Storing negatives/slides/prints in parchment paper, kraft envelopes and cardboard boxes?

[anne_deerness1]

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I have an amount of 35mm and 120 negative rolls along with some prints and framed slides and am looking for an alternative to storing them. Plastic sleeves are strangely expensive where I live and they don't seem terribly convenient to store alongside their prints. </p>

<p>I am looking into making my own envelopes for storing them but I need recommendations on the types of paper most suitable for archival. </p>

<p>I was thinking of cutting the 120 film into individual frames and making a four flap envelope with some parchment paper (or maybe onion skin paper?) that seems to be innocuous, all frames from a single roll would go into an individual envelope and all of those into some sort of sliding cardboard box. The same would apply for the 35mm film except i'd cut them roll in sections of 6 frames and make the envelope size accordingly.</p>

<p>For storing prints i'd make some larger kraft paper envelopes and I'd also put the film in their parchments envelopes inside that kraft envelope.</p>

<p>For the slides I'd just store the frames in a sliding cardboard box.</p>

<p>Does this sound like a good idea? Do you guys have any other recommendations for paper types?</p>

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>The paper needs to be acid free. Slides are not very popular anymore, you can probably find some of the old metal slide files inexpensively. I have an awful lot of slides stored in projector slide trays -- recent scanning of a large sample shows they have endured very well, even some from the early '50s -- again, slide trays s/b cheap. Making something yourself is going to cost time and probably not be as good as professional solutions. B&H comes up if you Google 'Archival film and slide storage' -- they offer the opportunity to discuss your needs with an expert. Good luck with it! </p>

[PapaTango]

<p>Special cardboard boxes are available for slides--as noted B&H has them. Kraft paper, parchment, etcetera, does not remotely meet archival storage standards. There is a reason that polypropylene or polyester is popular for routine storage. True archival storage is different set of materials and practices.<br /> <br /> Any paper must be acid and lignin free. Metallic contaminates must be assessed and either minimized or eliminated. There can be no leftover bleach, peroxides, and the sulphur content must be low also. Archival stock never contains any recycled materials--it is always an alpha cellulose material. The best stock and paper is also impregnated with calcium carbonate--to maintain a pH of 8-9 across time. Taken all together, these things form the standard ISO 14523, or previously ANSI IT9.16. <br /> <br />This stuff is pricey, and I use it for the safety copies of all my HABS and recordation archive work--negative envelopes and print mounting boards. But I walk away knowing that a minimum 500 year standard has been met.<br /><br /> As per negatives, even quality archival rated paper materials that are not rated for negatives are dangerous. How? True archival paper sleeves or envelopes for negatives have a special finish on the film facing side--the purpose of which is to reduce the chances of overt or microscratching. With Kraft paper, you might as well break out a #800 grit sandpaper and make your sleeves out of that...</p>

[AJG]

<p>If you ever expect anyone to print from those 120 negatives, don't cut them into individual frames. Most negative carriers are much easier to use if the film extends out beyond the edge of the negative carrier. Patrick's advice is good, and if the materials are worth preserving then it is worth spending some money to do it right.</p>

[anne_deerness1]

<p>Would cutting them in strips of 2 frames help?</p>

[AJG]

<p>That would be better than single negatives, but standard polypropylene negative pages hold strips of 3, 4 or 5 negatives depending on the size of the negatives. 120 film can be 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, or 6x9 cm, and the size will determine which negative page will make the most sense. These pages work well and don't cost much--I have negatives that I have stored for nearly 40 years in them that are still in good condition.</p>

[PapaTango]

<p>I suppose you could, but why? The "traditional" cut is 3 or 4 frames per strip. This is a function of not only common storage, but equally dividing the number of frames shot per number of strips. Typically, MF cameras shoot 10-12 exposures per roll. The method to the madness.</p>

<p>Add to this the construction of the negative carrier for the enlarger. Unless one is using a carrier that sandwiches the negative between two sheets of anti-Newton glass--the negative alignment in it is usually handled by several "registration pins" that protrude from the bottom carrier plate--and extend through the top carrier plate when closed. This assures that the negative borders are perfectly aligned with the carrier aperture.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>You might mail order a larger package of polyethylene pages, for negatives.</p>

<p>For slides, boxes that hold groups of slides in a compartment hold many more than ones that hold them individually, and are often more convenient. </p>

<p>I have bought both slide boxes and negative sleeves in thrift shops, such that I have enough for my supply of both. </p>

<p>Since we don't know where you are, it is hard to say more. </p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Buffered acid-free paper is suitable, but it should also have passed the PAT (Photo Activity Test).<br>

Note that any glue used in making envelopes also must pass PAT.<br>

Archival storage is expensive. <br>

My most historically important photographic negatives are stored in fold-over polyester (Mylar) sleeving in acid-free folders or envelopes. (I collect historic negatives.) The materials I currently use are these: http://www.archivalmethods.com/product/film-storage-systems<br>

By the way, you really don't want to store the prints and negatives in the same place. They then face risk of simultaneous loss, for instance by water damage.</p>

 

[nbg90455]

<p>Anything wrong with the offerings from Print File (i.e. their Archival Storage Page stuff)?</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>"Plastic sleeves are strangely expensive where I live and they don't seem terribly convenient to store alongside their prints."<br /><br />Where do you live that you can't get pages at a reasonable price?<br /><br />PrintFile pages have been the industry standard for storing negatives and slides for 20 years or longer. They are very conveniently stored either in three ring finders or in hanging file folders in a filing cabinet. I have rarely seen anyone do otherwise.<br /><br />Before plastic pages, a lot of people used glassine envelopes. That was a sort of wax paper. But you ended up with long skinny envelopes that were awkward to store. And the film had to be taken out to make contact shees. <br /><br />Film is almost always kept in strips. Six frames is standard for 35mm and usually four frames for 6x6 MF. <br /><br />Some labs would cut MF negs individually and you would put them on special cardboard "cards" for printing that were designed to fit in special negative holders on the labs' equipment. But single frames are a huge pain to handle on a regular darkroom, so you don't want to do that.<br /><br />I highly recommend that you stick with PrintFile. Next to that look for glassine envelopes. </p>