13 Tips for Preserving Your Photos

Preserving photos has become my top priority.would like to preserve, then take it to a reputable
My Grandmother and I have started goingphoto printing shop and have it saved to a disk.
through her collection of photographs to scan andScanning the actual photo will not give you the
preserve 7 generations worth of photos. As I'mquality that you can achieve with a negative.
archiving these photos, and realizing their value, I- Be careful with the photos and negatives that
want to preserve them to the best of myyou handle and how you handle them. Each time
abilities. I've done tons of research and putyou increase the possibility of damage. You should
together a list to help you preserve yours too.always wear cotton gloves, only touch the edges
- Photos look beautiful when hung around theof your photos, and as little as possible. Your
fireplace, but be wary, this will ruin your photo. I'mhands carry acids and oils that are harmful and will
not saying don't do it, but be sure that you haveage your photos.
another copy.- If you are keeping the original photos too, a #2
- Do not use anything that does not saypencil is recommended to write names and dates
"acid-free".on the back of the photos. Be careful not to
- Store your photos near the center of yourpress too hard, this will leave an indention on the
home up in a closet. Keep them safe fromfront of your photo.
humidity, extreme temperatures, direct sunlight- Thanks to technology we can preserve our
and smells.family history forever, but do not alter your
- Store your photos in an archival safe storageoriginal photo. To do this you will need to put
container, so they're safe from debris and bugs,everything on your hard drive then save it to
which can cause damage.several disks and store them in different locations.
- Do not store the negatives, paper or newspaperGive them to grandparents, parents, siblings or
clippings with your photographs. Place them in aput them in a safe deposit box. Technology is
separate container.forever changing, so you will also need to try to
- When looking for a frame to hang your photo inkeep up with it and update the disks every so
look for ones that are made of stainless steel,often. Because pictures files are so large, I don't
acid-free plastic or aluminum.recommend trying to save every picture that
- Be sure to take some black and white photosyou take, just the important ones.
too, they last longer than color prints.- A DVD is another way to preserve your
- Do not use photo albums with clear plasticphotos, they hold up seven times the capacity of
covers that peel back. The best method isa CD, plus you don't need a computer to enjoy it,
probably the most common style used, just usejust a TV and DVD player.
corner mounts in an acid-free book, so the glueIf have any techniques you would like to share,
never touches your print.please add to the list by leaving a comment.
- If you have the negative of a picture that you