival storage conditions? Proper decisions made at the beginning of the "photographic life" result in decades of extended life expectancy.
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If you want ultra-long photo preservation, be very "picky" about photo-processing, finishing, and copying services. Select only original processing of the highest quality, and do not send negatives to processing laboratories that would scratch, soil, or put adhesive tape on them. Most contaminants which shorten print life are introduced through sloppy handling in the processing laboratory. To avoid this problem, specifically request archival-quality photo processing of your local photo dealer.
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If you decide that extending the life of your photographic media to its ultimate length is important to you, then you should establish a policy right from the start that no photo development (wet chemistry) will be done in the same building as you select for the archival storage of your photographic media. Rewashing your film in the same building may not introduce significant new airborne chemicals, but this should still be done in a separate building if possible. Many hobby photographers like the freedom and enjoyment they get from processing and printing their own films. Though some of the skills learned in doing this are valuable also to the photo archivist, the chemical contamination risks make the two disciplines incompatible unless separate buildings are used and great care is taken to avoid transferring chemicals (even on hands and clothing) from the laboratory to the permanent storage facility.
Safe, Archival Products
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In recent years plastic product labeling has greatly improved. If the product doesn't say: "for archival storage," don't risk using it for your photographs. Local photo and art supply centers sell these products as do many nation-wide distributors.
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Fireproof storage vaults can secure your photographs against both fire (smoke damage) and theft, but they are not always a good choice. Besides being expensive they could emit photo-harmful fumes, and may not totally protect emulsions from the heat of a fire. For some of these situations, about the only insurance is to store high-quality copies of your photographs in more than one place.
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Chemical cleanliness includes remembering that rubber bands and even some paper products contain sulfur, which like rubber cement will break down the silver image in photographic materials. The harmful product list includes wood finishes, household cleaners, and the like.
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When it comes to photo storage containers, make sure that all papers, boards, wrapping, etc. are acid-free (or pH buffered). If there are questions, test products yourself with a pH-testing pen.
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There are many products advertised in photo magazines or sold at your local photo supply house which will definitely damage photographic materials over time. Be careful who you get advice from, since most people are actually not aware of the unique problems associated with long-term photographic preservation.
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Glue and adhesives would not typically be used at all for the highest level of archival photo storage. Special care would be taken to avoid even acid-free products and glassine sleeves that contain a seam where glue was used. Similarly, pressure-sensitive tapes would not be used at all. Photographs would not be permanently mounted to mounting boards-- not even if the boards are the archival-quality type.
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Avoid using oily or odorous erasers. Most kinds of pens, pencils, and marking equipment will eventually damage your photographs; acidic products are especially damaging. Writing on the back of a print can usually be done safely, but watch out for pressure damaging the emulsion. Please don't write on the front of a photograph-special touch-up pencils and paints are the exception.
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Rubber cement and similar adhesives are surprisingly deadly when used on or even near photographs. The acid in them causes rapid aging and cracking of the emulsion and paper backing. The organic compounds in them cause the image to fade, and the sulfur they contain reacts with the silver.
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Avoid the photo albums with self-adhesive boards behind clear plastic (Mylar) covers. These are sometimes called "magnetic" pages. The adhesive in most of these products contains PVC and other plasticizers that emit harmful fumes. Do not use cellophane or other common pressure-sensitive tapes directly on the photograph or negative, as nearly all varieties contain acidic adhesives and harmful fumes.
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Where possible, it is always best not to use tape directly on the photo itself. Use special tape for sealing storage containers, etc. So many products have been found to be damaging in the long run that it is best to be suspicious of all glues, adhesives, and anything else that gives off any kind of odor.
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You will soon discover that not all plastic materials are "photo-friendly"; in fact, most are harmful. There are safe plastic storage sleeves and unsafe ones. Never store photographs, slides, or negatives in the very popular vinyl pages or vinyl sleeves.
Vinyl products contain plasticizers (liquid or oily plastic), which will soon cause color dyes or black and white images to fade. Other similar products also contain plasticizers. You can often detect them by an almost "oily" appearance or an odor (the new car smell), or they have a tendency to cling to each other.
