How to Properly Store Your Printed Photos
Use Photo Boxes to Collect Old Photographs
Every year, I pull out a photo album from my childhood. The books are scattered across the Kansas City metro, gathering dust in different family members' cabinets.
Opening each ancient photo album produces the sound of a slow crackle—the ungluing and stretching of its spine.
By now, the protective plastic that covers each photo is work and warped, curling up from the edges.
Sometimes, I'll pull an old photo out, examine it closely, and turn it over. In smudged ink, it reads, " Elizabeth, 1978."
Without these photos, how could I see my childhood smile on my son's face or my freckled nose bridge on my daughter's?
In a society where almost everything we need to access is just a phone click away, creating and curating a printed photo collection might seem daunting and unnecessary.
But I assure you, it's anything but.
What will cloud storage even look like in 20 years? The rapid pace of advancing technology means that today's digital photos will be out-of-date when our grandchildren want to pour over the photographic evidence of our existence, searching for a glimpse of recognition.
Printed photos are our obligation to our family.
Where Print Photos Matters
Where you print your photos is extremely important.
A professional print lab is a business whose sole job is to print photos and other photography merchandise for its clients without printing errors or defects. These labs offer a wide array of options regarding size and paper quality. Highly trained artisans work behind the scenes to print your photos on archival materials. Because these labs have such a high level of quality control, if they spot a defect, they fix the issue — even if that means a reprint.
Curate Carefully
With cameras in our back pockets, we snap photos of everything. Opening my photo app, I can sift through videos of echinacea and photos of bushy asparagus plants, children buried in sand, and volleyball pits. And that's just in the last 24 hours.
According to Signe Brewster, in her article “How to Store Print Photographs so They Last for Generations,” to create a meaningful photo collection, you will have to be selective. Ask yourself:
Does the image make me happy?
Is it exposed correctly and in focus?
Does it possess both historical and personal significance?
Is there a place of interest in the background?
For example, let's say your family has taken a trip to the Grand Canyon, and you've snapped 300 images on your phone. Obviously, you need to whittle them down. Select the photos that fulfill the criteria above, pare them down even further, and then print the remainder to add to your collection.
Organization is Essential
Raise your hand if you've stored your photos in shoe boxes and plastic tubs. Don't feel bad; This is most people's go-to storage method.
But remember, our job is to curate a photographic legacy. We have to be diligent.
Archivists recommend acid-and-lignin-free archive boxes for loose photos.
Plastic totes are untested, and scientists are still determining how the chemicals in plastic will react with the photographs over time. On the other hand, archival paper boxes have been around for centuries.
For additional protection, you can use Mylar sleeves.
If, like my mom, you prefer to store your family photos in albums, avoid glue and other adhesives, and choose an option with acid-free plastic sleeves.
Don't Forget the Extra Info
Details are essential, especially when passing personal history down to our children. You might know that " Adam's first steps" happened in 2023 at the Lakes of the Ozarks, but I guarantee Adam's granddaughter won't. You must include the who, what, when, and why.
Unlike previous generations, we now know that writing on the back of photos can damage them. Instead, archivists recommend acid-and-lignin-free index cards.
Put them behind your image in your box or album.
Use a Good Ole Fashioned No. 2
This next bit surprised me, but you should use a No. 2 pencil instead of a pen when writing on your index cards. Pencils smudge less often and are less likely to fade and harm the photos.
Climate Controlled Storage
Now that you've created your collection, you must store it properly. A photo collection should be kept in climate-controlled areas that are not too hot, cold, or humid. An upstairs closet is the perfect storage option because it's away from flooding and lacks light when the door is shut.