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Safety Issues in Scrapbooking
Safe Scrapbooks
Scrapbooking is a unique craft /science hybrid.
The good news is that the science of photography is rapidly changing and the
longevity of our photos is being increased even as I write this. The bad news is that
sometimes it is hard to know what products are safe and which products are not safe for
your photos. Most scrapbookers feel that there is more to making a scrapbook than just
making cute pages, scrapbookers really want to ensure that they help they photos look good
for as long as possible.
In order for your photos to stay looking good, they
need to be surrounded by materials that will not accelerate their aging. Many materials
that have been used in photo albums in the past were actually damaging to the photos in
the albums. Some confusing terms that are widely used are:
| Photo Safe |
Has no "real" definition but varies from company to company and
is abused by a few companies. Can not be considered to be a guarantee that your photos are
safe as their are no standards for the term. |
| Archival Quality |
This term also has no standardized definition, however, it implies that
all materials used in the product are chemically stable. I have not found any companies
that abuse this term. |
Silent Destroyers
In all likelihood one of the biggest dangers to your
photos is their environment, photos need to be in a stable environment. Temperature and
humidity affect photographs and documents more than any other element. Best conditions are
under 70 degree F with the relative humidity under 50%. High humidity is most harmful and
high temperatures accelerate the deterioration. Cyclic conditions (High heat and humidity
followed by cold and dry weather, followed by high heat, etc.) are very bad for the
emulsion and may cause cracking and separation of the emulsion from the paper. As
safe album will NOT protect your photos from damage from excessive heat and/ or humidity.
A closet in the interior of your house (not against an outside wall) is quite frequently
the best place to store your albums when temperatures or humidity are extreme.
Should everything in my scrapbook be
"safe"?
This is a tricky question, because there is no right
answer. The safer that your album is the longer your photos will last. However, there is
no way to figure out how much faster your photos will age if you add a few un-safe items
or if the album has one unsafe material used to manufacture it. My best advice is to seek
out the safest supplies that you can afford. If acid-free, lignin-free paper costs 10
cents a sheet and paper that is NOT labeled as being acid free and lignin free is also 10
cents a sheet, buy the paper that is labeled as acid-free and lignin-free. One thing to
remember is that if you choose to use vinyl albums, they should be kept well ventilated so
that the fumes from the vinyl do not have a chance to damage your photos. (There is some
disagreement among experts as to how safe vinyl for photos.)
Materials to be avoided in scrapbooking:
| Material |
Type of damage caused/ Reason to be avoided |
| Paper containing acid and or lignin or paper that is
not pH balanced or buffered |
Acid in paper causes the paper itself to deteriorate
& the acid also migrates to contribute to the deterioration of photos and memorabilia |
| Unstable paper or materials that are not chemically
stable or archival quality |
Paper can be acid free at the time of manufacture only
to BECOME acidic if it is not buffered to provide chemical stability. Please note that
buffering is not meant to stabilize other unsafe items on the scrapbook page, but only to
prevent the paper itself from becoming acidic in the future. |
| Recycled Papers |
Recycled papers cannot be archival quality. When
possible search for products that are NOT recycled for scrapbooking. |
| Lignin (the material that holds wood cells together) |
Paper will turn brown with age. Eventually the paper
will crumble and disintegrate. |
| Adhesives used in magnetic albums and adhesives that
are not archival quality |
Many adhesives are caustic and will eventually eat away
at photos and memorabilia. Acids contained in the adhesives damage the photos they adhere
to and can migrate to other items in your scrapbook. |
| Adhesives that become brittle with age causing your
items to "pop off" the page (Paper Cement, Rubber
Cement, Glue Sticks) |
These are not necessarily damaging but after investing
hours of your time and a good amount of money in your scrapbook, you should try and use an
adhesive that has a good amount of "tack". (There are un-safe and safe brands of
Rubber Cement available, but I advise staying away from ALL of these products.) |
| Using a liquid adhesive on your photos |
There are many goo liquid adhesives on the market, but
I like to advise everyone not to use them for photos. Use them for papers or memorabilia,
but not on a photo. I advsie using photos splits, photos tape or tape runner for photos.
These are stable and have a good tack, meaning that they will not dry up and release your
photos in a few years. However, if you need to remove a photo you can remove it from your
album with a minimum of damage to your album and generally no damage to the photos. |
| Photo corner, plastic overlays & pocket pages
containing PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) |
The chlorine gas causes photos to yellow. Photos may
become sticky and may be difficult or impossible to remove. |
| Unsafe storage practices |
This isn't a material, but it needs to be noted that
you can damage your photos by tightening the strap hinge on them too tight which causes
the photos to be damaged by pressure, or by letting the strap hinge become too loose which
can cause abrasion. Because of the perils of the strap hinge, many conservationists prefer
a three ringed binder. Also do not store you albums laying down, they should be stored
upright in a cool dry place. Do not store your albums on an unsealed wooden shelf (the
wooden shelf will contain lignin) or in an unsealed wooden album. |
| Mixing too many adhesive products in your albums |
Even though all the products may be safe, you do not
want to mix too many types of adhesives in your album. the result could be a damaging
chemical reaction even if the individual products are safe. |
| Ballpoint pen and felt tip pen inks |
Do not use regular inks in your scrapbooks. Some are
acidic or contain solvents. Please use pens that are labeled as acid free, permanent and
water free. This includes printer inks- if you want your scrapbooks to last, do not
use regular printer inks in your scrapbooks. There are a few printers on the market that
use archival inks. |
| Products labeled as "photo safe" that are not
really safe for photos |
There are many reputable products on the market but
there are also companies that are more concerned with making a buck than with the safety
of your photos. Look for more than a designation of "photo safe" on a product
before you buy it and use it in your albums. If necessary, call the company and ask for
more information. Many companies have done ANSI Photographic Activity Testing (PAT)
and are willing to share the documented results with you. A reputable company should
always be willing to share the results of the testing that has been preformed on their
products. |
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