2019
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DIY Tips to Preserve Your Old Photos Written by: Brandon Harris, Smooth Photo Scanning Services
Taking photographs of important moments in your life (and the people you love) has been a tradition in most families for generations. Almost all of us have old photos that are slowly deteriorating. These photographs might not have financial value, but they do have extreme sentimental value. If you are looking to preserve old photographs, here are a few quick DIY steps to help you do just that.
How to Preserve Old Photos
Keep Them Away from Light
Try to keep your old photos away from extreme light. Overexposure can cause your photographs to fade. The ideal place for old pictures would be a dark place. This must be kept in mind when you are framing an old photo as well – it will be most likely exposed to sunlight for most of the day. Maybe get a high-quality copy and frame that. If you really want that particular picture framed and not a copy of it, then be sure to hang it someplace where sunlight won’t strike it directly.
Don’t Keep Them in the Basement or the Attic
We would recommend you to keep your old pictures in a cool, dry place. Someplace where the temperature doesn’t get too high or too low. Your basement can get damp and cause your photos to stick together. Your attic can get really hot in the summers, which can speed up the degradation process and ruin your photos. The ideal place for your old photographs would be a spare drawer or an empty closet. They are not affected by high or low temperatures or sunlight.
Don’t Write on Them with a Pen
Yes, you can write on your photographs to add extra sentimental value to them, but avoid using a ballpoint pen. Use a pencil to name people, mark locations, and also the time. You can use a felt-tipped pen but make sure to let the ink dry before you stack all the photos together. If the ink isn’t allowed to dry, it could easily smear or transfer to the other pictures and ruin all of them.
Use Photo Albums
A great way to preserve old photographs is by using photo albums or photo boxes. These photo albums can either be paper or plastic, but they should be acid-free. Don’t use plastic photo albums to store negatives, though. If you go with a photo box, make sure to give each picture room to breathe instead of stacking them on one another.
Photo albums are also convenient and easy to go-to for when you simply want to look back or reminisce about old memories with your family.
Don’t Use Supplies on Your Photographs
Try to not use office supplies such as rubber bands, tape, adhesives, glue, and ballpoint pens on your photographs. These can very easily damage your old pictures. Many individuals use rubber bands to bunch up a number of photos together which can easily permanently damage your photographs. When handling your old pictures, try keeping them away from food or liquids that might ruin them.
For more information on how to take care of and preserve your photographs, visit our website today!
My father has been in the document scanning industry for as long as I can remember. I worked for his company Smooth Solutions, Inc. during summer breaks growing up and for a couple years after college. Wanting to venture off on my own, I gained experience in several careers including wholesale seafood sales as well as owning and operating a bakery for several years. When my father approached me with the opportunity to expand upon his already successful business by providing high quality, professional scanning services to the general public, I jumped on board. From personal experience, I recognize how important it is for most people to have their family memorabilia preserved for future generations and I want to be a part of helping others do that.