Basic Photo Care

Top of Page

Deterioration and Degradation
Photo degradation usually results from (1)the chemical makeup of individual photos and (2)the environment in which photos reside.

High temperature and humidity are damaging in addition to fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

Ultraviolet light, which is a major component of sunlight and fluorescent light, is especially harmful.

Photos are susceptible to damage from fingerprints, tape, glue, ink, rubber bands, paper clips, and various airborne pollutants such as dust and chemical fumes.

Based on studies by Kodak, typical ambient (diffuse) home lighting is probably not harmful over the course of several years, but light will slowly cause fading and other irreversible damage that may not become objectionable for many years. Therefore, for proper photo care, treasured photos which you intend to pass on to future generations should not be displayed excessively in your lifetime. Instead, a duplicate copy can be made and displayed while the original is kept safe with other family keepsakes.

Top of Page

Storage
Proper storage conditions are essential for photo preservation.

Metal shelves with a baked enamel finish are acceptable for holding photo collections.

Avoid the use of cabinets or shelves made of wood, particle board, or press board for proper photo care.

Actively used collections should be stored in boxes rather than file cabinets as considerable opening and closing of drawers may cause surface abrasions on the photographic emulsions.

Plastic pages and cover sheets made from uncoated pure polyethylene, polypropylene and polyester (also called Mylar D or Mellinex 516) are considered stable and non-damaging to photos. None of these recommended plastics have any odor to them, while polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic does have a strong odor (like a new car odor). Avoid the use of PVC plastics as they generate acids which can fade the photo in time and can actually cause the image to transfer onto the plastic. For these reasons, PVC cover sheets, pages and albums should not be used for valuable photos or those you want to preserve for a long time.

Top of Page

Photo Albums and Mounting
Some safe alternatives for mounting photos include envelopes and sleeves made of stable plastics such as polyester and polypropylene. An alternative for sleeves and envelopes are corners made from plastic film or paper. This plastic film should also be made of polypropylene or polyester.

These plastic and paper corners should be made of a material which passes the Photographic Activity Test (PAT). The PAT was developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is a test that determines whether or not a storage material will cause fading or staining of photos. The PAT standard is ANSI IT9.16.

ANSI has another standard for photo storage materials: ANSI IT9.2 Photographic Processed Films, Plates, and Papers--Filing Enclosures and Storage Containers. This standard specifies the high quality of the paper and plastics, and recommends designs for storage materials such as envelopes and pocket pages. Many manufacturers test their products with the PAT and advertise storage materials which pass the PAT.

Mounting with synthetic glue (white glue), rubber cement, pressure-sensitive tapes and films, staples, or hot glue gun adhesives should be avoided altogether. These materials have poor aging qualities which can physically damage and/or discolor your photos.

Album pages have the most influence on the long term preservation of your photos since they are in direct contact with the photos and can cause the most harm.

The three types of album pages are (1)plastic pocket pages--pages with pockets for inserting the photos, (2)paper pages with or without a clear plastic cover sheet and (3)magnetic albums or self stick albums.

Plastic pocket pages have the advantage that no adhesive is needed to secure the photo but photos may slip out of the pocket opening.

Paper pages require some method of securing the photo to the paper such as photo corners or adhesives.

Magnetic albums or self stick albums have clear cover sheets. The pages provide their own means of securing photos to the page, but surround the photo with adhesive which may be detrimental to your photo.

Use of albums with self-stick pages ("magnetic pages") for any valuable photos that are meant to be kept for a long time should be avoided as well due to the adhesive used on the mounting page. This adhesive can stain photos and possibly fade some types of photos over time. In the long term, the adhesive either dries up and fails after several years and discolors to an unsightly dark yellow. In the short term, the adhesive could become very tacky making it difficult to remove photos without damaging them.

Top of Page

Frames
Decorative frames, available at many stores, are appropriate for everyday snapshots. However, they either do not come with a mat or spacers to keep the photo from contact with the glass, or they use a poor quality acidic paper mat.

Unfortunately, many photos have been damaged or permanently stuck to glass when fluid seeped between the glass and photo after the glass had been sprayed with liquid cleaner or beverages were spilled near the frame because the photo was framed without a mat.

Never use spray cleaners around photos and artwork. Many cleaners are corrosive and cause immediate fading and staining if they, or their vapors, come in contact with the photo.

Important family photos or photographic artworks should be matted using high quality mat board for the window mat and the back board. The mat board should of course pass the ANSI IT9.16 Photographic Activity Test (PAT).

The safest way to attach the photo to the back board is with paper or plastic photo corners or paper or plastic edge strips. Edge strips are folded pieces of paper or plastic which secure the edge of the photo to the back board--the edge of the photo is inserted into the fold and then the edge strip is adhered to the back board. Photo corners and edge strips are ideal in situations where the window mat will cover over the edges of the photo and hide the photo corner or edge strip.

Top of Page

Digitizing
You may want to digitize your photos because it offers safe and easy access to the images in your collection. Once your photos have been digitized, you can view them in electronic form and even make hard copies without risking damage to the originals.

Do not throw away your original photos after you digitize them as digitized images are not considered a replacement for originals. Your digitized images should be stored away for safekeeping so you can have access to them in the event of any disaster that may destroy your originals.

Top of Page

For more information on proper photo care, visit the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

Return Home from Photo Care