Storing your prints?

[CatherineA]

Not a tech question but I was wondering how or where people choose to store their prints. I know someone who had a wooden box made to hold their prints not for any reason of humidity control or other archival goal, but just to have a special place to hold their prints.

Which does bring to mind a sad story of a photo of one of my sons. It was/is a lovely photo taken by photographers at his university and I kept meaning to get it framed but delayed so long that dust now adheres to the surface and I can't get it off the slightly sticky surface. Should have bought the digital version but it was just so expensive ...

[DanK]

I store some prints in archival boxes. They are expensive for cardboard boxes, but they are acid free. Search a site like B&H for "archival storage" and you should see examples.

I place a sheet of acid-free tissue between them, like this: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...rch=yes&sts=ma

[LenR]

Second Dan on this one. Wooden boxes are not appropriate for archival storage.
I use Onyx Portfolio Boxes as sold by B&H in New York although similar boxes are generally available thru art stores.
I prefer to use mylar ( polyester) sleeves for each print. These are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate prints and other art work.

[Manfred M]

Like Dan and Len, I use archival boxes from B&H and use the archival tissue to separate the pieces. The important thing is to protect them from UV, high humidity and organic compounds.

Wood is a terrible storage material because it emits complex organic compounds that attack the pigments.

As for the photo of your son, while it might be a long shot, they may still have the image on file and could do a print. It's always worth checking.

[CatherineA]

thanks for the replies. Is there any archival reason to prefer either a sleeve or archival tissue?

[Donald]

Those that are not in plastic folders in an artcase for easy carrying around, are in now-empty print paper boxes. The essential thing, as Manfred suggests, is having prints separated by tissue.

[DanK]

Is there any archival reason to prefer either a sleeve or archival tissue?

I don't know the answer to this. I can't imagine that having plastic on contact with the print would help--it's not how museums store art--but I don't know whether it will hurt. I use archival plastic sleeves only when I need to show a portfolio, or if I am going to show a bunch of loose prints and don't want fingerprints all over them. For storage, I don't want the smooth plastic surface pressed up against the surface of the print.

When I shuffle through loose prints, I often use cotton gloves, like these.

[LenR]

At the end of the day probably a matter of personal choice. Archival mylar is a crystal clear inert material that I have been using for 20 plus years without adverse effects. It will not adhere to, or discolour prints. It is a sturdy film (3 or 4 mils) that provides support to the print and as Dan mentions, enables handling without fingerprints.
Mylar is, I believe, used by the Library of Congress for the long term protection and storage of documents etc......

Attached for additional information.

https://www.preservationequipment.co...ocket-a-sleeve

[Manfred M]

thanks for the replies. Is there any archival reason to prefer either a sleeve or archival tissue?

The main reason for using a separator is to ensure that the surface of the print is safely separated from any contaminants on the surface of the print above it. In most papers, the back is unfinished and is a tiny bit on the abrasive side. With pigment inks, which are commonly used in photo quality inkjet prints, these are held in place through a mechanical bond with the paper. The archival tissue is used to ensure that there is no direct contact and prevents mechanical damage. As the materials are archival, this means the are chemically neutral and will not aid in breaking down any of the the components in either the dyes or paper.

The main advantage of the mylar film is that it is transparent and the image can be handled without wearing gloves (to protect the print from the slightly acidic oils found on our fingers. The downside is that the material is reflective and can interfere with viewing. I personally prefer Dan's method (wearing cotton gloves) with tissue separators.

[DanK]

Len,

I read the link you sent. It includes this caveat:

You also need to be careful storing some older photographs with a gelatin emulsion. The emulsion can bond to polyester, in this case you are better to use an archival paper enclosure, or interleave with acid-free tissue.

That was exactly my ill-informed concern. I haven't made gelatin prints in decades, but most of my serious prints are on baryta papers, and I've worried that over time, the plastic might start sticking to it and damage it. I have no idea whether this concern is warranted in the case of modern baryta papers, but I've never taken the chance; I've never stored photos in plastic sleeves for more than a few weeks.

Dan