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You cannot always tell if a plastic is safe by its chemical name. For example, the grade of polyethylene used to make throw-away sandwich bags is not produced to the same specifications as polyethylene archival storage sleeves.
Our city landfill engineers are requesting that plastics designed for day-to-day disposable use be formulated to readily break down into environmentally safe by-products. Plastics that soon disintegrate are great for landfills but not for storing your photographs in.
Slides, Negatives and Prints
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Because they produce better copies and are less chemically complex, photographic negatives and transparencies are often better to store long-term than prints. However, if they have been improperly stored, problems with dust and scratch marks on slides and negatives can be so problematic that the original print often produces a better copy.
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Generally, a properly-preserved slide or negative will outlast the print made from it and will produce a much better copy print than will a print. This is because when light is transmitted through an image, it carries many times more color and shade intensities than when light is reflected from an image. If the slide or negative is dusty or scratched then the print could produce the better copy.
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If you are really intent on maximizing the life of your black and white negatives, you may need to be selective about who does the developing or do the final archival rinse yourself. Such a rinse can sometimes even be done years later, but you must be very careful in doing it to avoid introducing further abrasion from dust or washing away partially detached silver/gelatin.
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Color photographs are wonderful to look at today, but without digitizing, it is hard to preserve their beautiful bright color for much longer than a generation. Many methods have been tried in an effort to improve both image appearance and longevity, with today's products being far superior to many early ones. Since "pleasing appearance today" is what typically drives photo product sales, longevity has taken a back-seat in some cases.
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Please don't ever throw away your negatives, but do store them separately. A safe deposit box is one good storage choice. It doesn't have to cost much to save negatives, and they have so many uses to the preservationist.
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A good way of copying your photographs is to make duplicate prints to share with extended family and friends. Grandma can't ever seem to get too many photographs of your family, and she will usually save them forever. You can even send them to her already placed in archive-quality viewing sleeves.
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Remember to never throw away negatives. Storage of negatives and slides is best accomplished in sleeves or envelopes made of archival triacetate or polyethylene. Polyester (Mylar D) is chemically safe, but the sharp edges could scratch negatives. Some of these products are heat-sealed and contain no adhesives. They are transparent so the negatives are easily viewed through them, and they cost just a few cents per negative.
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Remember to only store one negative (or strip of negatives) in each sleeve or envelope so that they cannot scratch each other.
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If the negative strips come back from photo processing containing a strip of paper or plastic taped to them, remove the tape immediately and place the negatives in individual protective sleeves.
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Never store prints (such as those made for identification purposes) with the negatives themselves. There is more chance for harmful processing chemicals being left in the print than in the negative, and thus the negatives could be contaminated by the prints.
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Prints are made for viewing, yet they are ideally stored in the dark. If good quality original negatives exist, you can focus your preservation efforts on ideal negative storage. View the prints as you like, and replace them when they get worn or faded.
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As a cost-saving alternative to outside archival services, you can rewash your own negatives and prints when you get them back from original processing. If you choose this approach, remember to request that your negatives not be cut into strips when developed. Rewashing introduces new handling risks and must be done properly, but washing them yourself (especially the negatives) is a good way of insuring that it is done to your desired standards.
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After negatives return from outside facilities for processing, copying, reprinting, etc., always inspect them for new contamination. Blow them with "canned air" to remove dust, and rewash them, if necessary, prior to returning them to their archival storage sleeves.
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Fixer, a chemical used in photo processing is supposed to be thoroughly washed away but often remains in small quantities in prints. It also naturally becomes part of the airborne dust in all photo-processing facilities. When fixer dust lands on negatives or prints, it leaves a little spot which can even expand over the years. Other chemicals used in photo processing will also damage your photographs over time. Most large photo-processing facilities have special air-filtering systems to remove this kind of dust. Cleanliness and good handling techniques minimize but do not eliminate this problem. Rewashing your film when it returns to your collection can give you the peace of mind that no new chemicals have been introduced.
