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