There are so many things that people do with their photographs or have done with their photographs in the past, that sincerely make me cringe. Of course, it is not just me that is cringing. The people who are dedicated to archival quality of photographs are cringing too. These three no-no’s are so common, it is scary. Please avoid these three horrible ideas at all costs.
Marking the Photograph
Do not, I repeat, do not mark on the back of your photograph with anything other than a photo pencil that has been created and designed to keep your photographs safe. I continuously see people writing on the back of school photographs and other pictures with ball point and felt tip pens. Ink is not archive safe for a photograph. Period. In just a couple of years, the ink can seep through the photograph and come through on the picture side. Not to mention, ball point pens will indent the photograph and you will see the damage done after only a year or so.
Tape
Do not do it. I don’t care how ripped your photograph is. Do not tape it back together. Please, just do not do it. Nowadays our technology is so advanced that a torn photograph can be restored and made into a whole new photograph and you would never even know it and it might even look better than the original. However, if you repair your photographs with tape of any kind, it does a whole world of damage. The acid alone is quick acting and will cause the photograph to turn yellow and brittle.
Improperly Showing Off Photographs
Do not place your photographs in frames and then set that frame down right by a window. Because you know what will happen? In only a month or two the photograph will fade. And it will continue to fade and fade more the longer that it sits near the sun. Keep conditions dry near the photograph. Moisture can get trapped behind the frame and cause the photograph to stick to the glass of the frame. It is extremely difficult to remove at that point. Try not to use originals in your displays so that if any damage does occur, you still have another copy.
Recommended Articles:
Properly Handling a Photograph
How to Best Organize Your Negatives
How to Best Organize Digital Images
Why Are My Photographs Deteriorating?
Nicole Humphrey writes about everything related to scrapbooking in the Scrapbooking Blog, saving money and living a frugal lifestyle in the Frugal Blog, and being the best photographer you can be in the Photography Blog. She enjoys guest blogging on a variety of topics as well, and you can read more of her articles by clicking here.