Tips & Tricks

Preserving Your Very Old Photo Albums

Never store these objects vertically, as the weight of the pages can damage the spine. Keep old albums flat in acid-free, lignin-free boxes. Interleaving with acid-free tissue can help prevent abrasion between pages. And finally, make sure to keep your albums in a cool, dry place.

Coming Out of the Closet

One advantage of keeping your photos in a closed closet is that it may remain cooler than the rest of the house during winter. Unfortunately, it may get hotter during the summer. Closed closets also cause the air to remain stagnant, so if the humidity gets high in the summer there may be a greater risk for mold growth.

How Do You Preserve Your Ultrasound/Sonogram Print?

Most of these images are printed with thermal imaging paper. This paper can brown when exposed to the light for even a short time. They're also sensitive to heat and pressure. So keep these images in the dark, out of the attic, and be careful when handling. We strongly recommend you make copies of these important pictures with a photocopier or scanner and printer.

Beware the Upstairs

When looking for a place to keep you photos safe and secure, think about what’s above them. If it’s a bathroom, then think again. If a pipe in the bathroom bursts or a sink or tub overflows, that water can come down like a waterfall on your precious photos. Water damage to photos can destroy them entirely, especially digital photos.

Flood waters are death to photos, especially digital prints. Be thoughtful of where you keep your collection. Never keep them low to the floor, and never, ever, in the basement. Up high keeps them dry.

Going Green Fades Photos Faster

Many people are switching from incandescent to fluorescent light bulbs to save energy, but most don’t know that fluorescent fades photos faster. If you’re going green be sure to frame your photos behind glass. Glass cuts out much of the harmful UV energy from fluorescent bulbs and will help your picture remain pristine much longer.

Let Your Prints Dry

Always let your digital prints dry thoroughly before handling, stacking, or putting them into an album. Most prints today dry relatively fast, but it’s safer to give your prints at least an hour out in the open to make sure all the ink solvents have completely evaporated.

Permanent Pens Usually Aren’t

Some pens are called permanent, not because they last a long time, but because they don’t wash off with water. This is great for labeling clothes before you send the kids off to camp, but most people don’t wash their heirloom collections. These “permanent” pens can still fade, and some do quite easily. Some are even very harmful to photos. So pick a pen ink that’s water-based and also water-resistant.