Photographic Memory : Acid Free Archival Photo Supplies

Article by Susan Slobac

Certain family heirlooms call for careful preservation. Photographs of your family, including baby and wedding pictures, are all to be cherished for many years. Airborne pollutants, along with the deterioration that comes with time, all play a role in the destruction of your valuable family photographs and artwork. This is why many artists and art lovers alike choose photo storage that includes archival storage boxes, archival photo paper and archival fine art paper. These, along with clear bags, can help to preserve the things that matter the most to you.

We can all take a cue from museums and art galleries that display pieces of fine art. It is in both of their best interests to preserve works of art for perpetuity. They know the secrets and tricks for keeping artwork looking its best for years into the future, and these tips are readily available for avid home artists to also use and enjoy on their own artwork.

Photo storage is a primary motivation for using archival storage boxes and archival photo paper when processing photographs. Photographs, which are processed with a variety of chemicals, do not handle exposure to airborne pollutants and ultraviolet rays well at all. Both of these deteriorate the surface of the photograph, and then you are left with nothing but a memory of what was once captured pristinely on film. With framed pictures, acid free mount board is a wise choice to help increase the long life of your artwork. Foamcore mount board, if archival quality, has the ability to take in airborne pollution particles that can have a damaging effect on pictures.

Acids are another major problem that, over time, can cause a great deal of damage to all types of artwork, including photographs. The dyes used in photographs are not improved when exposed to acids. In fact, this is one of the major causes of the deterioration of the images of photographs, and one reason why professional photographers choose to use photo storage that provides an acid-free environment for important photos.

Archival tissue paper also has a place in photo storage. Archival papers are acid free, and thus eliminate the problems associated with papers made from pulp that contain various acids that are harmful to photographs. Separating photos with acid-free papers can keep them free from the damaging effects that are associated with acids in combination with chemicals used in photography. These papers are also useful for other applications, such as wrapping clothing items for storage.

Photo storage takes a prominent place in your consideration when you are talking about pictures from a wedding or a graduation or some other big, once in a lifetime event that cannot be recreated. This is when you will want to use every safe method of photo storage to preserve your photographic memories.