How should I store 20x30 photo prints for about 20 years?
Asked 9/26/2011
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I occasionally make large 20x30 prints and want to store them for roughly 20 years. I’m not worried about fire protection. What type of container and interleaving materials should I use to help preserve the prints over long-term storage?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Archival cardboard storage boxes ought to do the trick. They may be difficult to find in your size at a photo store (even B&H only has them up to 20x24-1/2"), but you should be able to get them at any large artists' materials shop (perhaps as a special order) or online through a museum supplier. If worse comes to worst, you can construct the boxes from thick (at least 4-ply) archival mounting board and metal box corners.
You'll also need archival low-abrasion separation sheets (like glassene, but acid-free) between the prints. A double layer of separators -- a slick sheet on the print surface, and a more absorbant, thicker paper between the slick sheet and the back of the next print -- would be better.
The cardboard and the thicker separation sheets will moderate humidity. The box will keep out the light. Using archival materials means you won't have to worry about acid damage from the container or any outgassing that may negatively affect the paper, coatings or pigments. That about covers the requirements -- and your prints should last significantly longer than twenty years under those conditions.
Both plastic and metal containers can be problematic. Some plastics are safe, but it's hard to find safe containers in the size you need, and next to impossible to build 'em if you can't buy 'em. Metals can corrode silently. They may be useful as outer containers for protection from physical damage, but you should still be using cardboard inner containers to prevent direct contact with the metal.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For 20-year storage, an archival storage box is the best fit. Use an acid-free, archival cardboard box sized for 20x30 prints; if photo retailers don’t carry that size, art-supply or museum-archival suppliers often do. If needed, a box can also be made from thick archival mounting board.
Don’t stack prints directly against each other. Place archival, low-abrasion interleaving sheets between them. A good approach is a smooth acid-free separator against the print surface, plus a thicker absorbent acid-free sheet between prints to help buffer humidity and reduce abrasion.
The box and interleaving help moderate humidity swings, which is important for long-term print stability. While ordinary boxes can sometimes work surprisingly well, they offer less protection from moisture, pests, and acidic materials, so archival materials are the safer choice if you want reliable preservation over decades.
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